News from the UK via the Mail Online reveals just how even the most intelligent human beings can be obtuse. Lord Winston’s address to the House of Lords there, basically condemning Eastern European doctors and nurses as cretins, tends to cover two schools of thought. First, bred mediocrity within aristocratic ranks is still up in the air. But secondly, logic has no place in the House of Lords, or apparently at the Imperial College London any more.
Lord Winston, a noted fertility professor and doctor, warned his fellow lords, and the UK medical profession in general, of dangers posed by Eastern European medical personel because of their lack of English language skills. According to Winston, nurses from Romania and Bulgaria pose a danger not only because they “supposedly” cannot speak good English, but because their training is different. Winston did not specifically state Romanian and Bulgarian professionals were trained poorly, but the implication seems to hang in the air. Next the good doctor will likely put the caption on the image above (Now, which medication did he order?) Sexy and stupid Eastern European medical professionals – oh boy.
According to the news, Winston went on to suggest Romans and Bulgarians do not even possess good communications skills in their native languages. The picture Winston painted of the Romanian and Bulgarian medical system, to be honest, was quite bleak. The fertility doctor carried on suggesting nurses in Romania do not even communicate with their patients. From our own experiences, Winston is full of sheep dip. My partner is Romanian, and as truthful as they come too. In fact, Romanian nurses can be quite rude and aloof, but uneducated? Not a chance. Dr. Winston apparently has another agenda.
It is difficult here not to relate personal experience, in the face of such ethnocentric and obviously biased drivel. I have lived in Germany for 4 years, know many Romanians and other multinationals, and can state categorically the average Romanian speaks better English than most Germans we have encountered. But the most damning bit of news for Dr. Winston and his colleagues is, speaking English does not a rocket scientist make.
‘It is not right for fellow practitioners to have to work with these individuals…’
Winston should have been the one acausted by the Sky Marshall in Anger Management – “What do you mean THESES INDIVIDUALS?” The really scary part of this story is not Winston’s bigotry, but the fact He was Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and a board member and Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. The spooky truth here is – Winston is quite brilliant.
Lord Winston warning students of hot Romanians - well not really - but...
Looking into Winston, his mind set, his interesting work on “How Come We Believe In God” may offer clues as to his apparent predisposition to hating Romanian and Bulgarian angels of mercy – Winston references Professor Thomas Bouchard - pointing to us humanoids inheriting God. While the theory bears investigation, particularly in light of us supposedly being linked genetically to the Lord Almighty, researchers may find in the future also, the genetic pre-disposition for being a blow hard too. Is anyone asking; “So, do the Brits HAVE to hire Romanians and Bulgarians?” There’s a missing link here!
Speaking of dangers. I wonder if anyone can gauge the negative impact of an English Lord, stomping about the halls of power, professing to the great collective mind and political body there – versus a Romania nurse or two who pissed off the good doctor? If Sir Robert actually said all this, and there is little reason to doubt actually, it is a shame and a disgrace. Not something out of the ordinary these days, but certainly a bit departed from such a scholar. I leave you with Lord Winston caught on video, with perhaps his ulterior motive in all this. We have a term in the good ole USA for people like Winston is shaping up to be – the term ends in “off” – good day.
Lord Winston image courtesy UK Parliament Flickr
About Phil Butler
Someone able to express himself in a few different languages is known as a polyglot,while someone able to express his stupid arrogance with difficulty in one language is known as a British lord!Around here,in Romania we have a saying…”The day when an ignorant idiot starts to have doubts about his/her perfection is the day when the said ignorant idiot starts to become intelligent”!!!
I’m pretty sure that the UK government make foreigners pass an English test before they can work in an official position, so I don’t really see how he can say such a thing? Anyway, I’m all for foreign nurses in the NHS, they’re usually much better looking than the English ones! :)
@Mike, As it turns out, the tests were waived some time back – another point of contention for Winston and others.
Always,
Phil