Shriver speaks about anger, exclusion and violence

[eighthobstruction]

Yes, right wing is a generalization. The fragmenting into these two polarities is unhelpful. All people want to feel safe and if the judiciary in its infinite wisdom is going to ignore whole swathes of the population who are increasingly concerned about escalating social violence and unpleasantness and experience consequent disaffection then they might begin to feel, well, rage...mightn't they?

and how are they (these swathes of good people) going to express their rage....??

....Goodnight....

[Flosshilde]

I'm responding to the tangential comments in many of the previous postings. It's late here. Goodnight.

People have been trying to engage with the discussion you started, prompted by (a rather superficial) opinion piece by a novelist. Your responses have thrown in all sorts of things - perhaps as a deliberate act of confusion? Your underlying thesis seems to be that there is too much freedom which leads to social breakdown - not an original claim, it's been used by most dictators & many Christian sects (& grumpy old men) since, well, the start of written history (& probably before).

[Richard Barrett]

I've heard Shriver speak on lots of TV debates and she makes a whole lot of sense to me.

I don't doubt for a moment that she makes a whole lot of sense to you. Probably you'd find her even more convincing if she were as cynical as you seem to be.

[Sydney Grew]

Is not "Sydney" a girl's name?

You truly astound me! It seems I have lived too long . . . except actually I haven't having expired in 1948.

[Flosshilde]

Is not "Sydney" a girl's name?

& 'Shirley' was originally a boy's name.

[Tarantella]

People have been trying to engage with the discussion you started, prompted by (a rather superficial) opinion piece by a novelist. Your responses have thrown in all sorts of things - perhaps as a deliberate act of confusion? Your underlying thesis seems to be that there is too much freedom which leads to social breakdown - not an original claim, it's been used by most dictators & many Christian sects (& grumpy old men) since, well, the start of written history (& probably before).

An undergraduate!! I've been talking to undergraduates. All these comments are the typical default position of the perennial undergrad. Yes, I'm deliberately confusing you with my considerable life experience. Bye now.

[amateur51]

An undergraduate!! I've been talking to undergraduates. All these comments are the typical default position of the perennial undergrad. Yes, I'm deliberately confusing you with my considerable life experience. Bye now.

Too bad that Lionel Shriver's reputation as a polemicist goes with you

[Serial_Apologist]

& 'Shirley' was originally a boy's name.

Shirley Shome Mishtake???

[handsomefortune]

(a rather superficial) opinion piece by a novelist.

yes, lionel shriver 'scribbled it on the back of a napkin' i reckon!

it seems shriver's 'we need to talk about kevin' apparently puts her in a position to comment about two youths who we actually know very little about as yet?

the remaining domestic terrorist doesn't 'deserve the death penalty happily.... according to a vox pop of the good people of boston, who are against it in principle. meanwhile the media spins and spins.

imo the telegraph article adds a big fat zero, nothing much at all....other than shriver's (hasty) assumptions about why the two did what they did. but they are only assumptions, and career friendly assumptions at that. ones that don''t endanger your bupa account are the best, and most likely to be right .

lionel shriver changed her name when a teenager i believe, and imo is (this far) much more useful as a novelist. 'so much for that' (about US medical insurance) was timely and brilliantly executed, especially as dramatised on r4.

that said, i don't want to hear, or read what shriver thinks about xyz any old where!

as for fathoming how shriver's random pairing of internet behaviour as conflated with last week's scenes as a result of a distinct lack of humanity in reality by two people ...it might suggest that shriver's temporarily lost her Presbyterian work ethic, and gone shirker! (it must be all that noisy jazz drumming her partner does)?

in a fictional context, shriver can be very astute, especially in expressing intimate description of spree killer teen, kevin, in his purposefully under sized clothes. descriptions of kevin's regression, lack of sociability ...are well observed, she provides a valid critique of contemporary affluent america, and complex family lives ....yet lately shriver is surely over exposing herself in the media, which seems too foolish to be believable, all considered.


Your responses have thrown in all sorts of things - perhaps as a deliberate act of confusion?

i think shriver started the confusion, perhaps hoping to stimulate debate... at best. or perhaps just being a bit of a lazy coo, a loser just picking off low hanging fruit. i wish she'd stick to fiction.

[Serial_Apologist]

Shrive, v.t., (archaic. shrove, shriven). Hear confession of, assign penance to, & absolve; (of penitent) submit oneself to priest for this purpose. [OE scrifan prob. f. L scribere write]. (The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English Third Edition 1934)

Just about covers it.

PS - It turns out I know her husband - he features regularly at my local jass haunt - only last week!

[Flosshilde]

An undergraduate!! I've been talking to undergraduates. All these comments are the typical default position of the perennial undergrad. Yes, I'm deliberately confusing you with my considerable life experience. Bye now.

I thought you'd already gone to bed? & actually I'd far rather be an undergraduate than a boring old fart moaning about how awful things are now.

[handsomefortune]

does he look like a priest serial apologist?

and shriver was on 'front row' earlier!

[scottycelt]

Your underlying thesis seems to be that there is too much freedom which leads to social breakdown - not an original claim, it's been used by most dictators & many Christian sects (& grumpy old men) since, well, the start of written history (& probably before).

And, needless to say, never ever by socialist governments & many social-engineering "liberals" (& strident women of any age), Flossie ....

Basic human freedoms for all (thought, speech, belief etc) should never be confused with a "do-as-one-pleases" licence.

[french frank]

And, needless to say, never ever by socialist governments & many social-engineering "liberals" (& strident women of any age), Flossie ....

Basic human freedoms for all (thought, speech, belief etc) should never be confused with a "do-as-one-pleases" licence.

I'm still working on how the permissive society (allowing too much freedom, R. Jenkins &c.) and social exclusion are both the causes of all this anger and violence.

[Flosshilde]

And, needless to say, never ever by socialist governments & many social-engineering "liberals" (& strident women of any age), Flossie ....

Basic human freedoms for all (thought, speech, belief etc) should never be confused with a "do-as-one-pleases" licence.

I carefully said 'dictators' without specifying their political allegiance to allow you plenty of scope to mention Stalin et al, Scotty. As for strident women, I've never met any.