Trump Town Latest
So the Trump town project will have to face a public inquiry. Of course the great man is disappointed but as his spokesman said yesterday. "It is his legacy for Scotland and he remains committed to building the world's finest golf course in one of the most stunning locations in the world." His legacy for Scotland? You just love the arrogance don't you? Will it happen? My guess is not.
It's the second blow in a week. Trump has been told to stop promoting his development with the coat of arms. Despite this it still appears on his web site. The demand was made by the Court of the Lord Lyon, which deals with Scottish heraldry, under a law passed in 1672. The same law was used to order the Harrods owner Mohammed Fayed to take down the arms of a clan chief from the gates of his Highland castle.
What is it with these nobodies trying desperately to prove their somebody?
9 comments:
Say what you like about the Donald (and there's no doubting the scale of the man's ego) he is not a "nobody."
If all of his Scottish critics together had created as much wealth or employment, or given (through promoting architecture and being generally an interesting and entertaining character) as much pleasure to the world as Mr Trump, I would take them seriously.
What is it in the Scottish nature that makes them hate successful people so? One of the best arguments for ending the failed Union is to free the essentially upbeat English from the dire influence of Scottish Loserphilia.
Or did I misread you completely? Were the "nobodies" in question the employees of the Court of the Lord Lyon who are so desperately clinging to the ragged remnants of feudalism?
Several points here Tom. I'm English if that makes any difference.
My point is, and you're right Trump has had his successes, that he like Fayed do it all with such an arrogant streak. They are both, in part, figments of their own imagination and this giving themselves crests and coats of arms is just trying to prove their somebody that they are not. Trump interesting? I guess in the cult of celebrity world in which we live your remarks are justified. I've never found him very interesting when he's interviewed He's a creation, not creative.
Now for the most important bit. You assumed that I'm a Scot and I have a loser streak, which you infer is holding back England. As they say in theses parts that's pish. It's utter nonsense to acsribe these national characteristics to countries, it seems to me to be just one step away from racism.
In the meantime I'll continue to jibe at the arrogance of individuals like Trump and Fayed who are less than entertaining in my book.
Trump's intention of bequeathing to Scotland his 'legacy' really is a lot of arrogant nonsense. Scotland already has the world's finest golf course in one of the most stunning locations.
And Tom, I have to disagree with you when you accuse the Scots of hating successful people. That's just not true - especially when one considers that Scotland has produced some of the greatest inventors, engineers, architects, (I'll hold off for the time being on politicians) and so on. The Scots are proud of their own successes and certainly do not belittle others who are successful.
I'm half-Scots and reasonably successful, by the way.
Not to repeat all pros and cons according this very 'project' as you all will have been following the 'hot debate' yourself, I shall restrict myself on asking two questions:
Why would quite a few - and even distinguished - Englishmen when not agreeing with what they think (!) to be a Scotman's opinion tell this in two lines and then lower their level of argumentation by getting personal for the next eleven lines? Cui bono?
In order to not getting misunderstood: My best friend for more than three decades is an Englishman. :)
You might enjoy another tale of the Lord Lyon on the edinburgh law school Scots law news page at http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/sln/index.aspx?page=754 involving an interesting character who took on the Lord Lyon and won.
Cheers
Fun post, Richard, and you have stirred the pot of controversy a bit, it seems.
I agree with Tom Paine that, though arrogant, 'The Donald' has done quite well for himself. In his defense, (who woulda thunk it?)
most Americans don't really understand the whole coat of arms thing. I know there are people such as the Court of Lord Lyon who follow coat-of-arms infractions, but does it really matter? Most Americans--and probably most English and Scots as well---have no coat of arms, because it was a device used only by the nobility in Europe in the Middle Ages.
So if 'The Donald' wants to create his own coat of arms, this seems a non-issue. Or is it an issue of copyright infringement? Are there aleady noble Trumps in Britain?
And Richard and Richard, I agree with you both--the Scots are brilliant and successful people. There are many great Scots in places like the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia as well. In fact, the Scots helped build all these nations. And imbued with the Calvinistic notion of Predestination, AKA Protestant Work Ethic, it could be argued, helped create America.
One might even suggest that this Calivinist idea of predestination made the Scots addicted to success, to prove their spot as one of the elect.
It would be nice if the family motto was : The Last Trump
Money can't buy respect, regardless of any coat of arms. At the end of the day, the public enquiry will be decided on matters of fact and planning law, and nothing to do with who is behind the scheme.
A pity it isn't Richard Branson though.
I wish I could share ellee seymour's confidence in the soundness of the public enquiry system and indeed planning process. When senior politicians get involved wheels often come off
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