January 09, 2004

STOP HIM BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN

Column by me on criminal mastermind Prince Charles. This was commissioned yesterday on a two-hour deadline, and is on a subject I hadn’t paid much attention to; one of the advantages of blogging, however, is that it teaches usable rapid-response skills. Another reason more journalists should blog.

UPDATE. Richard Littlejohn, in The Sun, gets to the point rather quicker than do I:

Lady Di was killed when a car driven by a man off his face on drink and drugs hit a wall at high speed.

End of story.

OK, so she claimed her husband was planning to kill her, according to letters released by her sleazy little butler. But she was a grade A fruitcake.

Hit the link to read Littlejohn’s opinion on strict new US visa requirements for British travellers.

Posted by Tim Blair at January 9, 2004 10:44 AM
Comments

Using the corgi-killing bull terrier is inspired.


Your'e lucid analysis Tim shows, Conan Doyle was deficient in the who dunnit imagination department. Diana cooked up a genius of evil greater than Moriarty and, between them Fayed and the Daily Mirror have executed the necessary dissembling to throw Scotland yard off the scent.

Whose the super sleuth then, the bloody butler cobining with some royal coroner who sends inspector plod to verify, an immature girly actually wrote a letter.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Tim, your'e column is the best take on the whole squalid business because , it is so vile, vicious on the part of the Butler, Daily Mirror,the coroner and the police that credulity is left far behind.It is, to muse however, a fitting tribute to The LP's `third way' socilism built on confiscation, mush, political correctness, and much other rot and garbage to boot.

Posted by: d at January 9, 2004 at 11:44 AM

"...one of the advantages of blogging, however, is that it teaches usable rapid-response skills. Another reason more journalists should blog."

Or work for a wire service, where they'd write fast, tight copy several times a day, every day of their working lives without considering it remarkable.

Posted by: Spud at January 9, 2004 at 11:51 AM

True, Spud. I was referring to general print writers and columnists -- some of whom only file once a day, and late.

Posted by: tim at January 9, 2004 at 12:21 PM

Nice job, Tim. As a blogger and occasional freelance writer I'm impressed with your ability to put together a quality column on such short notice. I have a hell of a time myself writing at a high level on a consistent basis. Sometimes the inspiration is there and the words flow, and sometimes I couldn't string together a coherent set of words to save my life. I'm working on it but I admire those who can do it regularly.

Personally, I'm getting sick to death of conspiracy theories. Every time something bad happens in the world -- from the death of a princess to an earthquake in Iran -- the conspiracy theorists start spinning it into their grand theme of a world controlled by shadowy puppetmasters. It doesn't matter if the perpetrators are obvious and brag about their crime (like the WTC attack on 9/11) the tinfoilers will still search within the rubble for hidden clues to pin it on their villain of choice and demonstrate they are not one of the clueless masses. It's almost a religion with them -- one that requires as much faith in the unprovable as any sect or cult.

There are real conspiracies, of course -- Lincoln's assassination was one; Iran-Contra another -- but they usually unravel quickly because human beings simply aren't wired to keep secrets for long. Any conspiracy that requires dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people to keep their mouths shut can be dismissed out of hand. It simply runs completely against human nature.

Posted by: Randal Robinson at January 9, 2004 at 12:49 PM

Bravo Tim! I laughed till I cried. You're the man!!

Posted by: Kate at January 9, 2004 at 01:22 PM

I am always leery of conspiracy claims just because I know so few people who could properly organize a 4 car funeral procession.

Posted by: JorgXMcKie at January 9, 2004 at 01:27 PM

I like the malicious suicide angle, Dianne was a bitch and killed herself just to stick it up Charles....now THAT is so whacked out it has the makings of a conspiracy theory.

So will we see you on Good Morning Australia on Monday giving us the goss or has Richard Butler been booked for another round of self-promotion?

Posted by: Jake D at January 9, 2004 at 01:41 PM

Personally, I believe Elton John had her killed so he could write a 5th version of "Candle in the Wind..."

Posted by: Jerry at January 9, 2004 at 03:25 PM

Can't work out what Littlejohn is saying about strict new conditions for British passport holders to go to the US.

British citizens, Australian citizens and citizens of 25 other countries, may travel visa free under the VISA WAIVER PROGRAM for business and pleasure.

Everyone else entering the USA, including New Idea journalists who want to do interviews, will be fingerprinted and photographed.

Posted by: Peggy Sue at January 9, 2004 at 05:37 PM

Damn Jerry, that's terrifying.

Posted by: d at January 9, 2004 at 05:39 PM

Great article.

Presumably Charles was planning this fiendish scheme in between bouts of sodomy with his personal staff. I think most people here in the UK treat these allegations as preposterous, but Diana worship is still common (though, mercifully, dwindling) and its insidious influence on the sentimentality of the nation continues.

Posted by: Rexie at January 9, 2004 at 06:02 PM

Peggy Sue.

From October the US visa waiver scheme will apply only to passports with "biometric indicators", which British passports do not currently have.

Posted by: Rexie at January 9, 2004 at 07:02 PM

Rubbish...Charles cooked the scheme up with BUSH! CHENEY! and lets not forget -

THE ZIONIST NEO-CONS

Don't you see - Dodi -> Arab

Stands to reason his murderer would be in cahoots with those slippery yids, you betcha...


Unless of course -> It was a plastic Diana! And a plastic Fiat!

*ahem*

Posted by: Quentin George at January 9, 2004 at 07:47 PM

From October the US visa waiver scheme will apply only to passports with "biometric indicators", which British passports do not currently have.

I read the link, Rexie, and it says:
"The ruling will affect all British passports issued after October 26 and passports issued before then will still entitle people to enter the US without a visa, The Daily Telegraph said."

There must be plenty of nutters with UK passports issued prior to Oct 26!

Posted by: Peggy Sue at January 9, 2004 at 11:04 PM

Reading Tim's article, I had a mental picture of Charles in a Savile Row suit crawling under a car to try to snip the brake lines.

Personally, I did suspect a conspiracy surrounding Diana's death. The Princess of the Sloan Rangers, then Michael Hutchence, Falco...it seemed pretty obvious that someone was trying to kill the 80s.

Posted by: Ann at January 10, 2004 at 03:58 AM