It says a huge amount about the confidence of the royal family, that they feel able to respond to their Nazi home movie with nothing other than outrage that anybody should see it. They make no denial they were giving Nazi salutes, no statement that the royal family did not support the Nazis. Of course the young children had no idea of the implications. But the adults most certainly did. The missing figure is the cameraman, future King George, who was filming his wife and brother displaying the family sympathies.
The royal family were of course German themselves – completely so. Since George I every royal marriage in line of succession had been conducted in strict accordance with the Furstenprivatrecht, to a member of a German royal family. The Queen Mother, who was of course not expected to feature in promulgating the line of succession, was the first significant exception in 220 years. She was evidently trying hard to fit in. But I am not sure German-ness has much to do with it. Nazi sympathies were much more common in the aristocracy than generally admitted. Their vast wealth and massive land ownership contrasted with the horrific poverty and malnutrition of the 1930’s, led the aristocracy to fear a very real prospect of being stood against a wall and shot. Fascism appeared to offer social amelioration for the workers with continued privilege for the aristocrats. It is completely untrue that its racism, totalitarianism and violence was unknown in 1933-4. They knew what they were doing.
Happily fascism was defeated. The royal family is of course only the tip of the iceberg of whitewashed fascist support – without even starting on industrialists, newspaper proprietors, the Kennedys, etc. etc. But the Buckingham Palace option of outrage that anybody should ever remember is very sad – still more sad that such a position gets such popular support.
We never did get round to shooting the aristocrats.
I am an optimist in politics. My experience of life has taught me that altruism is a far stronger human urge than selfishness. Modern political fashion is based on the denigration of the urge to cooperation, and I do not believe will survive.
Which leads me to believe we are now living in an embarrassing past. Future generations will look back at the massive and exponentially expanding gap between rich and poor, at the super state security services and near total surveillance, at the violent wars waged in ill-disguised annexation of resources, and be amazed that people could support it. I also think that enormous shame will attach to all those who support the excruciatingly slow genocide of the Palestinians. That will be part of our embarrassing past.
Mary, I’ve no idea what your musical tastes are, but here’s a piece by Fairport Convention, from 1969, called ‘She Moves Through The Fair’…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb43-Q70olM
It’s based on a very old folk song. Probably one of the most well known recent versions of it was by Simple Minds, called ‘Belfast Child’…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vhhTvcLoRw
RobG you really need to up the level of your game in music:
Auld Lang Syne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfarJuLT-Cs
and generally, if one may observe!
“He means beach volleyball. That’s the game played at the Limp Ics by athletic young women wearing bras and pants being watched by pervy men.”
And what’s wrong – as in “pervy” – about that? It’s “perverted” to appreciate the display of skill and athleticism by very fit women – how? Unless, of course, any male still able to pump red blood cells around the system is, ipso facto, “pervy”.
Ben: “They call a Beemer a Hog across the pond? Something lost in the translation. Norton or Bonney would be closer.”
They just call them Harleys here, as a rule. Usually rode by fat, slow old bastards who ride around in gangs that like to think of themselves as incredibly alternative, while in actual fact being the most conformist people imaginable. Have to wear the same expression of aggressive non-interest, smoke their fags the same way, drink the right type of beer, wear the right clothes, observe the hierarchy diligently, hold exactly the right prejudices, all be white, male, well past their prime, under-exercised but assuming a non-deserved aura of toughness… you get the picture, I’m sure.
Not saying Ba’al is anything like this – of course. But his bike, at 0-60 in about 4 seconds, is miserably slow compared with the Japanese alternatives he sneers at. (My FJR could do it in about half that time, for instance). No wonder he gets stuck behind cyclists, horse-and-carts, tractors and so on all the time.
“He’s probably had a surfeit of retsina today.”
Excellent advice for anyone wanting to give even “armchair support” for Greece 🙂
Incidentally, it strips plaque off the teeth very efficiently. A month backpacking in Greece and imbibing liberally of retsina, will easily save a visit to the dentist for a clean & polish.
Glenn, perhaps enough of the facile crap..?
This isn’t the Daily Mail.
Ah c’mon RobG – we don’t have to be poe-faced the entire time.
Here, RobG – maybe this will cheer you up:
http://arctic-news.blogspot.co.uk/
And particularly this:
http://guymcpherson.com/2015/07/near-term-habitat-loss-for-humans/
*
Incidentally, The Sixth Extinction by Richard Leakey was published back in 1995, and I thought it pretty worrying then (to say the least). A full twenty years later, some people (not the brave denialists, of course!) are starting to talk about the Sixth Extinction as if it were suddenly a new concern.
It appears that the imminent demise of the human population carries far less general interest than celebrity gossip, sports events, or a breathless fascination with the personal lives of the billionaire class.
The species has amused itself to death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUbxZHQcOTs
To all those armchair internet warriors who wish to make a Real difference and have Jeremy Corbyn elected as LABOUR Party Leader. For the price of a beer/£3 you can get to vote and make a real difference.
We have to make a start to reclaim our rights as citizens.Jeremy Corbyn may not tick all the boxes as a replacement for the present bunch of shysters of the Tory Party.
But he does stand head and shoulders above all the other Labour candidates for the Leadership.
Here is the means to support Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour Party Leadership. i am in.
http://www.labour.org.uk/w/labour-party-supporters
Robbo
“And of course you make no mention of the fact that in Greece it was New Democracy and PASOK, who are pretty much Greek versions of the Tories and New Labour, who racked-up all the debt.”
____________________
Closer reading required from you, Robbo.
I have on several occasions mentioned that the spend as if there will no tomorrow started decades ago: I should pinpoint the beginning at roughly 1981, coinciding with Greek accession to the EU and the first PASOK govt. Only a fool would lay the blame on the new, only months-old SYRIZA-led coalition.
But it is true that SYRIZA, with its false election propsectus and its attempts to reverse some of the few remedial actions undertaken hitherto by previous govts has contributed to a worsening of the situation both in economic and pyschologica terms.
Nevermind
Sorry, not into jazz, but both my dad and his mum were. Tory Ken Clarke would give the kiss of death to anything, like Dominic Lawson and chess.
I’m in too, Salford Lad.
Come on everyone – vote for Corbyn!
” … has contributed to a worsening of the situation both in economic and pyschologica terms.”
I will take that statement from the shill as a straight lie, reverse it and conclude that Syriza has given hope to the people of Greece, and stress to the EU bankers.
Stop stalking, Habbavile. Unless in addition to being already paralysed from the waist up , you want to get paralysed from the waist down.
And SYRIZA still has not got around to making rich Greeks pay tax.
Miss Costello, 22 Jul, 2015, 11.47 a.m. above:
http://tapnewswire.com/2015/07/how-the-scottish-referendum-was-rigged/
If this story proves to be correct, we need to demand a fresh election for the whole country, because the whole process of democratic elections in the UK will have been put into question.
In the May election, we were told that UK youth put on a spurt of enthusiasm for political participation and voted in the cool Tories against the wishes of those who had lived through the dark days of Thatcherism.
Total rubbish, but MI5 obviously exploited the extreme cynicism of the 20 – 30 year-olds and fixed the election through the postal vote. Only moron automatons or MI5 would vote for the Banking class who destroyed the global economy.
Sorry, moron automatons and MI5 are one and the same.
Not saying Ba’al is anything like this – of course. But his bike, at 0-60 in about 4 seconds, is miserably slow compared with the Japanese alternatives he sneers at. (My FJR could do it in about half that time, for instance). No wonder he gets stuck behind cyclists, horse-and-carts, tractors and so on all the time.
2.8 secs isn’t half of “under 4”, Glenn. And I’m being honest. Mine is capable of 3.5, and I’m giving away 300cc and 50 bhp. Save your scorn for someone who can afford your insurance (and regular chain replacements). Each to their own, eh? (c**t.)
Still, you’re absolutely right about Harley riders. Agree completely. If you get a nod from one in passing, you can be absolutely certain that it belongs to his mate* and he rides a real bike, like a Honda 125, normally. Harleys are marketed specifically at people who are pathetically easily impressed and terminally up themselves.
*Not sure if HD people actually have mates…
Oh, and I was sneering at the HD knockoffs*, not generic Jap stuff. Mine’s Jap, and I love it to bits. Just to clarify.
*See Virago, etc. Not that they’re as awful as H-D.
How is Tsiprias going to turn around a Greek tax evasion tanker sailing at full speed away from Greece, Tim? in two weeks flat.
I’m, sure he has got plans, but without tax evasion supporters such as Osborne, undermining and frustrating talks on regulating offshore havens, nothing much can happen, He can’t get his hands on money that is parked in the Turks and Caicos.
Osborne, and his refusal to change the fat cat regime in the City of London, has done more harm to Greece than any German Government negotiating bail outs, he is not in there negotiating to change Greece’s lot, he’s here selling them properties at vastly inflated prices, ensuring that their wealth is very likely being banked with the City’s tax evasion specialists.
I think leaving Europe has more to do with off shoring than anything else, Britain has steadfastly refused to change, it has opposed the Tobin tax and regulating the City of London corporation, hallo, your taxes have just been slashed, again, and nothing is going to change from this 23%ters in Government.
In India the older Harley Davidson is a beautiful work-horse, not a rich person’s fashion accessory. This year my daughter rode 2000 kilometres in India on a moped but she won’t tell me where it is.
The species has amused itself to death.
…..
…..
…no…
… I can’t improve on that.
I ignored it Ba’al, I can’t be fazed by speed, it is so overrated, although it does wake you up in the mornings doing the run to work in a jiffy.
My friend in germany bought a brand new Harley, was all prim and proud of it, he rode it for two weeks and then the badly manufactured bits inside went awry, his valve seats were unpolished left in the raw machined state, the tolerances were out on one of the cylinders, so, being an engineer, he took the whole thing apart, re machined the all internals on the bike, including the crank, re-hardened it, put the whole lot together and rode it for another month, then he got rid of it, running better than of new.
He now rides a British Classic, a Norton domi that performs and does what it says on the tin.
In India the older Harley Davidson is a beautiful work-horse, not a rich person’s fashion accessory.
We’re indebted to India for preserving the Royal Enfield Bullet, and indeed improving it considerably. Unless it’s for pulling a plough, I can’t imagine why anyone would prefer a Harley to the Bullet. Prejudice, probably – my first bike was an RE. It came with a free oil leak as standard.
I can’t be fazed by speed, it is so overrated, although it does wake you up in the mornings doing the run to work in a jiffy.
All relative, isn’t it? A (derestricted) RG125 on a twisty Highland single-track road is just as much fun as anything of any size, anywhere. And that’s a promise.
Habba plays beach football.
He doesn’t. He lives in Wolverhampton and plays video games.
Miss Costello, 22 Jul, 2015, 11.47 a.m. above:
I see Charles Reppke, a longstanding A&B personality who is Head of Governance and Law for A&BDC, has put his name to that well-researched report. This isn’t in any sense nationalist sour grapes, and there is enough fact offered to demand investigation.
That agreed, you do have to apply for a postal vote. And this suggests that you have the intention to vote. So a high PB turnout wouldn’t be unexpected. There’s a psychological aspect too, perhaps: Yes voters, on a wave of pizazz and collective optimism, might well have been more likely to vote in person, while Noes would be rpelled by the party atmosphere. It would be interesting to find out if the various No groups advised their supporters to vote by post, too.
The prior knowledge of the PB trend by the interested parties is, however inexplicable without dirty work at the crossroads.
The latest Corbyn attack dog is John Mills the JML millionaire, NuLiebour donor, brother of David Mills and hence brother-in-law of Tessa Jowell.
Labour donor: Jeremy Corbyn win could cause SDP-style split
John Mills, one of party’s biggest benefactors, says wealthy supporters could withdraw backing if leftwinger wins leadership election
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/23/jeremy-corbyn-win-could-cause-sdp-style-labour-split-says-donor
Yet Jeremy Corbyn rises above the threats and slurs.
‘Asked about the criticism, Mr Corbyn told the BBC: “I think politics should be conducted on a comradely and friendly basis, and if people disagree with each other then say what they disagree on, and let’s keep these silly remarks to themselves.”‘
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33646068
Milburn the capitalist and NHS privatiser has joined the attack.
“The prior knowledge of the PB trend by the interested parties is, however inexplicable without dirty work at the crossroads.”
The greatest dirty work at the referendum was that tax payer funded work of fiction the White Paper.
Meanwhile we have an election next year which should be being fought on the SNPs record in government which is as how you look at it abysmal:
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/features/the-snp-has-failed-scotland
http://www.globalresearch.ca/scottish-national-partys-anti-austerity-hypocrisy-exposed/5463256
http://www.globalresearch.ca/scottish-national-partys-anti-austerity-hypocrisy-exposed/5463256
Yet they are instead winning votes by promising the Nationalists a second referendum.
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/snp-msp-calling-for-indyref-in-campaign-literature-1-3839754
It’s time for Scots who genuinely do care anything about their country to stand up to the SNP before they destroy it.
Third link above should have been:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/07/23/the-snp-has-done-for-scotlands-landscape-what-isis-have-done-to-palmyra/
‘Stand up’ as in, get back in your box and let Westminster ‘run’ Scotland?