h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So sad to hear of Tony Benn's death this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26573929

I'm struggling to think of a more principled politician and advocate of parliamentary democracy. I also particularly enjoyed reading his diaries.

RIP. A man to respect what ever your political beliefs.

I was saddened to hear of his death this morning

As Icy has said a principled politician and advocate of parliamentary democracy.

A fine and decent man.

He shall be missed

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Ask h2g2' to 'Deathlist 2014 Home Page'.

He was one of the few politicians that actually understood what politics was for, to represent the people, not the politician.

I opened this conversation away from the Deathlist Game as I wanted to engage the h2g2 community on the legacy of this statesman. Was he one of a kind? Are the things he fought for dead in the modern world?

To find some faceless person has moved it back to the Deathlist forum (which most of the community do not subscribe to) is an insult to the community.

Kindly move it back.

Why? It's not a question.

The Ask h2g2 thread is there to ask a question you want to know the answer to. Really not the right place for a condolences thread.

You say that most of the community aren't subscribed to where it's been moved to, perhaps this is one of the reasons why people are claiming there's no activity on h2g2, they're subscribed to their own few forums that they use as chat rooms regardless of what they were set up for, and when they run out of things to say to each other, and all just sit there lurking, those forums seem dead. Well, here's an idea, stop just watching those few forums, stop using Ask as a chat room, and go an look at the rest of the site. And if you don't like what you find, find another site.

As for "some faceless person", you know who the people are, you've met several of them in real life too. So drop this "us and them, stick it to the man" bullshit.

Can we merge the condolence thread with the complaining about condolence thread? It's what he would have wanted

Pastey
Icy has responded to the moving this thread by saying why he opened in Ask, the spirit in which it was opened,

A thread that was opened in such a wonderful way to bring us together, to pay respect to a person like Tony Benn, discuss his life and legacy, what he and his values meant to us.

I have to say this, I can't believe you have responded to all of that in the way that you have.

It is painfully disrespectful.

I'm so sorry that it has come to this, so saddened that it is happening on this thread.

It is all I have to say. Pastey you can have a right to reply on the soap box thread because I can't bear to go any further with this thread

Disrespectful is breaking the house rules.

@swl

I got on my soapbox

Sorry to say, I can't think of any current politician who could walk in his shoes.

He was the cleverist, err, possibly only clever, person in UK politics IMO... A man of principles, integrity and who had the knowledge and inteligence to put to use within his various roles over the years in UK politics... We've got no one really much left these days, in politics, now, who's got the remotest historical and other knowledge, on politics itself, let alone other matters

Like most politicians, Tony Benn was at his most interesting when he wasn't being a politician.