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

[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.