As an ABBA fan, I feel I must mention this article.
Please, no flamewars in the comments. I just posted this so I could use that title.
Tip o’ the keepah to Fark.com.
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June 11th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
So, they’re going to punish British intelligencia by boycotting a play based on the music of Swedish pop band? The hell…?
June 11th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
ABBA FAN! And i use to like your site and your books. Now I have to rethink this.
June 11th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Let us not forget that Arab League boycotts started in Dec 2nd 1945, before Israel became a state. That action was one of the first actions taken by the newly formed Arab League. As the boycott has been somewhat of a flop, the Arabs are trying to get the rest of the world to join in. Hence the Israeli backlash–which will also be somewhat of a flop. If the Palestinians could ever quie their deadly squabbling among themselves and stop sending suicide bombers and rockets into Israel, perhaps a peace is possible. Do not look for peace anytime soon.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:38 am
From the article:
“The British people should know we are very disappointed in England,†said Otniel Schneller…
*Sigh* England != Britain.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:35 am
The really silly thing is that the UCU haven’t actually voted for a boycott, merely to discuss one! As someone who was on the AUT council at the time this blew up a couple of years back (prior to the merger with NATFHE that formed UCU), I know first hand exactly what the response of most UCU members is likely be, and the message that their representatives will bring back to the next UCU congress: UCU will not be boycotting Israel any time in the near future.
However, if the Israelis choose to boycott Britain, then they’ll have achieved what the supporters of the Palestinians have been campaigning for!
June 12th, 2007 at 4:10 am
Wasn’t England one of the prime movers behind the formation of the modern Jewish state in Palestinian territory? Maybe they’re disappointed Israel continues to exist: “Darn, the plan didn’t work. I thought sure the Arabs would get rid of this problem for us.”
June 12th, 2007 at 5:28 am
Britain also once created and owned a colony in the Middle
East called Iraq, which they made in 1915 to secure oil rights
for themselves.
Should we be thanking them for that “gift”, too?
June 12th, 2007 at 6:09 am
Graham Douglas, exactly what I was going to say, and that was an Israeli parliament member. Great! But hey, let’s not forget ‘Freedom Fries’. Every nation has morons in government
June 12th, 2007 at 6:12 am
p.s. I see from the comments that the show is ON and people are going to see it. So another storm in a teacup?
June 12th, 2007 at 6:23 am
I agree with Ruth, I read the comments and got confused. Is it really on and this is just another “there’s water in Mars” article?
June 12th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Oy!!! What a tempest.
I expect, after all Israel has survived in the last 60 plus years, this too will evaporate.
Boycotts are all about the noise. They rarely accomplish their objective but do result in a lot of blather.
Gary 7
June 12th, 2007 at 9:11 am
“As an ABBA fan, ”
Huh, I never knew Phil was a chick. You learn something new every day. ,-)
-OEJ
June 12th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Gary,
Boycotts are indeed all about the noise. But of cours, they are amazingly effective. After all look how the ‘moral majority’s’ boycott has hurt the Disney company – those guys are barely able to afford to produce more than 5 or 6 $20,000,000 pictures a year anymore.
*sarcasm off*
June 12th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Fellow ABBA fan here. Be strong, Phil!
Wish I had $5k to blow on a cruise. Sounds like a blast!
June 12th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Oops! Pardon the reference to the following post.
June 12th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
I’ve been an ABBA fan since the 70s. My son is about to hit age 40 and he is, too.
I still play them on occasion. They did some marvelous stuff.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Count me in as an ABBA fan from the ’70s too (this from one who played in a heavy rock band at the time!) There was just so much going on in most of their songs – if all you listen to are the vocals & basic melody you’re missing a lot.
To the detractors I would say, if you don’t like a particular artist, band or whatever that’s OK. Just don’t assume that your dislike equates to a lack of talent on the part of said artist, etc. Hey, even the The Beatles had their knockers (please, no lewd comments from UK contributors regarding that last word!)
June 13th, 2007 at 7:46 am
I just went to see that recently. Even if you aren’t an ABBA fan, I highly recommend it. It’s the funniest thing I’ve watching in a long time.