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Dan Kitwood / Getty Images file
British minister Andrew Mitchell, who reportedly insulted police officers after they stopped him from cycling out of the main gate down the street from the prime minister's official residence, arrives at a government meeting in May.
LONDON - We’ve had Watergate, Irangate and even Weinergate.
And now, in London, there’s a new hot-potato controversy that double-dips nicely the neat scandal-enhancing suffix “gate.”
It’s called “Gate-gate.”
The first gate in question sits at the end of Downing Street, home to generations of British prime ministers, and in recent years -- in a nod to those who would destroy us -- a fortified enclave. It is guarded around-the-clock by heavily armed police, cameras, barriers -- and that big, black, forbidding iron gate.
Now this particular ballyhoo-gate involves a high ranking senior member of the British government, Andrew Mitchell, who wanted to ride his bike through the aforementioned main gate and, when he was refused and told to use the pedestrian exit, apparently unleashed a tirade of four-letter abuse at the cops who are there to protect him.
“Best you learn your f***ing place,” he reportedly said in anger. “You don’t run this f***ing government.”
But it gets worse. Much worse.
Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA
Andrew Mitchell speaks to the media in London on Monday.
Mitchell allegedly also called the police officers “plebs.” What?
For those of us for whom Latin is a forgotten language, the plebs (Latin: plebes) of Ancient Rome were the middle-class of society – free people, skilled artisans, farmers.
But in the intervening centuries the word in Great Britain became something of an insult, suggesting the person in question was common, ignorant and – importantly – of a lower order.
It’s an old-fashioned word these days – not much used by the common people to whom it refers, and seldom heard outside of a certain privileged world.
Now you only have to watch "Downton Abbey" -- the popular TV drama starring overdressed and underworked aristos and their forelock-tugging salt-of-the-earth servants -- to know about the class divide in the United Kingdom. And if you think it’s as dead as Latin, read on.
'Thrasher'
Enter into this upstairs-downstairs world of ours the quaintly titled Government Chief Whip Mitchell.
He’s an important guy in government. Some of his critics call him self-important. He has an office and official residence in Downing Street. His job -- as the title suggests -- is to be the prime minister’s enforcer, making sure Conservative legislators toe the party line in parliament and outside.
It’s a tough job and one for which Mitchell seems well suited. He is an alumnus of the elite fee-paying Rugby School, a reputedly tough place that gave its name to the sport and where his disciplinarian ways reportedly earned him the nickname of “Thrasher.”
In this extended interview, British Prime Minister David Cameron talks to NBC's Brian Williams about Iran, Afghanistan, the 2012 Olympics, the "special relationship" with the United States and whether or not he has danced around like Hugh Grant's character in "Love Actually."
Clearly Mitchell seems not the sort to take any nonsense from the “lower orders” after a bad day at the office. Which is just what happened last week as he approached that now famous locked and guarded main gate.
The essence of every “gate” scandal is that the event has far greater consequences than the perpetrator ever imagines as they commit the deed. It is the stone rolling down the hill before it becomes the avalanche. Gate-gate is no exception.
The furor that Mitchell provoked has reached national level -- and it’s still making front page news.
The day after the outburst, Prime Minister Cameron traveled upcountry to the city of Manchester to pay his respects to the families of two unarmed, female police officers gunned down in cold blood. That evening he had to reprimand his chief whip for showing disrespect to the police.
UK police resist calls to give all officers guns
Then there’s a question of who is telling the truth. The police officers who suffered Mitchell’s tongue-lashing – members of the elite Diplomatic Protection Group – wrote down in their notebooks what had been said to them. They knew to expect more trouble.
But Mitchell disputes their version of the truth. Not that he may have used the f-word, as they claim. But he denies calling them “plebs,” which would – it seems – be very rude indeed.
(The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday published what it said was a log of the exchange as recorded by the officers involved)
So either we can’t rely on the hand-picked cops chosen to guard our most important people – or we can’t trust the prime minister’s right-hand man. The police say, quite correctly, that it’s a question of integrity.
Then there’s the politics of it, as the government struggles in second place in the opinion polls.
Has Britain's Prime Minister Cameron lost his gloss?
Cameron has long tried to shake off the taunt of privilege that haunts him and his closest supporters -- a barb that implies they are out of touch with ordinary folk. That’s tricky for a politician who wants to win elections (ask Mitt Romney).
So “Dave” Cameron has sought to convince the voters they are as ordinary as you and me. But not, of course, plebs. He has Mitchell to thank for reinforcing an image he has tried so hard to shake off.
How tragedy transformed UK PM Cameron
For his part, Mitchell has, eventually, been suitably contrite. He has apologized to the offended officers more than once, without ever telling us exactly what he did say.
“I didn’t show the police the amount of respect I should have done,” he said Monday, before adding “I hope very much we can draw a line under this.”
A view for sure shared by Cameron and his advisors.
The prime minister is toughing it out and saying Mitchell will not lose his job. But that’s what beleaguered prime ministers always say.
In the end -- if the cops turn out to be telling the truth -- this particular “gate” may deliver its own last word. As in: “Make sure the gate doesn’t bang you in the … on the way out.”
And the police -- whom Mitchell admits he abused -- will take satisfaction in being the ones holding it open for him.
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Leave a Comment:
Oh the things that conservative politicians say whenever they think the media is not paying attention. American, British--they're all elitist, who only care about the middle class and the poor for their votes. Otherwise, they couldn't be bothered.
It's not just conservative's who are elitist, liberals are just as bad. With them, instead of wealth defining the classes, it's education levels.
OMG, Thurston Howell III and Lovie would be rolling over in their graves right now! How these simple peons can cause such an uproar to the ultra-rich is just inexcusable and they should all be "thrashed" within an inch of their lives!
michael & radical
spoken like true plebes............or "plebs" if you prefer.............................:)
Apparently, however, with student aid being such a priority the "elite" liberals are just fine with helping the "plebs" achieve the liberal version of "wealth". That is certainly not true with the "let 'em eat cake" conservatives.
And yet....7 of the top 10 richest members of our congress are democrats. Darn those pesky facts!
http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/21/news/economy/richest-congress-members/index.html
The Kennedys left everyone else in the dust, when it comes to money, yet you never, EVER heard JFK, RFK or Teddy use that kind of class-elitist language with the middle or lower class. Or, for that matter, Nelson or Jay Rockefeller, either.
It's not the money, Jax, it's the attitude.
We have a President that took a gift from a felon that screwed poor people so he could afford a house just shy of $2,000,000.
But our lovely media discusses this minor incident on the other side of the pond.
Try again. Joe Kennedy Sr. made the family money Rum running. They were nouveau riche and a lot of their behavior showed that. The media was just not as willing in those days to show all the warts.
How is it elitism to stand up to those who would question the very tenets of science, like evolution, in favor of religious dogma presented as fact? Even global warming, with all its mounting evidence, brings denial from American's so-called conservatives. Amazing.
If people don't want to be considered stupid, then they shouldn't behave like they are.
reply to lvingbarefoot: Our president needs a lavish house, wouldn't have it any other way for the president of the free world to not have a nice house. He didn't know the guy was a felon. When you buy a house you dont usually ask the seller whether they had a criminal record.[ How silly of you] Besides if Mitt and the republican legislators really practiced "transparancy" they'd all be found to be "FELONS". So whats your point? Come at us with a better one will you
"For those of us for whom Latin is a forgotten language, the plebs (Latin: plebes) of Ancient Rome were the middle-class of society – free people, skilled artisans, farmers."
Ummmm.... noooooo. In the Roman Republic, the plebs (short for "plebians") were the most impoverished of those who held Roman citizenship. The lowest of the low, and pretty despised by the the rest of Roman society. They basically took roughly the poorest 50%, and for voting purposes weighed the franchise so they had less than 1% of the voting clout.
God, but it felt good to write that - I've been waiting over 20 years, ever since Classic Roman History 101 & 102 in college, to be able to use that in a conversation or discussion :D
RAD-CENT: Education levels do not define us "liberals", it keeps us out of poverty try it sometime and get educated
When you really look at it, why do we treat and allow to be treated, supposed public servants as royalty?
When politicians work minimal days per year, operate out of lavish offices, worldwide junkets being paid for by us, while including benefits most constituents don't get to enjoy, instead of questioning the royals, we just accept it and continue sending our tax money to support it. That's why they wind up taking care of themselves instead of taking care of their constituents. We've been snookered into believing their royal status and we allow it.
We supposed broke away from England to end living under a monarchy, but all we did was change the word "monarchy" to "republic". No one is that important nor irreplaceable.
We're in a world of hurt if education is considered a bad thing. Do you think we got to the moon by being a country full of idiots? I know not everyone is going to need to go through 6 years of college but any political party that denigrates education is not doing right by the country. If someone is telling you that having an education is bad you need to walk away. They're just trying to control you by keeping you uneducated.
This story describes this guy as "tough" and an "enforcer". What I find particularly funny about those descriptions is that he is a middle aged man in a suit, very nice one I'm sure, on a bicycle with a nice little wicker basket. He doesn't look very tough to me. Had I been one of the police officers, I doubt I would have been intimidated by his tirade. I'd guess it's a short man complex he has.
By the way, in the US "plebe" is often used to describe new members of organizations - those who are pledges and not yet fully inducted. It is used in frats and sororities and military organizations to name a few.
We can argue all day long as to liberal versus conservative as to whether they are smarter, more effective, more in tune with the middle class and so on. I would propose that they are both settling into the "ruling" class and neither one is particularly effective and certainly neither is better. If they were truly concerned, there would be a meeting of the minds in order to lift the U.S. from the multitude of serious problems we face. For those of you that don't mind vulgar language, we could say that the would compromise for the betterment of the country (because compromise has become a dirty word). Only a fool would think they have the one and only best answer for these complex problems that we face - yes, I am speaking to you hard line Dems and Republicans.
I'm tired of liberal, conservative, Tea Party and libertarian B.S., as we have become so polarized that nothing is being accomplished. We are facing the fiscal cliff, rising debt, Israel facing off with Iran and the U.S. being dragged in, an angry Middle East, a war that can't be won in Afghanistan and more, and where are our politicians? Well, Congress adjourned. Kicked the can down the road, as they say. They all went home, not just the liberals, or the conservatives, or the Democrats, or the Republicans. No one could convince the other one to stay and work on our problems.
We can chuckle about Gate-gate, but the attitude that brings this about is growing on both sides of the Atlantic. Over here we have the rich, the ruling class, and all the rest of us. It's not getting better, and if we as voters don't do something soon, it's going to get a lot worse.
John in NW PA:
Elections have become an exercise in futility, replacing one corrupt politician with another.
The people need to find a more effective way to vote on the laws that govern this country and worry less about the so called representative. Propositions maybe?
Be honest, who didn't think of Romney when reading this story? We plebs will deny him his dream to lord it over us come november.
Larry-"Be honest, who didn't think of Romney when reading this story? We plebs will deny him his dream to lord it over us come november".
Haha,I know I did,lol. Plebs,or as Romney would say,the 47%.
I didn't think this of the United States politics. How all you people can bring up our country and compare it to England is beyond me. All of you are PLEBS. GEE! And oh, if you want to be technical, please read this. My late mother was Queen Elizabeth's cousin and her family line was heirs to the throne way before for the Windsors. My family line denounced the throne for U. S. citizenship when this country was founded. I have several ancestors who signed the Declaration of Independence.
I have become a commoner just like the rest of you because of heritage down the line. For those of you whose ancestors were founding members of the United States, and for the many of us today, these people were Lords and Knights to the throne then. Well then that makes them rich snobby people. But look at us today. I for one did not inherit money, nor would I care to.
So basically we are all Plebs. Another thing, some of the wealthy in this country got their money from businesses they started in the last 40 years and reinvested their gains into mutual funds so that they could have money when they retire. It is too bad that they do not teach this to all kids through the education system.Instead of complaining, we should all band together to vote int office someone who has more business experience than Obama. Someone who does not shift blame to others for his own policies.
Vote Romney for President in November instead of Obama. I am confident that a new leader would do us better than someone who has led us to hate each other and have more crime in this country than any other President.
Benjoh:
I'm not sure what world you are living in, but it's certainly not the real one. You appear to be totally clueless with regards to the political system, it's inherent corruption and who really is in charge of this country.
Obama or Romney, they're just figure heads; candidates served to the public on a silver platter by our bettors. It really doesn't make any difference. It's the 1% who rule.
"The Gate" Behind the gate they can have their own police department, send their kids to the best teachers money can buy and have their own fire department. There is no need to go outside "The Gate" While outside "The Gate" they destroy our education system, lay off our police officers and our kids are being raised to serve them.
John PA- Amen!
Debi- Monarchy, republic, empire. Doesn't matter what you call the system, sooner or later it becomes rule by the elite few. As a California resident, let me say IMO, God Forbid that we would ever attempt to run this country by proposition. What about if we drew our representatives by draft? With some sort of minimun educational/ intelligence requirement, and a maximum monitary compensation tied to what people actually make? Strict term limits. Lobbyists illegal. So every 4 years, the name of every American with a 4-year-or higher college degree and an IQ above--i dunno, 120, 130, 140?-- gets thrown into a hat, we pull 'em out to fill each open position, pay the the average of what a successful person in their field should make, and say, "Knock yourself out, in 4 years, you're done, never to serve again. Here's what we need you to take care of..." Okay, I know there are flaws in the idea. Still. If only we could work out a political system where no one who actually WANTS the job is ever allowed to HAVE it, I think we'd all be better off.
geegeeburr - you make some valid points; however I'd change your premise about only college educated people being eligible. I am a college grad, so that's not my bias. However, some of the most successful, intelligent and effective people I know are tradesmen, merchants and owner/operators of small businesses who learned in the school of hard knocks.
By contrast, I've also dealt with a lot of educated fools who couldn't find their posteriors if they had both hands in their back pockets.
I do agree that we'd probably be a lot better off by not allowing anyone who wants to be in public office as a career to be there.
It's clear that MANY people on both sides of the Atlantic have forgotten that a governments rule with the consent of and at the will of the governed. The deliberate division of people based on the money and privilege is an artificial separation that diminishes the true value or many and may inappropriately inflate the true value of others.
The perennial problem of the upper classes: How to properly distance yourselves from the people who provide you with those creature comforts you can't do without.
I guess MITTENS considers us " PLEBS ".
Sucks for him come election day.
no not us....just you bob...................:)
ple·be·ian (pl-bn)
n.
1. One of the common people of ancient Rome.
2. A member of the lower classes.
3. A vulgar or coarse person.
just another 1% view of the world.
What a total jackass Mitchell showed himself to be.
Actually, I'm on the side of the Minister, prick though he may be, in fact, probably certainly is.
Cops everywhere think they call the shots. Now, that gate led to his office, they must have seen him every day, surely they knew who he was, but, no, they had to play the authoritarian dick role.
What the devil would have happened if they'd opened the gate and said 'good morning'? What were they 'protecting him' from? Himself? Bah, it turns my stomach. Hell, it's bad enough that we have our lives crimped and crushed by head-up-their-bum politicians. Pile on top of that the security forces, and we're left with just crumbs for us plebes to rummage from the gutters.
The issue was not about them knowing who he was. He wanted to ride his bike through the big car gate and they asked him to walk it through the pedestrian gate instead. When I visit my grandmother in her gated retirement community, if I am on my bike they make me use the pedestrian gate and walk my bike through. Why shouldn't he be asked to do the same? Because he feels he is above others, and takes it as a personal insult when they ask him to do as others would do. That's an insufferable quality in anyone, but can even be dangerous in someone like this guy who wields some amount of actual power or authority. A government of the people run by those who think they are above them is historically not awesome.
rules and regulations are put in place 4 a reason,usually for safety or smooth running of things. Doesn't matter if the guards saw him daily or knew him. Had he seen the guards breaking the rules 4 someone else he would have been the first one asking that they be fired. People like MItchell and "mitt" have always been around we just had never seen their disdain or contempt 4 us until now[everything done in the dark eventually comes to light] We're now seeing what they think about us, how theylook down on us and laugh behind our backs. we "plebs" will eventually have the last laugh come election time
It's STAYING in the plebian class that keeps my husband and I up at night.
if that all that keeps you up at night.........your doing it wrong.......................................:)
We've no Iron Gates in America. Just loads of $$$ are needed to get through the government gates.
Where is Guy Fawkes when you need him?
Working for Time Warner.
O
thats what she said.................:)
!
?
He actually complemented them by calling them the Plebs, they are really serfs . The cat is out of the bag now . These damn Brits still think of them selves as an Empire, when in reality they are a third world country. You just go broke being a world overlord, which happened to them Well over 100 years ago or so. They will need more then big iron gate to keep the reptilian gene pool safe in time to come. That same policeman will hoist him next time and place him on top of that pointed wrought iron gate, thus spearing him to death. Most of you don't remember but one of our own wealthy lady by the name of Leona Helmsley made a statement in New York , that the taxes are for the "little people". This is the same type of reptilian song on the shores of our country. Actually IRS put her in jail (club med) for few months as a token tough gesture. Hence that is why Romney feels he should not pay any tax or pay as little as possible. They asked Obama for real birth certificate, how come Romney can get away with presenting a short version of audited tax forms. Come on Romney you Satan worshiper show us the real tax returns!!!!
You need psychiatric help, now.
Forgot to take your happy pills this morning did we....what a wackadoodle....you need help man...
Glad to see the rest of the world has the opportunity to see the rich for what they really are.
There is NO DOUBT a world-wide revolt against the haves by the have-nots is coming at some time in the future.
Personally, I glad I'm in the have-not side. The Haves are in deep poop! Remember, there is strength in numbers and there are way more of us than them.
To bad a majority of us have nots are not whiney and jealous like you so we wont let you go around fighting people for your own shortcomings.
Oh MrBurns, I did not know you spoke for the rest of working class people of the world. You know, since you claim to speak for the majority.
Since when does having an opinionmake someone "whiney and jealous"? Are you saying I'm that way because I'm not a rich man screwing over the working class?
Now run along and have a latte or something. Real adults are talking here.
MR BURNS: The majority of us are not whiney or jealous of the rich as you put it. If anything we get educated and work hard and aspire to be rich too one day. Our issue is that we don't take well to them putting their foot on our necks to keep us down Seems to me you're the type that helps them by holding their feet down on us,even though you claim to be part of us " majority" you don't seem to speak for us
Mr. Burns
You must be living in a bunker somewhere with your maids and servants. The rest of us are just pissed off because , the 1% want to end our social security, food stamps ( for those who really need them ) our veterans benefits ( for those of us who fought for our country need and deserve ) . Those are just the tip of the iceberg. Just remember this if you remember nothing else. If left to the 1%ers. You will have no clean water to drink, rotten food to eat, a polluted earth to walk upon and poisoned polluted air to breathe . One last thing, you will never be able to retire ( you will work till you drop ) and you had better find a which doctor in your old age because that is all you will be able to afford.
bob
an elected official not listening to the common" people ? good heavens .. say it isn't so....i am shocked...nay...mortified........:)
i like being in the plebe class, we have allot more fun without the B.S. .................
Well, they laugh at our politics, now we can laught at theirs.
hell WE laugh at our own buffoons or at least i do or the sheer amount of stupidity would overwhelm me. .............................:)
You think the rich have distain for the rest of us in this country, in the UK the class hatred is institutionalized.
and we have politicians who need institutionalised....................:)
Good old Andy Mitchell; this pompous buffoon brings an whole new meaning to the term effete blowhard!
Hyacinth Bucket would be proud!
I am wondering why if there is a pedestrian exit available that he can go through without troubling the guards to open a gate, why he didn't go through that.
Because of his petty sense of entitlement. See, these types of people take every minute opportunity to make them feel superior. Some call it a Napoleon complex, I call it a small dick problem.
I was thinking that may be why the guards told him to use the pedestrian gate, because they sensed the same thing.
Maybe there was some hot babes he wanted to impress.
"Look at me, I'm important enough to open the gate for even when my bike will fit through the gate.
I cannot believe the Queen is allowing such common trash to speak poorly of the Right Honorable Andrew Mitchell.
What is this world coming to when the lower class forgets their place?
It gets worse. The Tories' traditional colour is blue. But wait - more true colours coming out? Simply google
'Tory councillor sacked for joking about death of two police officers'
for more hot off the press info on upper class shenanigans...
gee ya think? so outsource the investigation, Sherlock Holmes can solve this elementary case in an hour, less if they drop the commercials.........................:)
If this is the worst scandle "gate" that they can come up with, things can't be that bad. No jobs for friends? no creaming off money from expenses. (that was so 4 years ago) no sex scandle. As "gates" go this is pretty lame.
next thing ya know mere wretch's will complain about fetching a laggard of grog...........how dare they?...off with their heads.......:)
What, even though nobody has spoken like that in hundreds of years?
ok fair enough how about......;
Next ting ya knows deese here beyotchs wont be ta fetching me my 40's no'mor goin ta have ta cum up on da side uh there head couple time's ..taint nothing but no account's no how........she-it
or perhaps......;
she-it billy bob were be dat woman a'yourn, she dont hurry up im a fixin to smack ner round some, im parched here.............
Better?..........................................:)
Dear writers and publicists,
Could we maybe stop using the word "gate" after every single scandle. Its annoying and over played, lets not forget the the "Watergate" scandal was the actual name of the hotel where the incident was seen. You dont call it "Watergate-gate" do you??? So please for the love of God quit shoving this word into our vocabulary. It makes me sick to see "Bounty-gate", "film-gate", "liberal-gate", how bout we go ahead and call the next thing "stop it gate".
Thanks
nope-gate...... sorry
well time for me to gate off here,
have a gate ....er i mean...great day folks................
"Dear writers and publicists, Could we maybe stop using the word "gate" after every single scandle."
I agree. It's only been what, 4 DECADES now? It shows a profound lack of imagination on the part of the media. Surely the original -gate has faded from our collective memory to the point that some young people have no idea why every other scandal is called "_gate".I don't blame them. I think perhaps the media just can't let go of their golden moment in history so that every wanna be Woodward and Bernstein invoke their own half-assed "_gate".
since when is a pedestrian gate not a "main" gate? Or is it cuz the guards not recognize the powerful man?
what a minute, is the pedestrian gate guarded? if not, would it be the guards' fault for not opening the main gate? Where's the English justice system... at church?