Tim Blair

The guy seems to have difficulty with basic logic and/or language, too: if the problem is that South African youth are already excessively disillusioned, how can it possibly help to remove another cherished illusion?

If its christmas cheer your looking for then I would recommend that people buy the print edition of the Spectator. The Comic Viz have done a one off cartoon strip just for the Spectator. I don't want to give it away but any comic strip which features Mark Steyn beating Saddam in a snowman building contest can't be bad.

Surely a society that supinely tolerates this kind of thing will neither survive long as a civic culture nor deserve to.

In my posting immediately above I mean, of course, England, not South Africa.

The one thing these countries cannot stand is for the people to have any source of hope but the government.

"Santa-free"? I believe the term you are looking for is Christkindlrein.

RE: England:

Perhaps those involved would like to hear from us, regarding their decisions. Here's Ms. Dewar's information page: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/councillors/dewar_margaret.stm

"South Africa's Advertising Standards Authority has banned the Post Office from inviting children to write to Father Christmas, on the grounds that it would mislead them, the SAPA news agency reported Wednesday."

That's a damn reasonable piece of work. It's about time this pagan myth was recognized as the abomination it is! Good for them!

I'm glad Colonel Harry Shoup understood about children and Christmas.

DO the English have a Bill of Rights? If not You should have got them in writing. Those implied rights are the bitch.

How does one say "Fuck nozzle" in afrikkan? Used in a sentence? As in "Andrew October is a fuck nozzle"

He would do better dispelling that illusion about raping virgins being a cure for AIDS.

Are falsehoods that make you feel good OK, and those that aren't bad?

Let's stamp out lies wherever they are, no matter how dear they are held.

You first. I look forward to your account of telling your significant other that no, that dress does not make her look fat, she is fat.

What's this about Santa being false? Isn't Santa coming this year? Tell me your kidding.

Yeah. The promotion of Santa is the major pressing social issue facing South Africans today, once they get rid of the old bastard they'll never have any problems again.

Maybe October got knocked back for the job of mall Santa and he just snapped.

Andrew October told the truth. The sooner humans learn the truth, the better.

Daniel's right. We shouldn't be living a lie, and we ought not be teaching things to people only to have them get hurt when they learn the truth the hard way.

So, I will begin our healing by sharing a painful truth that needs to come out. Here goes:

Daniel, you are a jerk. The kids in your neighborhood think you're the Grinch's ugly brother, they suspect you're a perv, and it's only a matter of time until they start hucking rocks through your windows on a dare. Also, your mom never really liked you, and secretly felt your dad was at fault due to his lousy genes. She really ought to have married that other guy back when she had a chance. She only married your dad out of a misplaced sense of pity.

Wow. That felt really good! And aren't we all better off for having shared this truth? I sure think I am.

At my daughters school they're teaching her the song...

"I'm dreaming of a white WINTER.

Just like the ones I used to know..."

"A spokesman for the Tory-controlled council confirmed the distinction, explaining that because the service contained Christian prayers it was against policy".

Damn PC conservatives!!!! They're all the same.

In other news, running with scissors has been shown to actually benefit your health.

Tom-K,
I may be a jerk. The sooner i'm informed, the quicker i can reform. The truth hurts sometimes, but it always is the best policy.

daniel - why on earth do other people's opinions (that you are a jerk) mean that you need to reform? I'm a jerk, everyone says so, and I have no intention of changing.

WTF is an "Advertising Standards Board", and where does it get off banning anyone from saying anything they damn well please? Will Post Office officials go to jail if they tell this Board to stuff it, and keep on with the Santa Clausing?