NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello, I'm Gordon *nom nom nom* Brown, *munch* and I'd like to tell you all to stop *chew swallow* eating so much food *nom nom* because it's wasteful you see (where's the butter dish?) and bad for your health *nom nom* and I'd like you to stop buying those three for two specials *munch munch* because it's likely to be wasted or just put those extra pounds on your body *nom nom* pass the bread please and I'd like to point out that *nom nom* we've figured that each Briton is wasting a great deal of money unfairly depriving others *sluurrrrp* of their fair share of the food *burp*.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/2262534/G8-summit-Gordon-Brown-has-eight-course-dinner-before-food-crisis-talks.html

Oh, and please, do as I say, not as I do *urp*

If you ever wanted a good example of the Telegraph's political leanings, it's that article.

If you ever wanted a good example of the Telegraph's political leanings, it's that article.

So you're saying that the G8 meeting didn't have that menu, and they didn't eat lavishly - only having a tin of jam and a few crackers and a bottle of water per person?

So you're saying that the G8 meeting didn't have that menu, and they didn't eat lavishly - only having a tin of jam and a few crackers and a bottle of water per person?

No, I'm saying that they've taken a relatively sensible and uncontroversial comment that he made and turned it into "oh my God, Gordon Brown says we shouldn't be wasteful WHILE EATING FOOD!!!!!"

Things like this do make me wonder what kind of idiots there are running the PR for these shindigs.

No, I'm saying that they've taken a relatively sensible and uncontroversial comment that he made and turned it into "oh my God, Gordon Brown says we shouldn't be wasteful WHILE EATING FOOD!!!!!"

Correction, while eating a shitload of food that many people will never see in their lives.

Correction, while eating a shitload of food that many people will never see in their lives.

And what's that got to do with the fact that something like 1/3 of the food people buy gets thrown away?

And what's that got to do with the fact that something like 1/3 of the food people buy gets thrown away?

Not only was it expensive and exotic food and wine, but I bet they didn't eat it all.

Banquets are usually very wasteful affairs. He's hardly setting an example.

This is about as bad as Al Gore's mansion - which is probably one of the most energy wasteful homes on the planet - even more so now after its "green upgrade" (5 to 10% more wasteful now).

Not only was it expensive and exotic food and wine, but I bet they didn't eat it all.

Banquets are usually very wasteful affairs. He's hardly setting an example.

This is about as bad as Al Gore's mansion - which is probably one of the most energy wasteful homes on the planet - even more so now after its "green upgrade" (5 to 10% more wasteful now).

Politicians get fed at these events. They get fed well. It's hardly news. And, more to the point, it's not as if the wine and 'exotic food' they were given was going to do anything to solve the world food crisis had they not eaten it.

I'm sorry, but, having read that entire article, it's ridiculously biased. The Telegraph should be ashamed of themselves - they look like a tabloid.

Correction, while eating a shitload of food that many people will never see in their lives.

Gordon Brown, PM of Japan?

I would like to know what Smoked Salmon and Sea Urchin "Pain Surprise style" is though :eek:

Gordon Brown, PM of Japan?

I would like to know what Smoked Salmon and Sea Urchin "Pain Surprise style" is though :eek:

No crunchy frog on the menu...

Oh come one, is it even worth being PM if you can't use tax-payers money to have a nice meal?

Politicians get fed at these events. They get fed well. It's hardly news. And, more to the point, it's not as if the wine and 'exotic food' they were given was going to do anything to solve the world food crisis had they not eaten it.

I'm sorry, but, having read that entire article, it's ridiculously biased. The Telegraph should be ashamed of themselves - they look like a tabloid.

I have to agree with Hotwife on this one. The food was lavish and the wine flown in from the US (not much of a carbon footprint there then). I've seen how these kitchens work - I bet twice as much good food was wasted by the chef not letting it on the pass (and it will be just thrown in the bin)
Whilst I don't expect them to eat at a local take away (although I bet they could have got some excellent ones in Tokyo) I expect them not to make stupid announcements on how I should store bread whilst they eat all manner of luxury food.

He should be ashamed of his socialist roots, but I suppose having Tony for a role model for all these years has rubbed off on him

Poor PR Gordon

I have to agree with Hotwife on this one. The food was lavish and the wine flown in from the US (not much of a carbon footprint there then). I've seen how these kitchens work - I bet twice as much good food was wasted by the chef not letting it on the pass (and it will be just thrown in the bin)
Whilst I don't expect them to eat at a local take away (although I bet they could have got some excellent ones in Tokyo) I expect them not to make stupid announcements on how I should store bread whilst they eat all manner of luxury food.

He should be ashamed of his socialist roots, but I suppose having Tony for a role model for all these years has rubbed off on him

Poor PR Gordon

Labour hasn't been socialist in ages. If that's socialist, then I'm Karl Marx.

So....did he personally make the menu, or something? He surely must have because otherwise there's no hypocrisy here and the OP is just so much nonsense. In fact, if he didn't make the menu, then he'd be hypocritical to have not eaten as much as he possibly could at the banquets.

I like the thread title. Nom Nom Nom...

So what, exactly, are you expecting Brown to do? Insult the Japanese by refusing to eat what was prepared for him in order to make a political PR stunt? (No doubt the Telegraph would describe him as a national embarassment) When engaged with foreign politicians I expect my politicians to behave with good manners and be a good ambassador for the United Kingdom on the international stage. We do need to stop wasting food (and if you actually read what Brown said, he was referring to throwing it away, not eating too much of it) but there's a time and a place for actually doing it. This wasn't the right place by any strech of the imagination. He should eat what he's given, but make a point of telling the next host that things should be done differently next time.

And, unless he's a starving Ethopian, perhaps the OP could do with a dose of his own medicine?

He should eat what he's given, but make a point of telling the next host that things should be done differently next time.

He didn't do that either.

He was telling everyone else to act one way, while he enjoyed acting another.

And, unless he's a starving Ethopian, perhaps the OP could do with a dose of his own medicine?

Am I telling you to stop wasting food? Linky.

It's lucky John Prescott wasn't there - it would have been messy

Also, he would have known from his itinery that it was a banquet. What I'm saying is that it was terrible timing to make a stupid announcement knowing he was going to be pictured by the Telegraph, Mail etc gorging on Sea Urchin and milk fed lamb

What's he gonna do next - throw fivers into a burning bath of petrol whilst telling us to wear more jumpers in the winter:)

He didn't do that either.

He was telling everyone else to act one way, while he enjoyed acting another.
Which I would rather he do than make a foreign relations blunder. Diplomatic situations are not the place for knee-jerk PR stunts.

Am I telling you to stop wasting food? Linky.
I'm assuming you care about wasting food, given you seem to be so concerned about it.

And what's that got to do with the fact that something like 1/3 of the food people buy gets thrown away?

Nothing at all, but it is a bit rich to supply a 16 course banquet for guests attenting a conferance about the global food shortage huh!

What the organisers must have thought, yeah coz this'll never get in the news.

*shrugs*

He's an unpopular PM. Might as well eat well in the last two year he has left.

Intelligence Fail.
Greed and Stupidity Epic Win!

I'm assuming you care about wasting food, given you seem to be so concerned about it.
It's the hypocrisy of Gordon Brown.

No, I'm saying that they've taken a relatively sensible and uncontroversial comment that he made and turned it into "oh my God, Gordon Brown says we shouldn't be wasteful WHILE EATING FOOD!!!!!"

They don't call it the torygraph for nothing.

politicians are well fed and looked after at summits, this is called hospitality and represents the important work they do along with the inevitable showing off nations do

Banquets are usually very wasteful affairs. He's hardly setting an example.

silly chav, these events serve many dishes but each one is small in size on its own and is designed to be a more palatable experience than anything (thus no more food would not be wasted)

It's lucky John Prescott wasn't there - it would have been messy

it would be like that Bush visit all over again...only with him keeping it a burning secret for years between him and the stalls attendant :p

this is the part that made me laugh


African leaders including the heads of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Senegal who had taken part in talks during the day were not invited to the function.


it is just a tad insensitive.

What the organisers must have thought, yeah coz this'll never get in the news.

It gets reported every single time. (cf. Bali, Kyoto, every GATT summit, et al.) It's a boring non-story unless you're laboring under the impression that the G8 is some sort of group of visionary activists mortifying their flesh in order that their souls might bring light into the world.

G8 =/= Ghandi. World shocked, shocked.

Given that you're not going to get a bunch of high-level politicians together without throwing a serious shindig, is the story implying that said bigwigs should not talk or think about the world food shortage? Because hypocrisy is much worse than any other sin?

Ahhh, it's what irony was invented for.

It's the hypocrisy of Gordon Brown.
Not really. It's ironic, but to sit there and say 'I won't eat this' isn't the done thing when visiting a friend's home, let alone when being a guest of the Japanese Government.

Mountains and molehills, I think.

it is just a tad insensitive.

there is only so much food you can put in a doggy bag

Not quite on topic, but isn't the fact the food prices are going up a kind of market self regulation which will eventually result in people buying and then wasting less anyway?

Not quite on topic, but isn't the fact the food prices are going up a kind of market self regulation which will eventually result in people buying and then wasting less anyway?

are you suggesting that I should endure a period of 1950's barbarism?

are you suggesting that I should endure a period of 1950's barbarism?
Mmm... Snoek sandwiches...

Mmm... Snoek sandwiches...

what would you do for an extra slice of bacon from the butcher?

If Gordon Brown had asked rejected his hosts offerings and gone for a modest £5 meal, he'd have been slaughtered for wasting food just for the sake of PR. This is an example of the hypocrisy of the British press.

And, unless he's a starving Ethopian, perhaps the OP could do with a dose of his own medicine?

The radio this morning told me that the African leaders they met to discuss African issues weren't invited to the meal... though, to be fair, this is the same radio that wakes me up... so parts of what I hear may be my own imagination fighting wakefulness.