"The UK media really has nothing much to report, does it?" she asked Bronstein. "You'd be forgiven for thinking we'd all been raptured, leaving only Westminster, Oxford and Buckingham Palace behind!"
"Well, those are teh most enduring - if not endearing - symbols of Empire," Bronstein countered. "So of course that's what the masses are interested in. Bread and circuses, and all that, you know."
The Cow sighed. "The press leads with an article about the UK parliamentary expenses scandal - a string of old Tories claiming for moat cleaning, floating duckhouses and gardening costs to maintain their 700 trees - and follows with another about the 'scandal' around Oxford's poetry professor. Who's now resigned - can you believe it?"
"It's the decent thing to have done! I wish some of those MPs would take note!" Bronstein huffed.
"Ha! All she did 'wrong' was to send the email herself, instead of having an underkick send it from an 'anonymous' GMail account! Tipping off a selection committee about your opponent's dubious past is a fine academic tradition, after all - it shows the kind of political suss and initiative that any Senate would benefit from!"
Bronstein shrugged, his eight legs sending a Mexican wave through his body. "Perhaps. But then fleecing the public is a fine Westminster tradition, too. That doesn't mean we shouldn't get all uppity and self-righteous about it and bay for blood when the opportunity arises!"
"And the Queen's invitation to the Leader of the BNP to join her for tea at Buckingham Palace? Surely the Royals are supposed to be a little mre discreet about any fascist proclivities - after all the fuss about the princeling in the Nazi uniform, you'd think they'd learn?"
"Well, I suppose bad publicity is better than none, and perhaps they're worried that the public outrage at paying for fatcats during a recession might extend towards them, if they're seen to be doing nothing?"
The Cow pondered. "With elections looming, why is no one campaigning on a republican ticket? It's all slightly different versions of the same essential policy, with no creativity at all!"
"So," chuckled Bronstein, "why don't you do something creative, and launch a Trotskyist-Anarchist Party?"
"Indeed!" cooed the Cow. "I'm always in the mood for party!"