Come the revolution, don't say you weren't told
Saturday, November 05, 2011
As a recent breast cancer patient, I've made many "choices", and have sat in many rooms having my choices outlined to me, by many consultants. I wanted to opt for "I'm in your hands. Whatever you think best." But I had no choice, except choice.
Choice is a driver of inequality. This sad fact has been illustrated very clearly in Britain over the last few decades. The more money and education you have, the better the choices you can make and afford, and the more your position of strength and privilege is bolstered. This is seen mostly clearly in education, not just in terms of state v private, but also, since the Conservative reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, in state education.
Who, really, is expert enough in olive oil to make an informed choice between 200 olive oils?
Quite, but never mind Italian pasta-lube; watch this video and consider how well-qualified some people are to vote.
During her illness, Mrs Paine and I went through a long hell of ever-diminishing choices. We listened, took advice, thought hard and decided. Sometimes we decided to do as were were advised. Sometimes not. Those choices narrowed until they came down this question; "If we can get you stable enough to endure another horrid treatment that probably won't work do you want to try it?" It was a choice to buy with pain (and a large cheque, as the treatment was unlicensed and neither offered by the NHS nor covered by insurance) a lottery ticket with a one in millions chance of the prize of life.
Though we chose to buy that ticket, Mrs P. was never well enough. But she was making choices - and was therefore a free woman - to the very end of her life. There is a value in that. There is a joy and a dignity in freedom that Deborah Orr will never understand.
I wish her all the best for full recovery from her illness. Nonetheless - shame on her.
Love the video clip. It does make one wonder how some Americans manage to get their shoes on the correct feet in a morning.
Posted by: Henry Crun | Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 01:53 PM
A nice Californian zin, or a cabernet franc, depending I guess ^_^
Posted by: Moggsy | Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 01:47 PM
You know this blogger's standard answer to that question. Of course not. Life isn't. For those of us without time or inclination to learn about olive oil, there's always branding to fall back on. A brand is a promise. Or for that matter, the advice of better-informed friends.
Now when it comes to wine, however, many of us are prepared to do more homework. And what the anti-individualists forget is that we individualists are quite ready to work with each other, if not forced. So I could take you out to lunch, for example, and share the benefits of my wine homework with you, while you share the benefit of your olive oil wisdom with me.
Isn't that a far prettier picture of life than Ms Orr's dismal 'take what you're given by your betters?'
Posted by: Tom | Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Well Olive oil is not so difficult. It depends what you want to use it for for a start. Just for basic cooking it is better not to waste money on extra virgin, or worry too much. Extra Virgin is the first press and better quality, so you use that where taste is more important. Different olives make for slightly different tastes so the choice for Greek, Italian, Spanish, and so on is more a question of taste.
The big problem with some soerts of inequality is that some people have the sense to come in out of the rain and some just don't.
Now I ask you - is that fair?
Posted by: Moggsy | Tuesday, November 08, 2011 at 08:06 AM