Monday 18 May 2009

SAME OLD, SAME OLD

Oliver Cromwell's Speech on the Dissolution of the Long Parliament
Given to the House of Commons 20 April 1653

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone!

So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!

18 comments:

Sandi McBride said...

We could very well stand to have the same speech spoken in the houses of Congress...here here!!!
Sandi

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

You may or may not have heard of the scandal that is rocking our Parliament at the moment Sandie. Our MP's expenses are being published in a daily newspaper and it makes horrific reading. Do we never learn anything? I sometimes dispair that there is an honest man or woman amoung them.

ADDY said...

In the name of Cromwell, I think we should put any guilty MPs in the stocks and throw rotten eggs at them, then put them in a ducking stool and dunk them in the Thames!

Maggie May said...

Some things haven't changed!
Needs to be read again!

Eddie Bluelights said...

Very apt words for this 'scum' (yes, I chose my word carefully) we have in the Commons right now headed by Mr Speaker!
If we did what some of them have done we would be under investigation by the Fraud Squad, locked up and the keys thrown away.
Yet we toil and toil being hammered and hammered by the day while this lot get a fantastic salary, HUGE expenses and fiddles rife throughout parliament. This life makes NO SENSE anymore. There I feel better now! ~ Hope you are recovered from your run in The National. ~ Eddie

jay said...

What a wonderful speech that was! And could be just as truly made today, I fear .. yet let us not forget what happened to Cromwell himself in the end.

I believe his tarred head was once used as a football up and down Ludgate - and that several years after his death.

Sarah said...

I think the rotten lot should be made to fill in a form just like the ones for WFTC or Pension Credit, show every penny earned- not be allowed to let accountants squirrel away their earnings in schemes and policies.
Why should we carry the burdon of suspicion while M.P.s and their pets abuse the system???
Where is the TV advert inviting us to dob in M.P.s who cheat the system???
Ooh, I love the smell of a double expresso in the morning...

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

It should have been read out to the DISHONOURABLE members! A x

Snowbrush said...

Sure they're crooks, but they have those charming accents that every American loves.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

You are too kind Rosiero.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

And as the days progress it gets worse doesn't it Maggie? When will we ever learn.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Don't ever, ever, ever mention the National to me again Eddie! As you can tell, I'm a very poor loser.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Well, let's not forget Jay that Cromwell was essentially a politician too, so he got what he deserved in the end too!

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Sarah, you are assuming that they have the brains to complete a form. Yeh! bring on the coffee, I'm in a mood to sort them out.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Bravo Anne.

www.retiredandcrazy.com said...

Does that mean if I came to live in the States I would have an IQ of 16 then Snowbird? Wow! I'm on the next plane over.

Snowbrush said...

"I'm on the next plane over."

Great! You'll no doubt be offered a university post within ten minutes of landing.

laurie said...

i have read quite a bit about your scandal (it broke while i was in ireland, and it was all over the papers). but forgive me for saying i can never agree with oliver cromwell on anything!