Ex PM Gordon Brown: Royal And Ancient's Position An "unacceptable blot on Scotland's traditions of justice for all."

That's what Gordon Brown was quoted as saying by the Scottish Daily Record in a speech at the Scottish parliament festival of politics in Edinburgh Friday.

The Guardian's Severin Carrell also had this quote:

"If the golf club in Augusta can admit women, then shouldn't St Andrews? If they can do it in South Carolina, can we not do it in Scotland?" 

South Carolina, Georgia-schmeorgia. We know what you meant. Those bastions of progressivism to all kind of bleed together.

Comments

[Stord]

Gordon Brown is one of the most despised people in the UK. His condemnation probably reflects positively on the R&A.

[fourputter]

Stord is, I regret to say, correct. Although the sentiment is undoubtedly appropriate in this day and age, Brown is held in utter contempt by a vast majority of the UK population (not necessarily in Scotland though), but above all by the upper/middle class pompous asses who comprise the R&A, Muirfield, Troon and Sandwich set. His intervention probably just set any progress back by 50 years. He should just shut up.

[Manos]

Those Brits and their legendary grasp of geography.

[mh.morrow@sky.com]

Whatever my feeling for that man, the time has come to wake up the R&A as they have slept through the last century and it is time for them to wake. If they let in the Bob's of this world then certainly women should be allowed. Perhaps it is time to realise that women do have some rights in this world, well as much as men, so open the doors.

What a pity the R&A could not be seen as leaders and have done the honourable thing and been the first to open the doors to women, but then it requires thought and we know that is not a strength of the R&A.

[KLG]

"South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum."
–James L. Petigru, 1860.
Sentiment applies to the entire South now, so The Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown was more or less correct. Besides, you can see South Carolina from the top of the tallest pine at ANGC. Not the same as Sarah Palin seeing Russia from her house, but almost.

[digsouth]

Mr. Brown sent a lot of good young Brits to their deaths as a ''token'' of his love for Bush, and his stupidity as to the real world. Hasn't GB spent enough in the desert and jungles of Asia? What did they accomplish. Broken tribal territory 100's of years old renamed and remapped by stupidity.

And when the final troops leave, with pallets of 100 dollar bills left behind, and thousands of Americans paying the price in blood, missing limbs, brain damage, future children with birth defects thanks to depleted uranium and heavy water, They can look to Brown and some papers which were swept under the rug, and which could have stopped it all and shown these war mongers to be the war criminals they really are. Maybe Brown thought he was going to jail too.

If the R&A says ''shove it'' to him, fine.

[JJ]

Guys that know politics now claim to be expert on running golf clubs. Guys that know golf now claim to be expert in geopolitics. Reminds me of all the guys that once mowed a lawn that claim to be expert on maintaining a golf course.

[elf]

The fact that any of the most revered golf clubs and courses in the world, are also male only, should be an embarrassment to golf. Certainly it does not reflect well in the rest of society

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

Well said elf and why, at the very least, they should not be used as venues for the big events.

[T Money]

" Guys that know politics now claim to be expert on running golf clubs. Guys that know golf now claim to be expert in geopolitics. Reminds me of all the guys that once mowed a lawn that claim to be expert on maintaining a golf course. "

+1

[Ghillie]

I find the notion of an American referring to ANY other nation's geographical competence risible.

Brown had clearly glanced through the stories about ANGC and taken on board that Darla Moore was from South Carolina. His interest in the southern states is likely to be negligible, there being little reason to think about them from one century's end to the next.

And politically, I think Brown was dealt a marked deck and never had any chance. I suspect that if he, rather than Call Me Tony, had been selected as leader of the Labour Party in the 1990s and subsequently elected PM, a whole lot would have been different.

[Manos]

You may find it "risible" Ghillie but you should read this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_Cup

Now, what were you dribbling again?

[Ghillie]

Enjoyed that, Manos. Pity it seems to have got lost -- doesn't it know where it is, or where it's going?

When I was at school in Scotland, aged six or seven, I remember having to learn the capitals of every country in South America. As with so much that you learn when that young, I know them without thinking about it to this day. It was part of the education system to teach very young children real world geography -- filling in maps, etc. Stuck with me all my life -- when I was a young adult in Canada a friend challenged me on the capitals of the US States -- we had a contest to write them down and see which could complete the 50 fastest, and accurately. (It was about a tie -- I think he beat me on speed, but we both got them all right). I seriously doubt many Americans could name more than one or two of the ten provinces of Canada, let alone their capitals.

My British backgound was exhaustively interested in learning about the whole world -- history, geoography, etc. -- while I find when meeting Americans that theirs is much more focused on US matters. Bigger country, I suppose, and not one with an Imperial past, which may well have been at the root of Britain teaching so much about other parts of the world. Until the last couple of decades or so, when the fruits of decolonisation presumably filtered all the way through -- I have no idea what, if anthing, is taught in British schools today. Judging by a travel agent I consulted in London (and quickly replaced), not geography!

Hope the resurrect the gorpgraphy quiz. I lov e stuff like that.

[digsouth]

Ghillie

You make a valid ''what if'' about Brown and the Blair witch, but these guys really could just say no.

[MMB]

Geography in British schools must be as bad as the health care and dental systems, thanks to liberal morons like Gordon Brown. On the other hand, perhaps it is just more poor journalism from idiotic leftists, created by the same.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

I would like to see Muirfield, Royal Troon and Royal George's taken off the Open rota purely for the sole purpose of denying these clubs the opportunity to bask in their sexist notoriety. However, were the R&A to do this, they would likely have to desist from taking their amateur events to these venues as well .............. always assuming of course those venues were still willing to have them!

[Buffett]

The Ryder Cup should be mixed male-female competition. That would show them.

[KLG]

You keep thinkin', MMB.

Health Care World Rankings (from the CIA):
Life expectancy at Birth
UK: 80.17 (30); USA: 78.49 (50)
Infant mortality
UK: 4.56/1000 (188); USA: 5.98/1000 (174)

Total Health Care Spending (Wiki: OECD, 2009)
USA: $7960/person; 17.4% of GDP
UK: $3487/person; 9.8% of GDP
Damn, we are Number 1! At something.
It is also worth noting that in the UK virtually everyone is covered and medical bankruptcy is essentially unknown. In the US more than 40,000,000 are not covered at all; medical bankruptcy is not uncommon. And, no, guaranteed access to an emergency room is not the same as "health care." Try showing up and telling the triage nurse that you have an emergency in the form of liver cancer. If it hurts you might get an ibuprofen sample and the names of a few charitable organizations that might help you get treatment. Or referral to hospice, which is frequently available on a sliding scale.

[GolfFan]

2009 from CIA.gov world factbook

1 Malta 16.50%
2 United States 16.20%

We moved up!!!

Healthcare in the USA USA USA is a disgrace, I should know, it's my field.