Saturday 21 June 2014

Pope Francis vs Renton

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/20/pope-francis-dont-legalise-drugs

I think the new (and generally fairly groovy) Pope Francis has been reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. Compare the Pope's speech to the International Drug Conference:

"I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion – no to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that … But to say this no, one has to say yes to life, yes to love, yes to others, yes to education, yes to greater job opportunities. If we say yes to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction."

With the infamous heroin justification speech delivered by Renton in Trainspotting:

“Choose a life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... Choose DSY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit crushing game shows, stucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away in the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself, choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?”  

Notice a certain similarity in logical structures and theme?