"The Philistines have taken over the museums" - TPA Talks with Theodore Dalrymple

We spoke to Theodore Dalrymple - author, cultural critic, and former prison physician and psychiatrist - in this latest instalment of TPA Talks. Drawing on his colourful career that took him across the globe and to the depths of British society, Dalrymple offers his thoughts on state bureaucracy, taxpayer-funded cultural projects, architecture, the state of university education, the NHS, the BBC and more.
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[@jonmemmott7532]

Dalrymple talks nothing but truth...

[@GreatWaterCircus]

I live in a small town in New Zealand, The local council built not one but two new libraries in my town and the larger town up the road... what is odd is these buildings are very large for a small town and yet have only a few shelves where books can be found. I asked the head Liberian where I could find a copy of Don Quixote... she replied "Donkey who?" She had never heard of Carl Jung... it gets worse ... New Zealand is throwing away 650,000 books from the National Library. Brilliant interview... many thanks

[@jayd287]

Makes sense, literacy rates are quite poor in Liberia. Seriously though, that is absolutely atrocious and a sign of the decline, we're on a the exact same trajectory here in Australia.

[@KariMelander]

Donkey who?😂

[@andrewnelson3681]

One could be forgiven for thinking that the covert intention behind this destruction and neglect, is to encourage illiteracy and stupidity, and hence, a more compliant and unquestioning populace.

[@roberthumphreys7977]

You cannot separate the bad ideas from the people with the bad ideas. Our problem is, we have entrusted all of our institutions to people with bad ideas and act surprised when these bad ideas become reality. If we want things to change, these people must go. Until good people return to the public square en masse, nothing will change for the better.

[@benmcguire4014]

I love listening to his stories.

[@hatidjesabri7326]

I know it is a huge topic but you'd be surprised how many people view the Birmingham Central library as "beautiful". They'll often come up with the mantra "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", by subjectivising the concept and accusing their opponents of being snobbish. Of course, this topic stretches back milenia, all the way back to Plato. I would love to hear Theodore Dalrymple's ideas on that.

[@philo3936]

What? You like it or not

[@BlackRain_]

It's not even a library (try studying in there - noise everywhere). It's like a supermarket mixed with a 'community centre' and coffee shop. I attempted to study in there once and there were asian tourists going up and down the escalators taking photographs of absolutely everything (bookshelves?!). One evening a woman began opera singing from the floor above me.

[@MegaMassivedamage]

Seemed a bold claim that the Philippines had taken over the museums but then I re-read the title.

[@johnjones6601]

Hahaha 😂

[@antonbajor1028]

Mi az alternatíva?

[@daveerickson9524]

You need only look at the carbuncle that was attached to the Serpentine Gallery to be in total agreement with Andrew.

[@kimberlykay130]

It is the same here in the u.s…

[@le13579]

This was a frustrating interview because you can see the interviewer is completely focused on his next question and not listening to the responses of Dalrymple and building on the discussion from there.

[@phwbooth]

The Taxpayers' Alliance is so far to the right that it almost falls off the edge.