Gluttony
“More than 2 million Americans weigh over 40 stone” the BBC reported tonight. It was trailer for a broadcast this week on a ‘half a ton ‘ of woman.
A brief visit that I made to Washington in November confirmed my prejudices about the American cuisine. All the meals we were served were glutton fodder. Starters are so oversized and gross that a main meal is superfluous. Breakfast time was an ordeal of pancakes, sugar and syrup with nothing healthy in sight. Is their ambition to make their meals as big as their country?
It’s said, unjustly, that French men dig their graves with their teeth. But North American men and women are eating themselves into infirmity and premature death.
In our one world, the United Nation calculates that 13% of the world population do not have enough food to live on. 852 million regularly suffer starvation.
Gordon Brown is set to liberate the NHS. There will be persuasion not coercion on healthy lifestyle. The orgy of gluttony is spreading here too. Some of those trapped in grotesque parodies of human bodies, may regret they were not coerced.
No Junket
Tonight’s news that the FARC kidnapped hostages are not be freed made me feel a bit queasy.
Last year I was off to Columbia with a religious group who have a splendid record in human rights. It was a good chance to see at first hand the utter failure of Plan Columbia. The itinerary looked gruelling and we were all paying our own expenses.
The meetings sounded promising-key people with contrasting views. Arrangements were completed and I received my final instructions about the journey. As happens frequently with e-mails, other correspondence was inadvertently attached to it. I had previously been asked not to advertise my intention to join the delegation.
The reason was in the letter mistakenly enclosed to me. It read, ‘Don’t tell the MP, but FARC are keen to add to the high profile people they have kidnapped. If they known he is a coming, there is a serious risk that he could be kidnapped when we are in FARC territory.’
The appeal of the journey rapidly disappeared. I dropped out.
Some of their hostages were seized nine years ago – a sacrifice beyond the call of duty for a MP.
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