Politics Of Envy ?

Surely not from Oliver Kamm ?

"Even at its peak, the only people who benefited from it were those whose time was so valuable or self-importance so inflated that they could justify paying a multiple of sometimes seven or eight times the more conventional carriers. Yet while they paid a lot they didn't pay the economic cost of their tickets, which ought to have taken account of the development as well as the operating costs. Concorde was a subsidy from British and French taxpayers to the rich and powerful."

Price of everything and value of nothing ?

I benefited from Concorde, knowing it existed, occasionally seeing it flying in all its beauty, feeling good that my country had helped create it. I remember waiting for a flight at Heathrow and people crowding to the windows or going up to the roof, parents holding up their children to see it land.

Only a month ago the crowd at the Oval broke into spontaneous applause as she came in over London.

I could never afford a ticket but I don't resent those who could - was it to fly empty ?

If you want to stop subsidies to the rich why not campaign against the Arts Council or the ROH subsidy ? But then I like Concorde a lot more than opera.

This government has spent a lot of cash (fruitlessly) trying to boost the 'self-esteem' of various young people. Concorde did that successfully for two entire nations. Cheap at the price - whatever it was.



David Farrer understands.