Comments on: The Sunday Times: Neil Heywood Was An English-Teaching Know-Nothing Nobody

By: Not exactly 007

Not exactly 007 — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:38:00 +0000

[...] [...]

By: » Channel 4′s Dispatches Documentary On Neil Heywood Is Operatic, Shadowy, And Full Of Muhhhhduh Beijing Cream

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 03:40:34 +0000

[...] Sunday Times, in its now-famous (or infamous) piece on Neil Heywood (still paywalled, but it’s here if you want to purchase), alluded to a certain Channel 4 [...]

By: PawnStar

PawnStar — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:23:07 +0000

The Sunday Times story makes it look like the Bo family got involved with the bumbling, aggressive Heywood out of naivety, and went on to tolerate him until he pushed it too far.

Also, it suggests that Wang Lijun (who has pretty unanimously been painted as a master detective) was completely fooled by Heywood’s antics.

Not saying Heywood wasn’t an idiot. Everyone knows a wannabe Heywood. But is it possible that the Sunday Times’s anonymous source is trying subtly to make the Bo family look slightly less culpable?

By: Gil (AKA FOARP)

Gil (AKA FOARP) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:23:14 +0000

However, there’s still a lot that makes no sense:

1) How did Heywood get millions into debt? School fees don’t explain it. A failed business might, but we don’t see how here.

2) People don’t ordinarily murder fools who try to shake them down for cash. Was Heywood trying to blackmail Gu? With what? An affair?

By: Gil (AKA FOARP)

Gil (AKA FOARP) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:18:31 +0000

Didn’t know Heywood and can’t say I know anyone who knew him, but we do all know chancers who turned up in the 1990′s and earlier who got into positions of influence out of proportion to their actual ability. If the version of Heywood we see here (a Walter Mitty-ish figure trading on his passport) is genuine, then it is entirely believable that he was the kind of person described here.

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:47:16 +0000

“When your friend’s husband calls making threats for money dont you think you wont immediately call you friend and ask them wtf is wrong with their husband?”

Not if Kailai and Heywood, Neil Heywood were bonking.

By: Unblogged Stuff: through her Teeth, Factions N & N+1, at the Grassroots | Justrecently's Weblog

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 09:31:27 +0000

[...] the headline Beijing Cream chose is somewhat speculative, but that’s about as true for every bit I’ve read about the man’s life and death [...]

By: marme

marme — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 07:23:41 +0000

While I am sure this story is closer to the truth I still think it is somewhere in between the spy and the idiot. He definitely was not a spy but may have been asked some questions about the family from actual spies. The things missing from this are where does his wife fit in? His wife was from dalian and good friends with Bogu Kailai so how does his wife influence things and what was her role in all this bullshit. When your friend’s husband calls making threats for money dont you think you wont immediately call you friend and ask them wtf is wrong with their husband?

By: pamanush

pamanush — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:45:38 +0000

or perhaps he was both a super spy and a wannabe laowai? lots seem to be just that. one day a nobody, the next rich on hedge fund payout, as long as you have any real info half a day quicker than the rest suckers

By: ChinnyChin

ChinnyChin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 02:35:57 +0000

“English Teacher” is shorthand for degenerate.

By: Boooooooooya

Boooooooooya — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:52:20 +0000

In British foreign office circles it’s ALWAYS the 1800s. Afternoon tea-time, specifically.

By: Boooooooooya

Boooooooooya — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:49:08 +0000

This would be worth it if only to see the Politburo’s faces.

By: The Tao

The Tao — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:44:28 +0000

One theory is that it was Bo Xilai’s first wife, Li Danyu, and/or their first son: http://beijingcream.com/2012/10/nyt-story-on-bo-xilai-classic-tale-of-love-loss-and-poison/

By: ChinnyChin

ChinnyChin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 01:34:37 +0000

Wait, so Kerry Brown considers Haywood to be a “drifter,” on account of him wearing “jeans and a jumper?” What exactly did Mr. Brown expect Haywood to be wearing? A safari suit and a Pith Helmet? It’s not as if he was wearing sweatpants, I mean, what is this, the 1800s?

“The loose creases along his trouser leg suggest a certain recklessness – not to be trusted.”

By: King Tubby

King Tubby — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:49:38 +0000

‘You don’t know their tactics’ or ‘The people who seem the most innocent can be the most dangerous’.”

Wang had his own movie running in his head.

Pretty fair estimation of Heywoood General, but explain this bit.

“Guagua, according to the source, told his mother about the emails in the presence of the Chongqing police chief, Wang Lijun, who had investigated Gu’s poisoning and become close to her.”

Who was poisoning Gu before she poisoned Heywood (after fucking him senseless of course, which is what all spiderwomen do.