onsdag 25 april 2007

Independent paradox



The Independent holds itself out as Britain's conscience for the intelligent man and woman - otherwise known as the chattering classes. They are always running features on the state of the planet and the plight of the poor. A particular concern recently has been global warming and they have been drawing attention to the "carbon footprint" of air travel.

Today's Independent, however, included a twelve page supplement on investment property - that is, making money on the backs of other people's work. The idea is that you buy property for next to nothing and watch it shoot up in value. But don't ask where this extra value is supposed to come from.

In addition to features on British "investment" opportunities, there are advertisements talking about the mouth-watering opportunities for property investment in far-flung places such as Berlin, Bulgaria, Spain and Dubai, which are a bit out-of-range if you are going to get there by environmentally-friendly local trains.

Nowadays, this is known as "Cognitive Disjunction". The old-fashioned term was hypocrisy.

Don't do as I do, do as I tell you.

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