This week's prestigious "Prat of The Week Award" goes to Liberal Democrat MP Steve Webb, who is their Health spokesman.Why's that then Ken, because he's a Liberal?
No.
Webb has taken umbrage (a word I have not used on this site before) over the activities of the world's most evil corporation (at least that's his view about them), namely MacDonald's.
MacDonald's have had the temerity to introduce a larger version of the Big Mac, a stonking 40% larger to be precise; the burger has been launched to coincide with the World Cup (yes, I have no idea why the two are connected either).
The burger will consist of two beef patties, which are thicker than the current offering (of course they are!) with two buns, lettuce, cheese and the secret Big Mac sauce.
Awesome!
Anyhoo, dear old Webby is of the view that there is no need for a bigger Big Mac, and has tabled an early day motion and a petition against this most evil of products.
Trouble is Steve, when you start using phrases like "there is no need..." where does it stop?
I am sure that Webb likes a drink once in a while, yet there is no need for alcohol (well there is) in a medical or nutritional sense; so why not ban alcohol.
Following Webb's logic, there is no need for the Liberal Democrats; so let's ban them too!
See how easy it is, all you need is an arrogant sense of self-righteousness and you can go around banning whatever you like.
Simple fact, once in a while to overindulge yourself does you no harm whatsoever; if you are stupid enough to eat yourself into a state of obesity then you will die, that's your privilege and not anyone else's concern.
Funny how the phrases Liberal Democrat and Steve Webb don't seem to match, wonder if he really is in the right party?
Those of you who would like to let Webb know that he has won Prat of Week, or to discuss his very selective interpretation of the phrase "Liberal Democrat", please feel to email him at this address steve@stevewebb.org.uk.
My guess would be he is just starting a campaign to take over the leadership at the next annual change and simply needed a vehicle to help him surface. Anything would do, health related would be more subtle - so a stroke of luck there, MacDonald's are a soft target and the World Cup has yet to reach its sell by date in terms of grabbing headlines. (It seems. Sadly.)
ReplyDeleteNone of it matters. I suspect the LDs are keen on population reduction and if so it really doesn't matter whether people eat or starve themselves to death. The net result is much the same.
I can eat, drink, smoke, inhale, inject, etc. whatever the frag I want and they do not have any business in stopping me!!
ReplyDelete(Even though I don't do drugs. I do lose the will to resist when faced with a nice fattening bar of chocolate, XD.)
I expect that Mr Webb is a very decent chap
ReplyDeleteWith respect, Railwayman39, can you be serious?
1. He is a politician
2. He is a Liberal Democrat & probably therefore also a bender as well as completely irrelevant
3. He is blatantly meddling in matters which are not his concern
In my opinion he should be hurled into the nearest industrial shredder and his remains added to the heap of mixed offal and ordure from which McDonalds construct their horrible offerings.
The first and only McDonalds burger I ever purchased was in Manzanita, California, in 1972. It was the most insulting thing anyone had ever expected me to eat. And the coffee was like dishwater.
If you haven't seen "Super Size Me" by Morgan Spurlock, get the DVD! It's simultaneously hilarious and deeply worrying.
But none of this has anything to do with the Liberal Democrats.
Hmm. Morgan Spurlock. Now there's a name to contemplate.
ReplyDeleteNot seen the DVD TF refers to but I did see a few excerpts once and quite frankly, though I make every effort to avoid Ronald's place and have been very successful, especially since the kids grew up, I think I would rather be forced to eat from the MacDonalds menu than to watch a creeping, self serving and self promoting individual like Spurlock playing to the dumbed down American public. Quite what relevance he has to the UK, other than to warn people about visiting the USA, I have no idea.
I strongly suspect that all UK politicians, Bliar and Broon included, have less of an agenda than Spurlock. Even the would be intrusive Webb seems preferable
For what it is worth a UK journalist partially replicated the Spurlock theme by eating only from the MacDonalds menu (with one exception iirc) for a week (rather than a month) and lost weight in that time.
The MacDonalds products may be on the bland side of bland but at least they offer more choice, better quality standards control and probably more taste, than endless bags of greasy chip shop chips, crisps and whatever it is that finds its way into the various pies that can be found lurking in the more traditional British fast food (an oxymoron?) outlets.
Fortunately, other than an occasional foray to our excellent local fish and chip purveyor, I manage to avoid such places.
A bigger 'Big' Mac?
ReplyDeleteI bet the bugger is still smaller than a BK Whopper! (America's only contribution to Haute Cuisine)
I received this reply from Steve Webb after I sent him an email querying whether he was serious about the 'Big Mac Bill':
ReplyDeleteI raise the example of the "bigger Big Mac" because of concern about the
alarming growth in childhood obesity. I have no problem with adults eating
what they want to eat. But I do have a problem with big companies spending
billions on promotions aimed at getting children hooked on high fat and high
salt products from an early age. Young children are already getting
diseases such as type-II diabetes that used to be associated with middle age, and there is clear evidence that obseity in childhood is linked to a
higher risk in adulthood of cancer, heart diesease and stroke. Adults can
look after themselves. Children are clearly at growing risk of serious
health problems and I'm not prepared to stand idly by while this happens.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Webb MP
Lib Dem Shadow Health Secretary