Yes, but he is so rich that I think the appetite for gain would be subordinate to fears about reputation.
1 Like
Suspect that’s the Johnson or Mordant, but not someone of Indian descent faction.
One of the founders of the C18th English school of aesthetics was the Earl of Shaftesbury. In Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times (1711) he argued for government by oligarchs (like himself!) as that sector of society was not needy: they could not be bribed or swayed, and could thus be describe as ‘disinterested’. 
This incidentally, is also the origin of the concept of ‘aesthetic disinterest’ that Kant used to separate beauty from desire and buggeed up aesthetic discourse on the subject for over a century.
Was he the one with the clever silver spigot in his gall bladder?
If he had such a device fitted I’m unaware of it!
However, silver seems a strange metal to have used as it oxidises so quicly, a gold tap would surely have worked better (maybe the latter was too blingy ).
Isn’t this his portrait?
Jacob Rees-Mogg out of the cabinet, now there is news to brighten up my week 
8 Likes
is that where the expression “shafted” comes from 
1 Like
‘Shaftesbury’ -
‘Shafted’ and ‘buried’ perhaps…
He had a massive gall bladder and liver problem and was operated on (can you imagine in 16something) and had the spigot fitted to let off repulsive matter of various sorts, or so I remember from history at my prep school, we were fascinated, they had a lovely portrait of him but very annoyingly it was pre-spigot.
1 Like
Yikes! What, if any did they use for anaesthetic then? Perhaps a sharp blow to the head
This is taking a frightening tangent under the Topic heading!
1 Like
Can a man so rich, comfortable feel or understand the pain of being cold, hungry and poor…I think not.
2 Likes
He doesn’t need to have experienced the pain himself in order to empathise.
A male OBGyn can still be a very compassionate doctor despite not ever having had a baby pulled out of his whatsit.
Empathy - the ability to sense other people’s emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling .
2 Likes
and don’t forget that this is the man who boasted about taking billions intended for poorer communities and giving it instead to rich Tory voting areas…
empathy my arse…
1 Like
Indeed, though it allows him to stir things up from the back benches so might be a mixed blessing.
True. This is the crux. He should be criticised for Tory practices, not simply because he is a rich man. Frankly, many Tories are. It is important to keep the objection on target
2 Likes
Reminds me of this…
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you’ll never get it right
'Cause when you’re laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all, yeah
4 Likes
Empathy has escaped the Tory party and is leaving the world on the last flight out.
Empathy has probably been put on a flight and sent to Rwanda 
1 Like
well… seeing the new cabinet appointments - same shit different day basically.
Richie Rishi is not entirely the master of his own destiny it seems… do you see the hand of the ERG on the tiller of the good ship lolliflop?
How much longer will this shitshow last before they totally implode and a GE is at last called?
3 Likes