Queen snubbed over D Day

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by Paul Reed, May 28, 2009.

  1. RJL

    RJL Senior Member

    Ashman, I really can understand where you are coming from with this one. Thinking of our WW1 million Commonwealth wardead, I can't ever imagine a million young foreigners being sent to help us and to die in our fields.

    The French et al could and should do more in Afghanistan.
    However, a big however. To claim that no French soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan and "not facing the enemy with a weapon in their hands" is just rubbish and an insult to those that have given their lives.

    But all that is getting away from the point.

    (a) Did Sarko not invite HM The Queen because he wanted to snub her?

    (b) Did Sarko not invite HM The Queen because the UK Gov had been giving vibes that the 65th Anniversary wasn't such a big event and they wouldn't be indulging in any major commemorations?

    There's bound to be politics involved but I suspect that there's more to (b) than (a) in this. Only recently has the whole thing of the UK gov's woeful handling of the anniversary hit the press.
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Following this it all sounds like 'Cock-up' rather than 'Snub'...
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Following on from SNAFU, I'd like to add BOHICA and FUBAR :)
     
  4. Ashman2

    Ashman2 Junior Member

    Ashman, I really can understand where you are coming from with this one. Thinking of our WW1 million Commonwealth wardead, I can't ever imagine a million young foreigners being sent to help us and to die in our fields.

    The French et al could and should do more in Afghanistan.
    However, a big however. To claim that no French soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan and "not facing the enemy with a weapon in their hands" is just rubbish and an insult to those that have given their lives.

    But all that is getting away from the point.

    (a) Did Sarko not invite HM The Queen because he wanted to snub her?

    (b) Did Sarko not invite HM The Queen because the UK Gov had been giving vibes that the 65th Anniversary wasn't such a big event and they wouldn't be indulging in any major commemorations?

    There's bound to be politics involved but I suspect that there's more to (b) than (a) in this. Only recently has the whole thing of the UK gov's woeful handling of the anniversary hit the press.
    I apologize about the French, etal effort in Afghanistan as I wrote it in the heat of the moment. You are right about their effort but I do think all the European nations could do more. We've lost one son already, albeit not from the war, and the loss of this one would finish us.
    He is going because he believes in the cause and hopes it will make a difference in the lives of those innocent people. He leaves a wife and three children here in Canada. We hope he doesn't leave them totally.
     
  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Radio 4 is reporting that Prince Charles will now represent the Queen in Normandy this weekend. This is yet to be confirmed by the Palace.
     
  6. James S

    James S Very Senior Member

    Cock up does sound more like it , some poor guy or gal , somewhere ( behind the scenes ) is being blamed for this no doubt.
     
  7. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Yayyyyyy It was just on the news Prince Charles is going !

    And the Americans are trying to make arrangements for the Queen :D
     
  8. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    She'll go yet, and it will inflict further embarrassment on Gordon Brown. He really hasnt shown his best side over this issue.
     
  9. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    She'll go yet, and it will inflict further embarrassment on Gordon Brown. He really hasnt shown his best side over this issue.
    Gordon Brown doesn't show his best side over anything.... in fact I don't think he has a 'best side', just a 'slightly less bad side than the other one'. :unsure:
     
  10. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    Gordon Brown doesn't show his best side over anything.... in fact I don't think he has a 'best side', just a 'slightly less bad side than the other one'. :unsure:
    Agreed PP. He's not really PM material at all is he?
     
  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    I suspect he isn't long for this political world...
     
  12. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Agreed PP. He's not really PM material at all is he?

    I do not normally get involved with questions of Politics or Religion, but Gotthard thats the whole point.

    Brown was not voted into his position as Prime Minister by the Public of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    A do not know about changing expenses rules and self policing, but a major overhaul of the Whole house is long overdue, when a person can become Prime Minister by default of the current PM abdicating his position.

    Surely it is time to change this rule and insist on a General election when a PM wishes to stand down.

    I'll get off my soap box now.:D

    Regards
    Tom
     
  13. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    Of course he isn't, and never was. He even got the place having never been voted into the position by the electorate. The only way he managed to sneak in to the position was to slime his way in on the efforts of Blair and everything he has touched has turned to ashes ever since.

    In my opinion he has made his place in the history books though.... 'The worst Prime Minister ever'.

    Just my opinion you understand.
     
  14. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    I do not normally get involved with questions of Politics or Religion, but Gotthard thats the whole point.

    Brown was not voted into his position as Prime Minister by the Public of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

    A do not know about changing expenses rules and self policing, but a major overhaul of the Whole house is long overdue, when a person can become Prime Minister by default of the current PM abdicating his position.

    Surely it is time to change this rule and insist on a General election when a PM wishes to stand down.

    I'll get off my soap box now.:D

    Regards
    Tom

    You beat me to it :D
     
  15. plant-pilot

    plant-pilot Senior Member

    A do not know about changing expenses rules and self policing, but a major overhaul of the Whole house is long overdue, when a person can become Prime Minister by default of the current PM abdicating his position.

    I don't want to drag this thread too far off topic, but thought I'd mention that the main reason for that to be possible, is that in the UK we work on a system where we vote for our local MP, and the party with the most MPs gets to decide who is the leader of their party.

    In short, we vote for the party, not the leader. In the US, the final choice is for who the president will be, party political it may be, but the votes cast are for the president, not the party.

    There should be a system put in place where, if the leader of the party is changed, he/she should have to prove their mandate with the electorate. Then if things go wrong, at least we can say that the leader was voted for, not just appointed.
     
  16. mikebatzel

    mikebatzel Dreadnaught

    I would like to weigh in my opinion on the matter. Firstly, I see quite a few references to "Americans saved the day" type bull sh*t that was hammered into our heads when we where young and naive. Didn't the Brit's and Canadians land on more beaches than the US? Three to two and a halve for the Commonwealth nations (Point Du Hoc isn't really a beach and the landing there was minimal compared to other area's). But I have yet to see much mention of the "minor" nations involved, be they aircrew's or sailors, the men from New Zealand, Australia, Norway, France, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Belgium, and The Netherlands should also be represented and commended.
     
    von Poop likes this.
  17. stevew

    stevew Senior Member

    I suspect he isn't long for this political world...

    I hope you are right Paul
     
  18. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    I do not normally get involved with questions of Politics or Religion, but Gotthard thats the whole point.

    Brown was not voted into his position as Prime Minister by the Public of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.


    We have the same problem with Brian Cowen, our Taoiseach, in the Republic. He wasnt voted in by the Voters in a general election. He succeeded Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach after the latter was forced to step down.
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    The French are blaming the French tonight according to Channel Four news in a interview with a French journalist in Paris.
     
  20. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    As far as I can see no-one has decided to do the decent thing and ask the veterans, the people who should have a huge say in this, what they want. Typical politicians using an event of historical significance to further their own political ends.
     

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