Conspiratorial minds

[bunn]

I heard a trailer for some event where John le Carré was speaking, in which he said that one of the odd things about Britain is that the majority of people, if they are asked by British Intelligence 'can we come in and use your upstairs, we can't tell you anything about it' will, if reassured the request is genuinely from British Intelligence, say 'yes'.

He felt this demonstrated a national temperamental bias towards the conspiratorial, and towards the patriotic.

[Poll #1934265][Poll #1934265]

Oh drat, I meant to ask if you thought it was odd to say 'yes'. 

Comments

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

I suppose I cannot vote, not being British, but I do think saying yes is a bit weird.

In a situation involving the CIA and this, I would say no. Of course, that would not mean anything.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I don't see why you can't vote - after all, British Intelligence *might* come and spy wherever you are?

I should have put in a 'would you feel differently about the CIA?' question!

[rustica.livejournal.com]

I would totally say yes because, well, it would be just like something out of a le Carre novel! And what's the point of being part of something exciting if you can't tell anyone?

[bunn.livejournal.com]

MY VERY THOUGHTS!

I wonder how much Le Carre has himself contributed to the conspiratorial nature of the British. I'd not previously thought about it, but my mental image of British Intelligence is SO much more positive than my attitude to, say, the CIA, even though I really have nothing much to base this on beyond fiction.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Though I have to say that, when I was with Customs, there was a story told to me by an Investigations officer, that he once was on surveillance in a car on a posh street, waiting for someone to clear a building.

Then there was knock on the car window - it was Paul Daniels, the magician, asking him if he would like a cup of tea...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I hope he pulled the teapot and teacup out of his sleeve...

[ozisim.livejournal.com]

I'm not patriotic, and I've worked too long in the media to be conspiratorial.
But I'd let them because I like helping people.
And on our street, using our house makes the most sense.

... And I doubt we would have a problem with break ins if they were here.

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

Haven't got an upstairs...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I don't know if Le Carre assumes that everyone has an upstairs, or if he just meant that attempts to spy from the ground floor were doomed to failure on the grounds of poor visibility.

[andrewducker]

Despite thinking that there are definitently times when they overstep the bounds I'd be happy with, I would probably feel that they were more likely to have a good reason to ask me than not, and thus I was quite possibly helping save lives.

(Which is why I want there to be decent oversight of them, because I don't have the facts myself to make a snap decision)

[sally_maria]

Well, given where my father used to work, I do think it would be odd for us to say no. :-)

Perhaps it's only true from where I'm sitting, but I do think most British people would say yes - how much is patriotism and how much wanting to be in the know, I'm really not sure.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised most people most people would say yes, but I don't think it's an example of normal British patriotism so much as an example of the normal British reaction to situations where it would be a bit embarrassing and awkward to say no.

I'd probably say yes out of sheer fascination, because the only reason I can think of to use my upstairs is to spy on opposite neighbour, and I'm dying to know what lovely Angi with her five cats who works at Sainsbury's has really been up to.

[motetus.livejournal.com]

Haven't got an upstairs, though thanks to my parents always referring to the upstairs bathroom as just "the upstairs," for a good while I thought you were asking whether you'd let the British Intelligence in for a wee. Which... I suppose it would be rather rude not to, right?

Assuming I did own an upstairs, I'd probably say yes - not out of patriotism, but out of being Terribly British and Not Wanting to Make a Fuss. But unless they look just like Gary Oldman and can thus get away with anything, they'd better take their shoes off at the door.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I may have used 'upstairs' in a deliberate manner, because the idea of spies politely asking to come in to have a wee amuses me. :-D

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I was in the HMS Victory museum when the Turkish president was being entertained on the Victory itself by various admirals. The whole area was teeming with stony-faced, large men in black suits and thick black coats. Every now and then, one of the men stalked in their secret service bodyguardish way into the museum, went to the desk... and were pointed towards the Gents.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

... and anyway, I thought you had an attic where you were planning to confine the wife? If an attic isn't upstairs, then really, what is?

[motetus.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, but it's going to be awfully embarrassing once they discover the BDSM dungeon I've installed up there...

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I'd say yes, because I would worry that a no would cause Questions to be asked about me, and a black mark to be put against my name by a mysterious Them who had the power to make my life difficult in oh so many ways. It would be like the Queen popping round to borrow some sugar; you can't really say no, and can't really chase it up if she fails to return the rest of the bag.

[louis-soul.livejournal.com]

The asking part is what would be strange. If they need it, they would have a requisition form informing you that they are taking over the place and any nay saying on your part would be considered obstruction of justice which you could wind up in a cell for. That's how it would work in the U.s. anyway.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I honestly don't know if there is such legislation in the UK. It sounds like the kind of thing that could cause one hell of a fuss (in the UK, anyway) so I can see that even if MI5 or whoever were able to get such an order, it would make sense to ask before producing it.

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Hmmn, before saying yes, even once assured they were genuinely from British Intelligence, I would probably want to ask if there would be any cost/danger to me in saying 'yes' (eg. being put on some Evil Organisation's 'hit list') and any cost/danger to me in saying 'no' (eg. being put on British Intelligence's 'watch list'.) But then it probably wouldn't do much good as I wouldn't trust the answers anyway. I rather fear this marks me as lily-livered and cynical, rather than patriotic and conspiratorial :-(

In the end I'd probably say yes, but realistically more for smirnoffmule's/motetus'(the embarassment/not making a fuss bit) or ladyofastolat's reasons than for andrewducker's reasons, though the latter is clearly far more worthy and I'd much rather think of myself as that sort of person.