Nigel has a comment Thursday, July 17, 2003 on the Danegeld paid by Arnold Schwarzenegger

Hans Schwarzenegger’s millionsArnold Schwarzenegger, sometime iron-pumper and latter-day Hollywood entity (one would hardly say “Thespian”) has decided he wants to be governor of California, but certain parties have discerned an obstacle — that his father Gustav, in his youth, was of a Sturmabteilungsmann (Nazi Brownshirt).

Oh dear — how to rectify this difficulty? Arnold did what all the super-rich do in such circumstances: he threw money at it. More specifically, he threw the money at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre. In addition, he put it about that he was in the process of learning Hebrew.

I’m puzzled as to why Schwarzenegger would be studying Hebrew, when to my ear, his English is in need of so much attention. Mind you, hearing George Bush speak has made me realise that in the US, being articulate in English is no requirement for high public office.

Oh, and the amount he threw at the SWC? — five million. Quite obviously lacks a sense of symbolism.

Nigel