Monday 17 October 2005

A reader's birthday

Three years ago today Craig Murray made this speech.

He started with this observation:

I am most happy to be here today to join in Freedom House's Open House. This is a welcome addition to the resources available to the community which is working to improve basic human rights here in Uzbekistan. The organisers are to be congratulated on the initiative, as are the US government for their assistance with finance.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am a Scot, and proud of my race. Our national poet, Robert Burns, notes in his great poem "The De'il's awa' wi' the Exciseman" that "Whisky and Liberty gang the gither", which for those whose Scots is a wee bit rusty means "Whisky and Liberty go together". Well we all know how difficult it is to find real whisky in Tashkent. It does exist, but mostly on diplomatic premises. There is still a lot of wisdom in old Robert.

I hope that Craig enjoys a dram or two on his birthday today.

(I imagine that he'd have been fully familiar with this sort of thing during his former employment.)

1 comment:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

David Farrer
It's the same Mr Murray.

19 October 2005, 15:03:23 GMT+01:00
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Andy Wood
That was me, by the way.

17 October 2005, 14:17:33 GMT+01:00
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Guest
Our national poet, Robert Burns, notes in his great poem "The De'il's awa' wi' the Exciseman" that "Whisky and Liberty gang the gither"... 
 
He needs to sack his researcher. The quote comes from The Author's Earnest Cry and Prayer. 
 
Click here for proof.

17 October 2005, 14:16:46 GMT+01:00
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Andrew Duffin
Would that be the same Mr. Murray who was immortalised in this article? 
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/23/nenv23.xml 
 
(Follow the link to one of the Daily Telegraph's finest front page photos...

17 October 2005, 12:07:43 GMT+01:00