[Cincinatus' Wife]

London as neoliberal theme park: The Platform 9 ¾ economy and the Tories’ shocking victory

Or, the awfulness of capitalism and of being "white" and Christian.

November 2016 will be our turn.

[Rockingham]

Over the last fifty years, liberalism in the US and Britain embraced ill-tempered cultural and literary criticism as primary sources for supposedly compelling political insights. In this instance, the author finds the "vulgarity and banality" of the marker for Hogwarts' Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station a revelation of "the victory of neoliberalism in 21st-century London" and the "relentless commodification of every aspect of its literary and historical legacy."

Yet the Hogwarts' Platform marker dates from 1999 -- when Labour's Tony Blair was prime minister. And Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling is a solid Labour supporter and says that the marker and disappearing luggage cart make her "beam proudly" every time she passes. Obviously, the poor woman is unaware that, like Tony Blair, she and Harry Potter are now scorned by blood-red Leftists dyspeptic toward modern Britain and the way that London caters to tourists.

The larger issue though is the Left's substitution of literary and cultural criticism for serious study of politics. Does a harmless place marker based on a wildly popular children's book and movie series offer a sound basis for an indictment of London in particular and Britain in general? Of course not -- but with that sort of thinking now forming the basis for much of the Left's political ideas and commentary, Cameron and the Tories may well enjoy a long and successful run in office.

[plangent]

Just a lot of sour grapes from a Labour loser.

Instead of the Brits grinding away in a dull gray socialist life, at least Platform 9 3/4 and its companions provide mirth and entertainment. Something these totalitarians just can’t abide.

[9thLife]

I’m not used to agreeing with the first paragraph of anything from Salon.

[goodwithagun]

I don’t give a rip what this author thinks. If I ever get to Londonistan, I’m getting my pic taken at Platform 9 3/4 before the jihadis behead me. That’s just like a lib: bitching about something that brings money into the country, which in turn pays for muslim (lower case on purpose) welfare.

[bert]

The purpose of this piece was to brag about going to London and Paris

[captain_dave]

This is total bovine excrement and typical sour grapes from the hard left. Londoners enjoyed similar playfulness in the past. About a hundred years ago, when the Sherlock Holmes stories were written, people would visit Baker Street and write fan letters to the fictional hero. The company, Abbey National, which was located approximately at what would be 221b, had a secretary receive the letters, and there were Baker St Irregulars clubs. It was all just in good fun.

[WashingtonSource]

What a lot of leftist vulgar inanity attempting to pass itself off as serious thought. He’s berating a tourist attraction for not being faithful to a children’s novel? And because it is not, in his view, it is some sort of capitalist nightmare that ruins all it touches. Oh the irony. As a leftist he’s trying to make the real world conform to a delusional world that can never be. And trying to make it so imposes tyranny and proverty on all of us. We’re all on our own he laments. Oh the horror. And he thinks Hillary is an American version of Tony Blair? Or she an American Cameron? Talk about delusional.

[silverleaf]

Platform 9 3/4 is a harmless virtually cost-free tourist photo site (sign painted on a wall in a public concourse)

It is visited by people who made JK Rowling the richest author in the world and no doubt the whole Potter schtick has contributed a great deal of taxable revenue for the Laborites to piss away

So I say to this chap: bugger off

[Tamzee]

Britain had a very popular reality show that I think started last year called “Benefits Street”. I watched a few episodes on youtube. It showed the day-to-day life of non-working moochers of the system constantly smoking expensive cigarettes, drinking, doing drugs, petty crime, all the while blaming the government for not giving them more free money.

I’m wondering if that opened a few eyes of left-wingers over there and they grew more intolerant of the lavish welfare system. It would be great to see a series like that broadcast in the U.S.

[CPT Clay]

Leftists are so full of crap.

[Impy]

Republicans who see signs of hope for 2016 in the Tories’ big win are looking behind the wrong door – trust me... there are almost no similarities between today’s.... GOP and the....Conservative Party,

They are to the left of us to be sure, especially on social issues, but that is a ridiculous statement.

Ted Cruz or Jeb Bush may yearn for smoochy photo-ops with Cameron in order to engage white America’s kneejerk Anglophilia

Wow, you sound bitter, Andy.

[GATOR NAVY]

(As Margaret Thatcher famously observed in 1987, there is no such thing as society.)

The quote in full, in case one is interested:

“I think we've been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it's the government's job to cope with it. 'I have a problem, I'll get a grant.' 'I'm homeless, the government must house me.' They're casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It's our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.”

[Oztrich Boy]

The Irish make maudlin drunks