Friday, March 20, 2009

Bring back rationing!

Frank Skinner (yes - that Frank Skinner) is having a go at fatties in The Times comment section.

We bullied and nagged smokers, made adverts that said they smelt so awful they were unkissable and finally, with the smoking ban, we literally turned them into shivering outsiders - all because we knew it was for their own good.

Speak for yourself, Frank. I've never bullied anyone and I'm not about to start now. I don't smoke (except for the very occasional and increasingly rare cigar), but never had a problem with those that do. I'm not fat either and I wasn't one of those kids who used to call other kids "fatso" at school. Then again, I'm not a progressive and was brought up by socially conservative parents who taught me that it was wrong to mock others and rude to point and stare.

Actually, Mrs Stan may take exception to me claiming not to be fat. It's true that I've put on a little weight recently and have had to buy some new trousers with a 36" waist - just for comfort, though - but if Skinner really wants to help fatties why doesn't he come up with some practical measure rather than just bullying and nagging? How about bringing back rationing?

There aren't any food shortages (yet), but the hedonistic lifestyle which the progressives have spent 50 years promoting has virtually eradicated the idea of self-restraint. So it we can not be relied upon to restrict our food intake ourselves perhaps the government should do it for us.

I know there are a lot of people who read this blog who, like me, grew up in traditional working class families. They remember the days when the cupboards weren't full of snacks and treats even though we spent a far larger proportion of our income on food than we do today. We relied on our basic three meals a day for our calorific intake - if we were really lucky we'd maybe get a chocolate digestive to dunk in our Ovaltine before bedtime - but remarkably enough we survived quite happily and even had the energy to be outside playing for most of the time when we weren't in school.

So, in the absence of self-restraint, which the progressives were so keen to abolish - why don't they bring back rationing and force people to eat less? Of course I'm joking, but Skinner started it.

2 comments:

Bob's Head Revisited said...

I've recently moved up from 34" to 36' waist trousers. It's not that I'm getting fatter, just wider. It starts happening when near 40 - you get wider. That's my excuse.

Talking about rationing, I grew up in a traditional working class home too, in the '70s. Money was always really tight. One year we lost all the spuds to blight. My dad bought a huge tin of powdered mash potato. It was disgusting but we had exactly two tablespoons each with every dinner for a year. It wasn't even Smash, it was economy Smash. God knows what it actually was.

We did have one great treat though. On Sunday mornings we were allowed a coffee made with all milk and TWO biscuits. We used to really look forward to that.

After that the tin was shut tight and put back. I did once get caught trying to nab a Custard Cream on a Wednesday and was made to polish the whole family's shoes as a punishment. I only did it once.

Stan said...

Blimey - coffee made with ALL milk? Best we ever got was half and half - except when we occasionally had a coffee at the bus station cafe where they served proper frothy coffee made with all milk.

We never resorted to instant mash potato though - always had proper spuds from the local grocer.

I'd have loved that punishment - I used to enjoy polishing shoes (weird, I know). I still do - something to do with the smell of the polish I think. Perhaps that counts as an addiction - maybe I could get some benefits to help with my Cherry Blossom habit?

Don't tell the missus, but I have got a bit fatter - I notice it especially around my neck where I really ought to get some 16.5 collars - but I just leave the top button undone and hide it with my tie!