I have mentioned before the fact that that very nice old man, 'Rupe', sent me a devilish clever 'magi-recording-playback-thingie' which has only taken me several months to master. Needless to say, having mastered it and recorded numerous items on it I hardly ever watch any of them! It must drive poor rich old 'Rupe' potty. However, today, having been robbed of watching an exciting 'footie' match between the two Manchester teams (and hoping thereby to see a full scale inter-Manchester riot to follow) because the ref sent off one of the players in the first ten minutes - pillock! - I decided to try and watch one of the programmes I had recorded. I chose a 'dramatised documentary' by Channel4 on the life and early death of Alan Turing. It is an irony of the gloomiest sort that the technology behind 'Rupe's 'magi-thingie' could be traced back, in whole or part, to the genius of Alan Turing, himself.
With countries as with people there are 'different strokes for different folks'. Thus, in most countries of the world, if you step out of line they shoot you. Here, in this "scepter'd Isle", we 'conform' you out of existence, and at no time did we do it better than the 1950s. Honesty impels me to confess that, personally, looking back to the '50s and my teenage years, I think of it as almost a lost golden age of safety and security. But then, I wasn't an outsider. I was a conformist. Turing's tale, which is too well known for me to retell here, shows what happened if you failed to conform. No need for the lead-filled cosh, water-boarding, Gulags or any of that, just steady, constant, unrelenting pressure by the authorities - who never failed to call you 'Sir' - until you fell back into line. This is what Turing suffered. They crushed the spirit and then the genius and finally the life out of arguably the greatest British genius of the 20th century.
The film kept repeating that Turing was the man who did more than any other to win the war. Nonsense, of course, there were others equally deserving of that sort of praise, but he was certainly up there with them. Nor, to be accurate, can the surreptitious pressures of the security services be entirely blamed. By any standards, unless you knew the man intimately, Turing was a walking, talking security risk, not just because of his homosexuality but more because of his other-worldly innocence. Alas, government bureaucracies, especiallyif they have the word 'Intelligence' in their title are often short of that very ingredient.
However, none of that excuses the lack of proper action by contemporary governments. As far as I know there are only two 'memorials' to this English genius. The first is the 'Alan Turing Way', a ghastly dual-carriageway on the outskirts of Manchester where he worked at the University. The second, set up by private funds, is a statue in a Manchester park set, appropriately, between the Univerity and a 'Gay Village'. In my view it really is time that the nation, through the government, set up a suitable memorial in central London to his lasting memory.
The Wiki article gives lots of memorials to him, in the form of statues, University buildings, and computer labs. And Gordon Brown did voice a government "apology" for the way he was treated.
But you are right. It would be great to see a statue of him in central London. A memorial to the fact that we can in this country do things brilliantly; including, unfortunately, prejudice and persecution.
Posted by: Whyaxye | Sunday, 08 January 2012 at 21:18
What did Rupe send you, and why?
He never sends me anything and he used to be Australian.
Posted by: Andra | Monday, 09 January 2012 at 00:06
For goodness sake, Andra, I explained all that in bang-up-to-date techie-speak. He sent me a 'magi-recording-playback-thingie'. Honestly, trying to get you girlies to understand high tech is really difficult!
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 09 January 2012 at 08:53
'W', yes, I meant that it was time for a national monument, perhaps outside the National Science Museum might be a suitable spot.
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 09 January 2012 at 08:58
I STILL don't know what that is.
Oh, don't worry about it.
I'll ask somebody who knows about those things.
Posted by: Andra | Monday, 09 January 2012 at 19:45
"Si monumentum requiris, circumspice".
There is actually a physical memorial to him, in the form of a rather nice slate statue, near the reconstructed bombe at Bletchley Park.
The sculptor's perspective on it is here: http://www.stephenkettle.co.uk/turing.html
I do agree, though, that a statue in London would be a good idea. On the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square for a while, maybe?
There is also a Turing home page here:
http://www.turing.org.uk/turing/
and there is a petition for him to receive a posthumous pardon here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/23526
Posted by: CJ Nerd | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 07:35
Mr. Nerd, welcome to D&N where I think you will fit in very well!
I am delighted that there are more examples of memorials to Alan Turing than I had realised - and I think the slate one is terrific. I have signed the Turing pardon petition, a futile gesture perhaps but sometimes, carefully chosen, they are worthwhile.
Andra, it's just the latest sort of Sky recorder which, being serious for a moment, is terrific not least because it's easy enough for a moron like me to work. 'Rupe' sends them out 'free' if you sign on for certain channels.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 09:32
No matter is so grave that it can't be made frivolous by some prat demanding a posthumous pardon.
Posted by: dearieme | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 10:53
By and large, DM, I quite agree with you which is why I describe it as a "futile gesture" but like all rules there are occasional exceptions - and I think Turing is one of them.
Honestly, you Jocks are so unforgiving!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 11:01
So you'd pardon Turing because he was clever enough to do sterling service at Bletchley. What about some dim homosexual who nonetheless did sterling service as a rifleman? Why no pardon for him?
Posted by: dearieme | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 17:40
Well, I suppose in a sense, they have all been pardoned already because the law has been changed and what they did then is no longer considered illegal now. So perhaps a pardon for Turing would stand as a symbol for all of them. I don't pretend that it's logical but one should never underestimate the power of symbols even if, on close examination, some of them turn out to be somewhat tatty and tarnished.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 17:49
I humm-ed and ha-ed for some time over whether to sign the petition, as I was aware that it was projecting 2011 values onto the legal system of 1954.
In the end, though, it was the sheer scale of Turing's contribution that persuaded me to override my historical scruples and sign.
Was that decision logical? No, not really. Did it feel like the right thing to do? Yes.
But it would also, IMHO, be quite consistent to disapprove of the petition yet still seek a memorial in central London.
Maybe if I win the Lottery I'll fund it.
Posted by: CJ Nerd | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 20:38
Well said, Mr. Nerd, couldn't have put it better myself - and pay no attention to DM, crusty old bugger, he's a Cambridge swot and tends to take things to their logical limit!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 January 2012 at 21:24
My personal view is that a statue should be erected near to Churchill opposite Parliament.
Posted by: Jimmy Glesga | Wednesday, 11 January 2012 at 00:27
Aha- it all makes sense now. I'm an Oxford swot, and know when not to take things to their logical limit!
Posted by: CJ Nerd | Wednesday, 11 January 2012 at 00:28
I wouldn't argue, Jimmy, although I think that outside the Science Museum might be more appropriate.
Crikey, Mr. Nerd, the intelligence quotient of this blog just went up - two Oxbridge swots. I will have to watch my step.
Posted by: David Duff | Wednesday, 11 January 2012 at 09:04