MartinK wrote:

Government cutbacks are much needed imho, to reign-in some of these lunacies.

You'd be amazed (or perhaps not, I don't know) how much lunacy is created by the government in the first place. Many of the rules that are imposed on how local government operates seem specifically designed to make getting anything done more complicated and expensive

Getting back to the OP, I find Clarkson pretty funny but I understand that it's all an act for television. Anybody that takes anything he says remotely seriously needs their head examined. Darren

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ZeDefender wrote:

You'll no doubt think me wet but I think it's not so much Clarkson expressing his political views that upset people (don't give a crap about what that idiot thinks anyway - just show me some more cars) but what he actually said.
The expression "they should be shot" is used by a lot of people and not terribly offensive BUT saying

"I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families"

is, for me, quite sickening. It's probably because my wife works with kids from African countries where this has actually happened but also because my sister is a teacher in an Essex school and her working conditions are absolutely . She has a family...

daviec1 wrote:

THEN he said "but because this is the BBC we have to be balanced, so, I think they should all be taken out & shot".

daviec1 wrote:

Clearly a sarcastic dig at the BBC and at the perma offended section of society nowadays who live only to complain.

...not entirely sure about that either...

Each to their own, though  Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

ZeDefender wrote:

daviec1 wrote:

THEN he said "but because this is the BBC we have to be balanced, so, I think they should all be taken out & shot".

...and then something about executing them in front of their families, I believe...

daviec1 wrote:

Clearly a sarcastic dig at the BBC and at the perma offended section of society nowadays who live only to complain.

...not entirely sure about that either...

Each to their own, though

blackwolf wrote:

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that Clarkson is best known for saying things that many people find outrageous. The only reason to invite him on the One show is in the hope that he will do so.

If you listen to the whole of what he said, it is immediately apparent to anyone with even half a brain that he was being flippant (as usual), and no-one in their right mind could take offense from what he actually said. His first commnet supported the strike in a flippant way, then "to provide balance", he made the execution remark in a flippant way.

His flippancy was probably offensive to many people, but to my mind the people who are up in arms about the execution remark are in fact only advertising their own inaquacies and making fools of themselves.

There are many modern "comedians" whom I find deeply offensive, but I simply avoid them. If I cannot avoid, I ignore.

What I find most offensive about this business (and the one thing in my mind that might merit complaining to someone) is the utterly irresponsible manner in which the media have selectively quoted Clarkson in order to make his remarks appear more offensive and less flippant, and to remove the balance. This is, like the media usually are these days, completely misleading and irresponsible.

richuk wrote:

blackwolf wrote:

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that Clarkson is best known for saying things that many people find outrageous. The only reason to invite him on the One show is in the hope that he will do so.

If you listen to the whole of what he said, it is immediately apparent to anyone with even half a brain that he was being flippant (as usual), and no-one in their right mind could take offense from what he actually said. His first commnet supported the strike in a flippant way, then "to provide balance", he made the execution remark in a flippant way.

His flippancy was probably offensive to many people, but to my mind the people who are up in arms about the execution remark are in fact only advertising their own inaquacies and making fools of themselves.

There are many modern "comedians" whom I find deeply offensive, but I simply avoid them. If I cannot avoid, I ignore.

What I find most offensive about this business (and the one thing in my mind that might merit complaining to someone) is the utterly irresponsible manner in which the media have selectively quoted Clarkson in order to make his remarks appear more offensive and less flippant, and to remove the balance. This is, like the media usually are these days, completely misleading and irresponsible.

I completely agree with Blackwolf.