London 2012: Morrissey slams Olympics, royal family and 'foul patriotism'

The Smiths frontman is reliably outspoken and as Britain celebrates its Olympic success, he has launched a predictably articulate but bitter tirade against the Games.

Morrissey’s point is that the London 2012 Olympics are being used by the ruling classes to serve as a smokescreen as the country plunges into recession and cutbacks hit Britain’s vital services.

According to the Smiths motormouth, the country is being brainwashed by a misguided display of patriotism that also allows the royal family (never top of Morrissey’s Christmas card list) to boost its image.

In a letter to members of his True To You fan club, he likens the London 2012 Olympics to “the spirit of 1939 Germany”.

Here’s the full text of Morrissey’s Olympics letter:

“As London is suddenly promoted as a super-wealth brand, the England outside London shivers beneath cutbacks, tight circumstances and economic disasters. Meanwhile the British media present 24-hour coverage of the "dazzling royals", laughing as they lavishly spend, as if such coverage is certain to make British society feel fully whole. In 2012, the British public is evidently assumed to be undersized pigmies, scarcely able to formulate thought.

'As I recently drove through Greece I noticed repeated graffiti seemingly everywhere on every available wall. In large blue letters it said WAKE UP WAKE UP. It could almost have been written with the British public in mind, because although the spirit of 1939 Germany now pervades throughout media-brand Britain, the 2013 grotesque inevitability of Lord and Lady Beckham (with Sir Jamie Horrible close at heel) is, believe me, a fate worse than life. WAKE UP WAKE UP.”

Anyone think Mozza has a point?