Simpson’s “world”
I saw this program on the BBC. I confess I can’t stand to watch much BBC these days, and I didn’t see it from the beginning. John Simpson, world affairs editor for the BBC could be seen strolling along wide, impressive streets in London, round the houses of Parliament, over a bridge crossing the River Thames, while giving what appeared to be a speech, full of anti-Bush sarcasm and ridicule at the American administration’s lack of understanding of how the world really works. It was also full of subtle anti-Israel sentiment, of the spluttering “well Israel’s next, of course” sort.

I found it difficult to follow the rambling substance of what he was saying as he strolled along. The camera kept swinging about. The cameraman was probably trying to be fashionably artistic, and that didn’t help my limited concentration capacity. All I could focus on was the old-world opulence and wealth of the city he was nonchalantly sauntering through, quite oblivious of how ridiculous what he was saying sounded, with this background.

While watching this self-satisfied looking gentleman walking along, sharing his educated world-view, I couldn’t help but feel how detached from reality these well-fed British intellectuals are. They take their sedate, orderly and formidable roads and buildings and bridges and rivers completely for granted. The imaginary dangers to the Western way of life, naively perceived by those ignorant Americans, have nothing to do with them.

And what was the message Simpson was trying to convey with the setting of his speech? Was he aiming at intimidating his non-British, non-Western viewers? Or maybe he felt his words would be more credible if presented in the shadow of the monumental symbols of the great British Empire? I’m sorry I missed the beginning. Maybe he embarked on his speech by apologizing that he was forced to roam the streets, aimlessly, because the studio was being renovated, or because his doctor told him to get more exercise and fresh air.

Update: My Dad says that this perambulating is a regular feature of Simpson's show. He's been seen roaming around Afghanistan, a kibbutz and quite a number of other places while explicating his various theories and hypotheses about the world. My Dad says they don't make any more sense, wherever he roams. It's always a load of rubbish, but it's amusing to watch.

The style of his presentation reminds me of David Attenborough, except that Attenborough is usually leading somewhere with his stream of verbalizations.