So What About Harry Then?? [Archive]

SRENNAPS

11th Jan 2009, 17:34

I just wondered if it might have been a bit too PC for people to comment.

Lets face it nobody really knows what a racist comment is these days:

Brit is fine
Taff is ok
Jock is acceptable
Paddy is used quite often
Aussi is used all the time.

We use these when addressing these people to their face, more often than not they are our friends.

We also use:

Cloggi for the dutch
Frog for the french
Wop for the italian
Etc, etc, etc.

So just what is rasist??

Am I banned yet:=

Seldomfitforpurpose

11th Jan 2009, 17:39

Probably ignored because it's just the sort of thing that civilians lap up whilst service folk simply ignore it for the non story it is................:rolleyes:

chiglet

11th Jan 2009, 17:53

Just been "listening" to that sanctimonious pratt Keith Vaz...
When [directly] asked about "punishment", he crawled back into his shell, and said that the "Army" should deal with it......:mad:

TiffyFGR4

11th Jan 2009, 17:55

Not worth a thread or even a comment...

But I have to say...

'IF' I call a British person a "Brit", a Jewish person a "Jew", a Scotsman a "Jock", an Irishman a "Paddy", a Welshman a "Taffy", an American a "Yank",........Does that make me a "Racist"? I really don't think so!

He'll get a gentle slap on the wrist & sent home for a week of luxury & parties for his punishment...

Delete my post if "You" want...I know how some are quite sensitive on here.

P.S. I've just watch this Harry nonsense on C4 news, it spent the first 10-15 minutes about this crap, followed by; "A Royal Marine has been killed in Afghanistan in Hellmand Province"...That bit was on no more than 30 seconds, if that.....:sad::*

SRENNAPS

11th Jan 2009, 18:09

Sorry but in my opinion it is worth a comment because it is wrong that we have to put up with this.

It is a story blown up out of all proportion. It was not a racist comment, it was made among friends and it was banter.

To bury heads in the sand and say it is not worthy of comment is just an excuse.

goudie

11th Jan 2009, 18:22

Brit is fine
Taff is ok
Jock is acceptable
Paddy is used quite often
Aussi is used all the time.

Srennaps, This was exactly the line of conversation in my local this lunchtime.
How on earth can the shortening/nickname of one's national identity be offensive? As a Brit I find this, so called insincere PC, by the press all so much dire crap! And as for the sanctimonious politicians wringing their hands with anguish ............

Sloppy Link

11th Jan 2009, 18:25

Interesting (having just heard the 1900hrs news on Radio 4) that a senior Muslim also thinks it a non-story and we all should move on. NoW are clearly having a slow news day.

Cnuts

SL

SRENNAPS

11th Jan 2009, 18:27

Goudie totally agreed.

So why dont any of us actually have the balls to say so?????

dallas

11th Jan 2009, 18:41

How on earth can the shortening/nickname of one's national identity be offensive? As a Brit I find this, so called insincere PC, by the press all so much dire crap!That's a little naive - Paki is used all the time by racist scum, with venom, to describe anyone who looks Asian. What the press are manipulating is the context, knowing full well that the military are merciless in taking the piss of each other by exploiting individual differences, but releasing the story to shock (ie. sell papers), by implying Harry is somehow racist. The majority of free-thinking people will recognise it for what it is - Harry simply fitting in, in a banter-fuelled environment - for the rest it'll simply reinforce their already entrenched opinions of ruling class racism. In the mean time the Establishment have to respond with 'official horror'.

Next month they'll run a story about out-of-touch Royals, failing to relate to the common man.

air pig

11th Jan 2009, 18:52

This was filmed a long time ago, how has it just emerged now, what is the government and its media friends trying to hide.

Slow news day, i don't think so.

Pure Pursuit

11th Jan 2009, 19:06

The only culprit is the fool who handed the footage to the News of the World who, I assume is a serving officer.

Chimp.:ugh:

Nice to see SKY News prioritising this story over that of another RM KIA...

RIP.

charliegolf

11th Jan 2009, 19:21

Couple of observations:

He's 3rd in line to the train set. He either keeps his head down, or learns to apologise in the news. A lot.

Why was the film made, and who for? How's he picking his friends?

Paki isn't the same as Taffy or Jock, and it is naive to think so. Had the commentary gone, "This is my Jock mate Tam, this is my Taffy mate Dai", (Aussie Bruce etc, you get the drift) etc, then Paki still wouldn't be ok.

Like the German fancy dress issue- not a biggie in the great scheme, but not clever. And there lies the problem perhaps.

CG

animo et fide

11th Jan 2009, 19:23

Bzzzzzzzz!!

spheroid

11th Jan 2009, 19:24

The difference is that calling someone george, Paddy or Jock is because of their accent or where they come from. Calling someone "Paki" is because of the colour of their skin. The term Paki is racist and this case proves once again that the Armed forces are institutionally racist.

henry crun

11th Jan 2009, 19:36

spheroid: If I call someone from Pakistan a Paki, does that make me a racist ?

knowitall

11th Jan 2009, 19:39

"Calling someone "Paki" is because of the colour of their skin."

No, in this instance it was because He was from pakistan

i've certainly heard Ex England Cricket captain Nasser Hussain use the word paki to refer to the pakistani cricket team in an interview, and i dont recall the media throwing a fit then

althenick

11th Jan 2009, 19:45

Was told this by a uzbekistani (pardo the spelling)

The "Stan" part means land

Therefore Pakistan roughly translated means "Land of the Paki"

Therefore what Harry said could not only be racist but actually the correct term. :bored:

XV277

11th Jan 2009, 19:59

It is all down to the perception of the way the word has been used. When I was a lad in Glasgow, we referred to the local shop run by Pakistanis as the Paki shop or the Pakis. There was no offence and several school mates of mine were quite happy to refer to themselves as 'Pakis'.

Sadly, the word has taken on a racist meaning due to the it's use by the brain dead who use it as a term of abuse for any person of South Asian descent.

SkyCamMK

11th Jan 2009, 20:23

Don't forget the Ragheads! comment - a valid description?

chiglet

11th Jan 2009, 20:28

I remember a rather old saying....WOGs begin at Calais
Meaning Wiley Oriental Gentlemen......
That Prince William of Gloucester was killed in the Kings Cup Air Race umpteen years ago, flying an aeroplane registered G-AWOG...wasn't a problem......THEN:mad:

MReyn24050

11th Jan 2009, 20:33

All complete nonesense. I was taught as a child to remember "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me".

Ten West

11th Jan 2009, 20:36

YouTube - A Racist Scene From Fawlty Towers (1975) (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VcugUcHnsqs&feature=related)

Brilliance!! :D

Wrathmonk

11th Jan 2009, 20:48

And perhaps because it has nothing to do with Military Aviation. Now if it had been Flt Lt Wales then ....;)

Not even on the first three pages of Jet Blast so it must be a non-story.

14greens

11th Jan 2009, 20:54

probably not initially mentioned on here due to fact that this is Military Aircrew forum, a sub of Other Aircrew forums, on a pilots Rumour network, in otherwords a topic thats got bug**r all to do with anything related to aviation!!! So why mention it?

But! FWIW pure media hype and blowing up a nothing story in to front page news! it must be a quiet weekend in the papers eyes
Maybe thats how the said officer refers to himself!!! when he is with the blokes! has anybody thought about that
So he also said one of the blokes looked like a rag h**d in what context? What should he have not said that he looked like a Kuwaitie gent or a Saudi flipping heck get a grip

More upsetting is the fact that the story gets mentioned on five news just now before the story that another bloke has sadly died out in Afghan!!!

Brewster Buffalo

11th Jan 2009, 20:54

Isn't about time someone mentioned that war film with a dog of a certain name in it..:uhoh:

Harry is great for entertainment. Glad to see he is keeping up the tradition of his grandad.

preduk

11th Jan 2009, 20:57

Yawn! :hmm::hmm:

peterperfect

11th Jan 2009, 20:58

Don't the media seem to be using the same racial epithet rather freely and comfortably themselves today ?

I mean Harry only said it once on video on a private tape, how many times has it been said/written in the media today ? Who is causing the greater offence ??

Good point TiffyFGR4 on the fact it got 5+ mins on the BBC and a Royal Marine fatality got virtually a one-liner. Sad. Very Sad.

poss

11th Jan 2009, 21:05

I think I heard the reporters saying "theres no talk of a court marshall, yet"... talk about been blown out of context and the fact that it was before news of a RM killed is just disgusting.

BEagle

11th Jan 2009, 21:06

I do recall BBC radio who, when describing a riot in some part of Birmingham some years ago, used a somewhat unfortunate collective noun - the rioters were described as "A pack of Asian youths"......

No doubt that wouldn't get past nanny these days!

7 years ago, Geedubya also dropped a bollock by referring to "Our Paki allies". No racism intended, it was probably because otherwise he'd have referred to them as 'Pakistanians' :hmm:.

What is the politically acceptable nickname for a Chinese restaurant these days? I imagine some NuLabor idiot thinks 'Going for a Chinky' is a racist slur?

Jackonicko

11th Jan 2009, 21:21

We all know that Paki, like Nigger, is one of those words that the PC brigade have made absolutely verboten, whatever the context - even if simply using a phrase like 'nigger in the woodpile'. Using it was therefore most unwise, whether banter or not.

However, it looks like a bit of stupidity rather than anything worth getting our knickers in a twist about, and the film did show that he has a nice line in self deprecating humour.

I especially liked the faked phone call to the Queen:

"Send my love to the corgis and Grandpa. I’ve got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You . . . yeah, that’s great.”

BEagle

11th Jan 2009, 21:28

From the Grauniad, somewhat surprisingly:

Abdul Rahim remembers. Now 35, he remembers being 13 and seeing his local team, Peterborough United, play Wrexham. He was the only Asian on the terraces and recalls how self-conscious he felt when thousands of fans began chanting: "I'd rather be a paki than a taff." He never went to a football match again. More than 20 years on, Rahim, who now runs a small clothing business, wants to ensure young Asians today do not have to endure the shame he felt. Rahim wants to reclaim "paki" from the racists.

"The word has been misappropriated by the racists," he argues, "and our elders, white society and the media have allowed them to do so." We are sitting in the living room of his Peterborough home. His offices are next door. "The racists hijacked this word and the power and confidence is with them. I want that power and confidence back with us."

His campaign began by accident with an advertisement for his business. In it, an Asian man walks past a wall that has "Paki" sprayed on it. He returns a few seconds later with a spray can and adds "proud to be a" above the offensive word. The advert was promptly banned by a British-based Asian satellite channel but that only spurred Rahim to create a range of clothing.

The inspiration for the label's logo came 15 years ago when he read the licence plate of the Pakistani ambassador's car: "PAK 1". T-shirts bearing the logo are already being sold in Bradford and local community leaders in Peterborough have warned Rahim that he risks damaging race relations with his designs. To his critics Rahim is a publicity-hungry troublemaker who is creating controversy to make a name for himself and money for his business. But he denies such base motives. "Those who think I'm doing it as a business gimmick have invested so much time into this word being derogatory," he says, "that they are naturally upset if someone comes along and tells them that they have been upset for 40 years for no reason." Why no reason? "Paki is just a shortened version of Pakistani - its literal meaning is 'the pure' - so why should anyone be afraid of being called pure? A native from Kazakhstan is a Kazakh, someone from Uzbekistan is an Uzbek; so why is someone from Pakistan not allowed to be called a Paki?"

Jimlad1

11th Jan 2009, 21:31

A quick look at any Pakistan based internet forum reveals they use the word all the time to refer to each other. Any chance I can report the whole of Pakistan for being Racist?

Fg Off Max Stout

11th Jan 2009, 21:33

So something was said about three years ago, amongst friends, in private. Nobody was offended, nobody complained, there was clearly no malice involved, hence no problem. Until... some gutter rag whips up hatred, hysteria and outcry. NOTR, the BBC et al should be ashamed of themselves. The video bears no relation to all the hand-wringing hysteria.

It is heartening to see that about 90% of those who commented on the NOTR site thought the story was utter b0llocks and the remaining 10% appeared to be educationally subnormal (whoops, is that 'hate speech'?)

Charlie Luncher

11th Jan 2009, 21:55

Correct me if I am wrong and I am sure someone will!
Was it not the News of The World that falsified photographs to accuse members of the armed forces of abuse and breach of LOAC. This led to the mullahs of southern Shia Iraq to inflame their flocks at Friday prayers directly causing the maiming and death of several British subjects and innocent Iraqis. That is if I am allowed to use the term "Iraqi". Now they take the moral High ground oh come on FFS:mad:.
I have been named due to my Celt heritage for over 20 years of service, the context in which the English language is used defines whether I should reach for my tissues or pistol - always the pistol I might add it's a heritage thing:}.
Come on Blighty what has happened to that once great land, time to make a stand against the dumbing down of a country that once led the world and was proud to do so. If I was nerdy enough to get a smilie to raise the two finger salute I would, enough of this PC bollox that is ruining the once mighty UK of GB and NI. It makes me so mad I will have to go and beat my servant or one of my Sgts:\:mad::=.
Charlie sends

draughtsman99

11th Jan 2009, 22:23

Sorry guys - non pilot, non mil here but I am outraged at the BBC spending more time on a 3 year old breach of trust by whoever leaked this video than they spent on the RM KIA.
Having a mates son RM with no feelings from the nipples down, courtesy of a double stack land mine I am disgusted that so much time is spent on this imagined rascist remark.

~In Glasgow the Asian shopkeepers fear people saying 'Lets go to Tesco' more than they fear 'Lets go to the Pakis'!!

TiffyFGR4

11th Jan 2009, 23:42

"Calling someone "Paki" is because of the colour of their skin. The term Paki is racist and this case proves once again that the armed forces are institutionally racist".

So, calling a Pakistani a "Paki" is "Racist"...Just because the colour of their skin? Ok....When I was at school I had a good friend, a Pakistani, a few times he called me a "Brit", and some others have too, I'm caucasian, I'm a Brit, so does that make theirs comments "Racist"? Even if it was just friendly chit-chat?...

We now live in a time where it's "Wrong" to say such things, for example, I'm sure some of you have seen the "Only Fools And Horses" episode where Del-Boy got a hold of a lead nuclear full out shelter, built it up & stayed in it for a couple of days, Rodney says: "What if a bomb does drop and we go out to see that everythings gone, where do we get food?". Del-Boy replies: "Theres bout to be a little paki shop open somewhere". (Script went somewhere along those lines anyway, but I'm sure a lot of you have seen it). At one time, when that episode was on TV, you used to hear him say that, but now, that short scene is cut from the show.....I mean, when my nieces went to nursery, they weren't allowed to sing "Ba-ba black sheep" because the school thought, "It was wrong". (For obvious reasons) I'm not kidding!

It's got to a point where it's just gotten really silly, childishly silly...Like this Harry nonsense, the way the news papers, TV news etc are reacting, you'd think he'd committed mass murder or something.

Just a thought, the Dam Busters hasn't been on TV for quite a while hasn't it? I wonder why? :rolleyes: There you go, something aviation related....

Low Flier

11th Jan 2009, 23:58

43 posts so far. All apparently approving of the use of the words "Paki" and "Rag head" to describe or annotate a fellow human being.

That should be taken into account before the little prick apologises for his background. He didn't know any better.

At least, this time, he was blurting his racist thoughts in uniform -- a uniform other than that of the Africa Korp. This time.

sisemen

12th Jan 2009, 00:13

Wow. What side of the bed did you get out of this morning Low Flier?

It's a good job that Harry isn't a member of this illustrious web site (as far as we know) because he would be permanently banned for the use of the term r*****d.

Anyway, I think that the main point of all this has been missed. Where is the opprobrium for the little wank*r that decided it would be a good idea to sell the clip to the media. Where does this little ****e fit on the list of Harry's friends now? Hopefully, he is being shunned by society as we speak. Perhaps he became a banker after leaving the services. :yuk::yuk:

A POM

kaikohe76

12th Jan 2009, 00:39

Henry Crun,

Unfortunately in to days ever so politically correct Armed Services, the answer is most likely YES. Surely this must say a great deal about the so & sos at the top who are running the UK Military at present. Personally I think one Corporal & a couple of foot soliders could do a dammed sight better job, those presently in charge are basically pathetic.
Wonder what Monty would say??

Two's in

12th Jan 2009, 01:11

The Army and ARRSE Admin (Bad CO) in particular take a slightly different and more preferable view of all this;

William and Harry
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:07 pm

I'm a dyed in the wool republican so this isn't been done because I'm a big fan of the monarchy. However, as members of the Armed Forces, the two princes are as entitled to the same confidentiality that we would afford any other serving soldier or officer. Any 'leaking' of information or gossip about the princes with regard to their military careers will be ruthlessly deleted, and the miscreant poster invited to commune with the mess Mk VI .455 Webley.

AA SLF

12th Jan 2009, 02:19

God Save Britain if "Low Flier" is representative of your Country.

This whole story is a big to-do about nothing. Sad Sad Sad that it is even on the news, especially BEFORE a comment on your dead RM!!

Wensleydale

12th Jan 2009, 06:48

AA-SLF

Low flier does not represent my country - his location is down as "Caledonia" so he is probably a Jock who are more anti than Pa.... oops, those persons of Asian origin to the North West of the Indians.

tucumseh

12th Jan 2009, 07:06

Did he call him "a Paki", or did he address him as "Paki". Both have been "reported". World of a difference if the gentleman in question accepted the nickname.

Interesting to know what his troops called HIM. Heinrich?

There's only one Packie Bonner.

Blacksheep

12th Jan 2009, 07:18

Those who have never served or experienced comradeship can't understand the ways of those who do (or did). I'd never refer to "Louse", "Plonk", "Cassius", "Face", "Rastus", "Pug", "Wingnut", "Beaky", "Squirrel" or "Titch" by their familiar names outside the closed community in which we used them. The furore is about a film that was an invasion of privacy - not just Harry Wales's(or Windsor's) but of the whole unit of which he was part at the time.

BS aka "Peanut"
or at other times, "Pommy Bastard" "Brit" and "Orang Puteh" - all potentially racially offensive but still in common use.

taxydual

12th Jan 2009, 07:25

I am surprised that no-one has contacted Harry's fellow Officer Cadet Ahmed "Ah, our little Paki friend", (Harry's words, not mine), to gauge his thoughts on the matter. After all, Ahmed is the only guy that has legitimate grounds for complaint.

It seems someone in the journalist world has see sense.

Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/iain_martin/blog/2009/01/11/harry_circus_shames_journalism)

Maxibon

12th Jan 2009, 07:58

Low Flier sounds like a bit of a cauc (asian):}

ShyTorque

12th Jan 2009, 08:14

Having myself borne the term "Gweilo", which means "white devil" during my years in the far east, with good grace and humour, I would say that in view of the filming taking place and the predatory nature of the Brit(ish!) media, the comments of young HRH were ill-advised but not racist.

Just don't call an Indian a Paki....or a Brit a Jock. :ooh:

barnstormer1968

12th Jan 2009, 08:18

I heard about this story while I was out walking, and then could not wait to get home, as I just knew it would turn out to be a non story!

As Beags alluded to earlier, saying paki is only offensive in the UK, and In America (famously George Bush shown on UK tv with no outcry) it's the norm, when referring to Pakistanis.

I think one of the reasons folk get upset about the word (possibly correctly) is that most UK Asians will be from Bangladesh or Indian, but that,s a different issue.

Anyhoo, my original reason for posting (coming from a green background) is the bizarre lifestyle of the British military, where prince Harry can be in trouble for even saying paki, but would be perfectly fine if he (in the call of duty) stuck his bayonet into the rib cage of a total stranger, twisted it to break said ribs, and puncture the unlucky chaps heart, killing him.

Now, referring to the above, imagine the possble headlines:

The prince does his duty as a hero

Or (if he said the P word while doing it)

Rasist prince

It's a funny old world, and I guess some folks will be bothered by the story (possibly middle/upper class white British), and some will not care less. But then any ppruner who has been in the military, and now is a civilian, will probably be very aware of how the majority of the public just have no idea of how military life is so very different from the average 9 to 5 civilian job.

FJ2ME

12th Jan 2009, 08:34

Charlie Luncher,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but you are indeed wrong. The story to which you refer was published in the Daily Mirror, a fact corroborated by the slime-ball Piers Morgan losing his editorial post over the matter. Incidently, the same slime ball masterminded and presented ITV's Best of 2008, giving an award to the British Armed Forces, in conjunction with Gordon Brown. I suppose the pair of them can sleep better at night now that the young Army Private has a glass trophy rather than both his legs and both his arms...

And to haul it back on-topic. This is a non-story. The vast majority of the comments from the World's public on the Youtube post support the notion that this is not a big deal. Move on I say.

EnigmAviation

12th Jan 2009, 09:42

A bit misinformed on call sign - it was G-PWOG

thunderbird7

12th Jan 2009, 10:52

Crikey! And I thought this was an aviation website!

barnstormer1968

12th Jan 2009, 11:09

I suppose the pair of them can sleep better at night now that the young Army Private has a glass trophy rather than both his legs and both his arms...

Very hard hitting comment.......Kind of puts this whole thread in perspective

Blacksheep

12th Jan 2009, 12:12

...or a Brit a Jock.Unless he IS a Jock - or the Union has been repealed while I wasn't looking...

BTW, what we are missing here is that it is the British soldier of asian ancestry's father who is complaining - and he's a Pakistani residing in Pakistan where it seems that Paki IS after all, a term of racial abuse.

I note that the Bangladeshi fellow who runs our local corner shop doesn't seem too concerned about us calling the cheap rate telephone cards "Bangla cards" - in fact some brands actually have those words inscribed upon them. :rolleyes:

RODF3

12th Jan 2009, 12:41

Air Chief Marshal Sir Graham Eric Stirrup GCB, AFC, DSc, FRAeS FCMI RAF (born 4 December 1949), commonly known as Sir Jock Stirrup, was a fast jet pilot and is now a senior Royal Air Force commander. He was Chief of the Air Staff from 2003 to 2006 and he is the current British Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).

With a nickname like that he must have grounds for compensation after being racially abused for so many years!:\

brakedwell

12th Jan 2009, 12:54

I'm a honky and I don't care if they call me Chalky!
Anybody remember the fuss about the Robertson's Gollywog logo?

sitigeltfel

12th Jan 2009, 13:20

The BBC gave a platform yesterday to the musician and activist Aki Nawaz who performs in a group called Fun-da-mental. Nawaz called for Harry to be punished for his "racial slur" and dismissed from the Army.

Just so you know where Nawaz is coming from, here are some lyrics from one of his songs..........

"I've packed up my ingredients stacked up my laptop / downloaded the military cookbook pdf / elements everyday chemicals at my reach / household bleach to extract the potassium / chlorate boiling on a hot plate with hate / recipe for disaster plastic bomb blaster / i mix up 5 parts wax to vaseline / slowly...dissolve in gasoline / add to potassium in a large metal bowl / knead like dough so they bleed real slow / gasoline evaporates...cool dry place..."

Well done, the BBC :D

Storminnorm

12th Jan 2009, 13:41

I reckon all this crap has come about because Ahmed's dad
didn't like his son being referred to in those sort of terms.
Let's face it, Snobbery and "Knowing your position in Society"
is of Paramount importance in Asian culture, and having your
son referred to as a "Paki" when he is obviously bound for a
glittering future is a real bummer.
Even though he is a Paki. Born and bred.
He should NOT have told his Dad! Dad's the one that got ANGRY! :ugh:

goudie

12th Jan 2009, 14:00

The irony of this latest sh!t fest by the press is that the so called forbidden word 'Paki' is all over the pages, both hard copy and screen.

saudipc-9

12th Jan 2009, 14:23

This whole issue is a complete waste of time and now I've wasted a few minutes of my time writing about it.:zzz:

Storminnorm

12th Jan 2009, 14:39

I agree. Load of tosh!

peterperfect

12th Jan 2009, 16:57

SilsoeSid,
I concur with you, which part of Jannerstan do you hail from ?

Whossat Forrus

12th Jan 2009, 17:04

Don't who the turd is who gave it to the NoTW in the first instance but if I was him I wouldn't turn my back on my own side in a firefight.

exscribbler

12th Jan 2009, 18:53

Exactly! Whoever gave that film to the W*ankers' Weekly should be out of the Army tootsweet. The chances are that the identity is known and whoever it is should be down the Job Centre fairly soon. To think that a Cavalry Regiment has bounders like that among its ranks!

What really made me nearly puke earlier today was watching some smug self-satisfied smirking overweight to**er of a former NoW editor taking the moral high ground and saying that Harry should apologise at greater length. In my view what H should do is to get off back to Afghanistan and invite the journos to hear his apology at some FOB - that should separate the men from the boys...

I can't wait to hear from the Pakistani OC himself; the NoW is outraged and his father definitely upset but how does the butt of the joke feel about it? So far he's maintained a dignified silence - let's hope it'll continue.

Demands that H be dismissed from the Army are just so much hot air - they're annoying but ultimately about as important as last week's TV schedules. Let them pass and just marvel at the idiocy and desperation for notoriety of them and those who would give them a platform.

Yes, I too noticed how much air time this Paki business got today - the Royal killed in Afghanistan got scant coverage. B*stards.

TiffyFGR4

12th Jan 2009, 19:23

"Anybody remember the fuss about the Robertson's Gollywog logo?"

Yeah, I remember that. A few years ago I worked on doing deliveries around the north east of England blah blah blah, my driver, very good friend of mine, had a Gollywog, one of those badge, pin ones, about 2 inches long, he had it pinned onto the sun viser on our delivery van. Our gaffar seen it once & told him to take it off & get rid of it because it was "unacceptable"......But it was okay to have a similar pin badge of the clown from Mcdonalds....

What a world we live in, e'h...

pontifex

12th Jan 2009, 19:42

The Robertson Golliwogs story reminds me of the supposedly true one about Idi Amin. Seems he threatened to remove the Queens head from Ugandan postage stamps. F&C office response was that, in that case we would be force to remove his portrait from our marmalade

Ali Barber

12th Jan 2009, 20:22

After Anne Robinson's comments in the past, I thought it was only the Welsh we were allowed to be racist against.

NutLoose

13th Jan 2009, 00:28

you tell em Sid :ok:

sitigeltfel

13th Jan 2009, 08:34

The videos showed him to be a poor role model ...............he smokes! :=

capewrath

13th Jan 2009, 09:20

Pilotinmydreams

13th Jan 2009, 09:34

I've not had the chance to read every post on this thread so apologies if I repeat something.

This story was total arse. I'm not in the military and never have been but i've read enough to know that military life is very much about taking the piss and that kind of language is used all day, every day by people as part of the friendly banter. I'm not a royal fan to be honest but this really was sensationalist rubbish.

Another point that I have to make... I was discussing this with my wife last night and she told me that at my 2 year old's play school they're not allowed to sing Baa Baa Black sheep. It has to be Baa Baa PINK sheep for f*** sake!. Also a black board is no longer a black board, it's a bloody chalk board! When will it end? Interesting to note that a white board is still called a white board though :ugh:

rogerk

13th Jan 2009, 09:55

Wasn't it the Ugadan Embassy who tried to get the pigeons removed from Trafalgar Square ??
Said every time their staff walked across the square the pigeons took the p***
by walking round in circles calling out "look atacoons look atacoons"
:=:=:=

exscribbler

13th Jan 2009, 09:57

Mrs Ex has a ancient, well-thumbed and -loved copy of "Little Black Sambo" which, many years ago, her mother would read to her and her sister. Now I've confessed to having a copy, no doubt the PC brigade will be round for a ceremonial book burning. Shades of Germany in the 30s. God help us for assuredly no-one else will.

Low Flier

13th Jan 2009, 10:42

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01237/matt13012009_1237638a.gif

ANW

13th Jan 2009, 10:47

In simple basic broad terminology, the Arabic world and its muslim neighbours place the letter 'i' at the end of the abridged country of origin, to denote a citizen of that country so, for example, we have Omani, Iraqi, Kuwaiti, Irani, Saudi, Qatari, Bahraini, Yemeni, Somali, Uzbeki, Bangladeshi etc, even, dare we mention it in the same sentence, Israeli. The 'stan' means land/country. Removing the 'stan we have the endings Paki - land of the Paki people and likewise for the other 'stans.

A Bangladeshi (formerly East Pakistan) will most certainly object to be labelled, inaccurately, as a Pakistani. Just as any Scots man could object to being labelled English in a broad sense. British??? I do not use the term 'British' nowadays, as this is used to describe the new-age mixed bag of individuals, who couldn't give a damn about the past centuries of 'British' achievement and heritage. Remember Norman Tebbit's cricket test?

I'm surprised no one who has seen the footage has commented on Harry smoking ........ doesn't he know it could endanger his health. I'm shocked to learn that the British Army permits soldiers on active duty, in hot-spot war zones, to smoke. Shocked, yes shocked! The Army is clearly failing in its duty of care to our servicemen and women. :*

evilroy

13th Jan 2009, 11:37

All I will say is:

Onya Harry!

AR1

13th Jan 2009, 13:00

I'm not articulate - being a 'Woolyback' - so I'll let Dominic Lawson from the independant write it for me..

Dominic Lawson: Prince Harry and the cowardice of those on the political front line - Dominic Lawson, Commentators - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-prince-harry-and-the-cowardice-of-those-on-the-political-front-line-1332031.html)

S'land

13th Jan 2009, 13:29

Comments such as this are made in civilian life, not only in the military. Some years ago, when I lived and worked in Italy, I arrived at work on my birthday to find a very large poster on my office door saying "Happy Birthday Englander from the Wop and the Kraut". This was put there by an Italian and German colleagues. They had no problems with using non-PC words as long as they were not used in an offensive way.

Is it not time that the British press got off the lads back? At least he is trying to make a contribution to the UK, and no I am not a Royalist.