These are heady times for us retroprogressives. At a civilised hour this morning, Theresa May will hand a letter - a letter, remember those? - to our masters in Brussels, informing them that they have delighted us enough and we're intending to head for the exit door, if they could kindly point out where it is, please. It's not quite on a par with Henry VIII extracting us from the clutches of the Papacy, but there have been plenty of historically minded pundits queueing up to draw such reassuring analogies. That's the kind of long perspective we retroprogressives like.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, El Trumpo has decided to restore King Coal to his throne, thereby flabbergasting the carbonistas. In practice, this might not make much difference to anything (including, of course, 'climate change'), but it's a pleasingly retroprogressive gesture - let's hope there are more to come.
As for the forthcoming negotiations with the Eurocracy, heaven knows where they will lead, if anywhere. A booby-trapped morass might be what lies in wait for us, and our best hope might be that the EU collapses quite soon in an orderly manner, rendering the whole process irrelevant. I fear the Union as at present constituted is like the Hotel California - 'You can check out any time you like, but you never can leave'. However, checking out is the right retroprogressive thing to do. Back to the future, forward to the past!
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Al Murray, the 'Pub Landlord' is currently on tour with a comedy routine called "Going Backwards Together." Cheered me up. I was particularly heartened as I attended a parents' evening recently at the school where I used to work. My old (young) Headmaster made a speech in which he used the term 'going forwards' eight times in 10 minutes. It's just a nervous tic for some people.
ReplyDeleteGood grief - that is indeed excessive. Glad Al Murray's on the right track though.
ReplyDeleteIn more good news for you retroprogressives, I note that gout is mounting a strong comeback, especially among adherents of various "Paleo" dietary regimens.
ReplyDeleteI've got to admit that you're in the midst of a strong run, with torture by "civilized" nations making a return during the oughts and xenophobia roaring back this decade. With the failure of the punditocracy to predict Brexit and Trump, can a renaissance of haruspicy be far behind?
I consider myself neither a progressive nor a retro, preferring instead to run in circles flapping my arms spastically, in my opinion a much more accurate representation of the way the world really works.
I had a feeling that, sooner or later, someone would use the phrase 'renaissance of haruspicy.' It was on the tip of my tongue but you beat me to it Waldonymous.
ReplyDeleteLast time I sarcastically offered to practice extispicy on a progressive, he said, "I'm in, and it will be my treat!"
ReplyDeleteExtispicy! Thanks Bay Song - you've extended my vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear about the gout, Waldo - and love the self-description, though I'm too much of a quietist these days to join in with the arm-flapping...