Will Self on the Olympics (Newsnight 26/07/11)

[Stevo6452]

Will Self is just bitter because he was always picked last for P.E. as a child...

[KongofPip]

"Welcome to Newsnight ladies, allow me to introduce you to your executioner."

[MrQuackingPlums]

@carlysdowner88 I agree with you totally but I think Toni Grey-Thompson seems alot more sincere and honest in her point of view....Anyway Will Self for PM!!!

[newalbion2012]

Why did this woman join the Labour Party? Please, please, please can we start making things again. This is what real stable economies and communities are made of. Not the creation of 1000s of shop jobs selling things mostly produced elsewhere in the world.

[MrRocknrolla4u]

Booyakasha! Yeah you tell 'em Will, the actual truth is less than comfortable to live with. I think the government who seem only skill at one thing, miss spending valuable public money thought they would kill two birds with one stone.

[MrRocknrolla4u]

. Firstly to redevelop and regenerate the east end of London and two the boost the flagging economy, both very short term measure. The income it will create over the two weeks from foreign visitors, will not be in equal balance to the disruption caused to business with priority lanes and transport put in place for "VIP's" of the olympics, not to mention the cost of policing the venue.

[MrRocknrolla4u]

The same money could have been spent better to actually redevelop east london properly with sustainable jobs, not some "academy to train the locals to work in shops. Why not have an academy to train them in worthwhile area's other than retail, or a training academy to support athletes in the UK! Or to invest in better ways to market UK products abroad to boost the economy?

[TheTomtuffy]

Will Self telling it like it is.London based of course,nationally paid for yes,making money for the country no.Fuck the olympics two weeks of obscure sports that most of the country doesnt care about costing a fortune.All the facilities built will be well used after the olympics,no they wont they will be under used and cost even more to keep running.I bet Scotland cant wait for the event they will be making millions out of it,no they wont.

[IThinkImAloneNow]

no cunt is interested in the olympics

[1tomrobson]

Just give up Tessa, he is cleverer than you.

[FatBoySlim696]

He fucking owned

[jazz4]

So many people go on the news and talk such utter shit. Will Self just spoke simple truth, "The olympics here is about money, more so than sport." The two others just unleash cliched rubbish about young people and community.

[TrickShotRick]

Tessa Jowell thought Brasseye was shocking and appalling, she's clearly an idiot

[Sapphonouveau]

I do try to see politicians as normal people, I really do but sometimes they don't make that easy. It's as if they get a mindwipe after crossing the threshold of the Houses of Parliament.

[drs7773ify]

Will Self is a morbid killjoy.

[burlearth]

@drs7773ify Long may he reign.

[DrZackBusner]

i love that grumpy bastard

[M1K3R0LPH]

1:07

[nicholasjames100]

i love will self

[marshalllucky]

a few year ago there is these man on my street who is always he eat the BISCUITS. we use to call him mr cookies ;-)

[701shep]

i wonder if will self charges 4 his books its easy to be a anti capitalist when your rich diffrence story when your poor big banks rule this world never mind this country

an cunts like him just make it worse.

the only way to get power back is to kill a few thousand banker then watch them run 4 the hills

[Omnilegence]

@701shep Publishers don't publish books if you forbid them from charging money for it. Big banks don't rule this world, they rule this world's money. It's only when hot-headed, bloodthirsty fools misjudge the consequences of some valourous purge that we really start to lose because the public will not cheer you. They will decry you as a thug and concentrate their anger at you. The banks would invest some money in making sure this happens.

[701shep]

@Omnilegence 1 trillion of tax payer money to bail them out an still taking massive bonuses with our goverment agreement we have a right to be mad at them when my kids kids will be paying a debt off they had nothing to do with we need to take the power away from the banks some how

[Omnilegence]

@701shep Yeah I didn't argue against that. I think Bankers are presumptuous power/money grabbing hallfwits. Killing them is a silly solution though. We would be much better served by nationalising the banks and capping the money one can get paid as being part of such an institution. That way the problem won't be able to repeat itself because well-run banks will become an integral part of any political party's policies if they want a shot at office in Britain.

[Omnilegence]

@701shep Only when you declare that banks rule the world does it become so. Authority is a perception and by simply organising a mass non-adherance to the 'rules' the bank insists upon you break that authority. It's a matter of being willing to let the banks and the associated economical infrastructures dependant upon them utterly collapse and continue collapsing until the rules are changed.

The idea that a bunch of sellout pricks wouldn't just replace any bankers you kill isn't realistic.

[1978deus]

@barrylyndon21 Only idiots believe in the left vs. right nonsense. Are you even capable of looking at an issue objectively? This is clearly a huge waste of taxpayers money and Self is the only one who seems to recognise that. You obviously can't.

[rigs345]

Paxman laughing while Self tears her apart is brilliant to watch

[durananrananrananran]

Will Self you magnificent bastard, I've read your book

[TheDensley7]

@durananrananrananran Which one?

[AEF091]

Will self is right, anyone could have created more than 40000 jobs with 7 billion pounds. Will self is spot on that these games are going to be elitist.

[AEF091]

The BBC seem to privately acknowledge that the olympics are going to be sooooo shit and overhyped that they have given them their own channel (BBC 3 will be on all day). All olympic sports are c class sports and not even sports. Sport is football, rugby, golf, cricket, F1, snooker tennis and even american football. The olympic bid was a massive waste of money, money which could have been used for other more sensible investments.

[parannoyance]

@kafkasdog no mate;ABSOLUTE NEOLIBERAL CUNT

[Schizopantheist]

Self for Mayor, haha.

[yossariancomplex]

East London will become an Engine of growth! Ahahahaha. Everything publicly owned facilty in london is being closed, sold off or down sized. The only people with jobs from it are the ones working to build for it and maintain it during the games. It will be used solely for private gain and because of the new fashionable status of the area housing prices will be beyond the means of the majority of people who live there and have lived there for generations.

[harryfaber]

I wish Tessa Jowell would publicly disagree with me! Fantastic endorsement!

[ARTEMISWILDE]

Thanks for uploading this - Will Self is brilliant!

[monumentism]

What the fuck is she laughing at?

[MrSinclaircooper]

(on the shopping centre as part of the sustainable olympic legacy) Government investment in retail is such a red herring, it is an industry that should not and does not need government investment; it grows naturally as a result of a healthy economy. Investments should be made in manufacturing, science and technology in order to generate new jobs. Tessa Jowel is just another example of politicians blinded by corporate glitz.

[MrSinclaircooper]

(on the shopping centre as part of the sustainable olympic legacy) Government investment in retail is such a red herring, it is an industry that should not and does not need government investment; it grows naturally as a result of a healthy economy. Investments should be made in manufacturing, science and technology in order to generate new jobs. Tessa Jowel is just another example of politicians blinded by corporate glitz.

[Oceanus57]

The Olympics are a corrupt celebration of elitism run by a bunch of Swiss fascists for fat profits.

[oscardoodles]

@kafkasdog In this age of politicians skirting around clear issues with a fog of rhetoric and 'double tracking' on arguments when policies fail, it is somewhat refreshing for a member of the electorate as myself to see your most insightful and direct commentry. I concur, Jowell is indeed a cunt.

[hesalumbejack]

ha Self absolutely dicks on Tessa Jowell

[rundle19938]

Will Self is spot on. London Olympics just an elitist event for the rich. Huge waste of public money that should have been spent on sports facilities for the public.

[1978deus]

After that stream of self-serving nonsense Jowell still has the nerve to laugh it off at the end. Who voted for these cunts?

[MrAnthropophagy]

Will Self makes some good points here but Tessa Jowell, like any politician, slips away from them by making statements related to his without specifically answering them. This gives the impression that she's addressed them when really she hasn't. Two examples are the points about Lord Coe and whether the stadiums are fit for use after the olympics.

[TheAsfaloth]

What the olympics says about us is ... we are an idiotic country who will spend billions whilst in massive debt and cutting every social thing, to host a fake temporary event which will be forgotten about days after it ends and the buildings left useless and decaying.

But hey don't worry, future generations will be paying for this.

[Coolguyrob2006]

Such a waste of money, like most things it's just an international dick comparing. Will Self needs to be on telly more.

[Coolguyrob2006]

Such a waste of money, like most things it's just an international dick comparing.

[myloverisbillmurray]

the first 'sell out' olympics.... unfortunate choice of words there.

[BeepBeepBoing]

Does she actually believe the shit she spews

[MrDarkbloom]

Will Self is a legend

[PrimaIScream]

Many people can make far more insightful comments on the Olympics than I, but from a selfish perspective I'm in favour of it because I live in West London and I feel that it will empty my area and make it slightly more peaceful for a while.

[nakedmambo]

Hosting the Olympics is clearly less to do with sport and more about getting people to go to London (or wherever) and buy shit. Jowell said it: retail is the most important sector in the economy, a consumption economy and this is why these circuses have to be staged. Financially it's bloody millstone and it's also a gamble, but with public money.

[TomMackio]

@nakedmambo Having loads of people coming to London to "buy shit" will improve the lives of a lot of British people. Also, it won't just be shitty merchandise they buy. They'll be buying services and food & drink from small enterprises. I'm not for a consumption economy but increased tourism coming to Britain.

[nakedmambo]

@TomMackio That's true, but it's like when the fair comes to town. A lot of noise, and throwing money about and a week later nothing but a pile of litter. It will mainly improve the temporary lot for whomever gets the main contracts to provide services inside the Olympic village. The benefit is for a part of London, not Britain or the UK.

When a country is overexcited about, and has to rely upon, tourism from extravaganzas you just know it's headed down the wrong path.

[TheTomtuffy]

@TomMackio How much money from food and drink,accomodation etc? chicken feed a compared to the total cost,London will be making the run off profits and fuck the rest,"improve the lives of British people" how does Scotland profit?TomMackio is bang on with his comments.Even the building of the stadia has been done by 50% foreign workers,so much for local employment.Hallelujah,cant wait for the queens bunfight,another waste of money to look forward to.No wonder the Scots and Welsh want to go.

[TomMackio]

@TheTomtuffy Food and drink & accomodation won't scratch the surface of the costs alone, but there are so many other areas where revenue will be increased and indirect costs reduced. In Sydney, tourism revenue was up £6 billion in the year after the olympics compare with the year before. These are figures that will help the whole of Britain. You need to invest in sports, arts and architecture every so often to keep tourism high and our relative tourism revenue has been dropping for years!

[yohodi]

Very definately not the 'British Olympics', the work force was 20% management, foreign workers 70% and the remaining 10% British workers..thats why it came in under budget........................­......Lord Coe and Co did very well out of it...

We couldn't afford it then , and we cannot afford it now.

[Useless2112]

Jowell wouldn't know 'tolerance' if it slapped her in the face with a fucking rainbow trout. What happened to her campaign to increase censorship in the media?

[davrothelegend]

'celebrate tolerence' What? Tessa Jowell is like a bag of Sh**e, without the bag.

[Crustalshift]

Another vote for Will.....The Olympics are a hideous waste (nay,theft) of public money, to the benefit of a very few. 

''elitist, exclusive, and stupefying''.....I would add transparent.

[modbodblue]

Will Self. Spot on!