Dear Sir,
I am disappointed with the reply of Padraic Lamb on behalf of the Student Union Bookstore (“In defence of a student run [sic] bookshop”, February 10th). It is clear from the onset of Mr. Lamb’s ad hominum attack that he knows little of my previous writings, as he accuses me of applying “stolid if steadfast neo-liberal fiscal ideology”.
Fiscal policy describes the practice of government spending and taxing to influence the economy. There are no instances in which I have applied “fiscal policy” to any topic, given that I am neither the Minister for Finance nor do I typically comment on macro-economic matters even by parallel. Nor would my political persuasion be strictly defined as “neo-liberal”, which tends be used in these days of big government as a pejorative. Mr. Lamb describes my solution as “risibly impractical”, although he doesn’t explain why it is not practical. Meanwhile, I have argued persuasively why it is.
Perhaps Mr. Lamb should explain his position using words as is the common practice? But he seems intent rather to not argue the issues, and instead merely attack me by association – referring to my suggestion as “American-imported” (although I am not aware of any such example?) and implying that I believe President Barack Obama to be a secret al-Qaeda terrorist. He also refers to “[my] time as an intern at [sic] neoconservative [sic] think tank [sic] in America”, and that I have “neo-con [sic] mentors”.
None of these things are true.
I only trust that your readers are intelligent enough to see the lack of clear or persuasive argument in his piece, and his paltry defense. He claims that individual employees of the bookshop paid towards the fancy meal in Trocadero, but doesn’t tell us how much. He says that it is “economic” [sic] to source books in London, but doesn’t give us any figures. He describes the expenses of the trip as “modest” but doesn’t let your readers judge this modesty for themselves.
Finally, Mr. Lamb never attacks the central thesis of my article in the previous issue. Why should all students pay for a service enjoyed by some students? For the same reason that I oppose the Sports Tax levied by the college on students, I oppose the Student Union book store. I hope they one day defend their existence adequately.
Yours etc.,
Jonathan Wyse Sch.
