52% intelligent. 9% modest. More monkey than bear.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

left right left, we all fall down....



Congratulations to Prince Harry on his graduation as an officer in the British Army.

So presumably now he'll get sent out to Iraq, right?

Yeah, right.

posted by swisslet @ 22:12  

10 Comments:

  • At 10:32 pm, Blogger swisslet said…

    I'm actually a bit torn by this - on the one hand I can see that there is some merit in sending a spoiled little shit like Harry into the army. But on the other hand he's still at a distance of about a million miles from his subjects, isn't he?

    Why don't they send them to go and work for something really useful like Shelter or some other charity like that?

    Hats off to Wills for trying to do something different and taking a GAP year working for a charity and then going to university. Sadly I notice that he's now training to join the army as well.

    Maybe they should just send them all to work in Asda or something.

    ST

     

  • At 1:41 am, Blogger Michael said…

    "Why don't presidents fight the war,
    why do they always send the poor."

    B.Y.O.B. by System of a Down

    Sub out presidents for princes... and voila...

    I must admit, I was shocked and did get a bit of respect for the boy when he enlisted. Even if it was a political stunt, it still shows a lot of backbone--especially for someone who doesn't really have to do such a thing.

     

  • At 11:38 am, Blogger Threelight said…

    Why such vicious comments?

    Do you really care what he does? It's just that now the royal family are counted as "celebrities", their every move is watched, and the do-gooders come along and say, "He shouldn't be doing that". These were probably the same do-gooders who wanted the royal family to be more involved in the general public, and not as detached as in previous generations.

    I repeat, do we really care what Harry and William do. I know I don't. It shows they get involved, just like you and me.

    (Sorry if I've stepped on anybody's toes here, but it's hit a nerve!)

     

  • At 12:38 pm, Blogger swisslet said…

    I don't think I'm being vicious here.

    I disagree with the armed forces full stop. I do not see why our tax money is being spent on this - we are spending an extra billion pounds this year on defence. Why? Surely there are better and more constructive ways of using this. The health service maybe. The homeless. Education. Why are we spending it on a war in Iraq? What are we trying to achieve there?

    I object to the policy that spends this much money on the armed forces. I do not object to the people who are serving in the armed forces... that's their choice.

    What I do find odd is when the Royal family play at army (emphasised when I saw some his father poncing around at Sandhurst yesterday in full military uniform and with loads of medals and stuff). I'm sure the training has been very good for Harry and helped him grow up, but what's the long term plan here? Is it really likely that he will be sent out on active service and actually put somewhere he might be killed? I don't think so. That would be absolutely terrible PR for the government and brilliant PR for whoever kills him (unless it's the USA, in which case... not so good).

    The army are insisting that if his regiment gets sent to a combat zone, he will go with them. Maybe, but would he be put in the firing line? Would he be sent somewhere he might get blown up by an insurgent? A car bomb? A random market place shooting? No. In fact, he'd probably be a liability to the rest of his regiment just because he would make a brilliant target.

    So what's the point?

    Why am I bothered? Because as an officer in the British Army, he's paid for out of our taxes. Out of my taxes. Because if he's going to be in the army, then he should be in the army with all the ups and downs. He doesn't get to be treated any differently to anyone else. You sign up, you become subject to the whims and pointless and unjustifiable wars of the government of the day, just like everyone else.

    That's why I care.

    ST

     

  • At 12:39 pm, Blogger swisslet said…

    (and no offence taken on my part, by the way.... good healthy debate is important to me)

     

  • At 4:02 pm, Blogger Stef said…

    Michael, interesting lyrics there but I think System of a Down were pipped to the post by 30 years or so.

    "Politicians hide themselves away.
    They only started the war.
    Why should they go out to fight?
    They leave that role to the poor    "
    War Pigs by Black Sabbath. 1970

    As for the debate, I'm not bothered with Harry does, he's a useless tosser and the war is a colloquials waste of money and an affront to law and common sense. International Peacekeeping my arse!

     

  • At 4:04 pm, Blogger Stef said…

    "colloquials"?!
    Damn my spell-checker! I meant "Colossal" *blushes*

     

  • At 6:51 pm, Blogger Michael said…

    Stef: In a sense yes, but also no.

    There are a few bands/musicians that every modern group, be it intentional or not, borrows from: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Black Sabbath, and the Rolling Stones. (I probably left out a few)

    Its like saying a writer borrowed from Shakespeare, Roman/Greek mythology, or the Bible.

     

  • At 8:40 pm, Blogger Mark said…

    i hope he dies out there. and i also hope he doesn't because the Daily Hate will go batshit.

     

  • At 5:02 am, Blogger HistoryGeek said…

    Threelight - of course people care what he does. The royal family (any royal family anywhere) has always been watched...FFS the Spanish now lisp because one of their kings way back when did.

    As much as we hate it, royalty (and now celebrities such as movie stars) have a certain power. Their actions influence millions of people. Maybe not you, maybe not me, but there are people out there who watch the royal family (or any other celebrity that they feel attached to) and take to heart what they do. And the reality is that, in all likelihood, that power that he has through his birth will keep him from getting put in harm's way.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home