scunnert wrote:
Is it true that the EU is the brainchild of the Bilderberg Group whose ultimate aim is the enslavement of all humanity?

Probably not.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3773019.stm

Levenax wrote:
Clare's right about the deliberate obfuscation the EU puts in the way of those wishing to find out more about how it works. One of my concerns is the lack of accountability from the hundreds of bent MEPs who screw their expenses and find it easy to do so because they don't have to produce a receipt for anything to the €Bs that have disappeared into black holes in Spain, Greece, Italy and Ireland to name but four recipients of EU largesse.
The most ludicrous thing of all of course is the shuffling between Brussels and Strasbourg. That costs €Ms every year and is just done to keep the Frogs happy. Oh, and lets's not forget that everything is translated into all these languages at huge cost. The EU should decide on one or possibly two languages to do business in. One should obviously be English because that's what the rest of the world uses and let the Frogs and the Krauts fight it out for the other.

Come on, Levenax, I aim to keep the standard of this board reasonably high and introducing racist epithets doesn't achieve that. "French" and "German", please.

TLJ wrote:
scunnert wrote:
Is it true that the EU is the brainchild of the Bilderberg Group whose ultimate aim is the enslavement of all humanity?

Probably not.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3773019.stm

Are you now, or have you ever been, a fellow traveller?

scunnert wrote:

Are you now, or have you ever been, a fellow traveller?

How could I possibly say ? They're more secretive than the Masons !!

TLJ wrote:
Come on, Levenax, I aim to keep the standard of this board reasonably high and introducing racist epithets doesn't achieve that. "French" and "German", please.

I appreciate your efforts TLJ but aren't you being a little po-faced here? The world is full of slang names for people e.g. Yanks, Limey, Les Rosbifs, Poms, Jock, Kiwi, Rooinek, Digger, Teuchter, etc etc that are harmless. Some can be offensive or can be used in a racist way but Frog or Kraut? I don't think so.

Levenax wrote:
TLJ wrote:
Come on, Levenax, I aim to keep the standard of this board reasonably high and introducing racist epithets doesn't achieve that. "French" and "German", please.

I appreciate your efforts TLJ but aren't you being a little po-faced here? The world is full of slang names for people e.g. Yanks, Limey, Les Rosbifs, Poms, Jock, Kiwi, Rooinek, Digger, Teuchter, etc etc that are harmless. Some can be offensive or can be used in a racist way but Frog or Kraut? I don't think so.

You might not think so although I do. Nor am I the only one who does.

scunnert wrote:

Scunny If that guy had been interviewing me and behaved like that I would have punched his lights out. What a rude man!

Levenax wrote:
TLJ wrote:
Come on, Levenax, I aim to keep the standard of this board reasonably high and introducing racist epithets doesn't achieve that. "French" and "German", please.

I appreciate your efforts TLJ but aren't you being a little po-faced here? The world is full of slang names for people e.g. Yanks, Limey, Les Rosbifs, Poms, Jock, Kiwi, Rooinek, Digger, Teuchter, etc etc that are harmless. Some can be offensive or can be used in a racist way but Frog or Kraut? I don't think so.

From Monty Python:

Braddon Good evening and welcome to another edition of 'Prejudice' - the show that gives you a chance to have a go at Wops, Krauts, Nigs, Eyeties, Gippos, Bubbles, Froggies, Chinks, Yidds, Jocks, Polacks, Paddies and Dagoes. (applause; he goes to desk at side of stage)
SUPERIMPOSED CAPTION: 'ALL FACTS VERIFIED BY THE RHODESIAN POLICE'
Braddon Tonight's show comes live from the tiny village of Rabid in Buckinghamshire, and our first question tonight is from a Mrs Elizabeth Scrint who says she is going on a Mediterranean cruise next week and can't find anything wrong with the Syrians. Well, Mrs Scrint, apart from being totally unprincipled left-wing troublemakers, the Syrians are also born skivers, they're dirty, smelly and untrustworthy, and, of course, they're friends of the awful gippos. (applause) There you are, Mrs Scrint, I hope that answers some of your problems - have a nice trip. (more applause) Well now, the result of last week's competition when we asked you to find a derogatory term for the Belgians. Well, the response was enormous and we took quite a long time sorting out the winners. There were some very clever entries. Mrs Hatred of Leicester Said 'let's not call them anything, let's just ignore them' ... (applause starts vigorously, but he holds his hands up for silence) ... and a Mr St John of Huntingdon said he couldn't think of anything more derogatory than Belgians. (cheers and applause; a girl in showgirl costume comes on and holds up placards through next bit) But in the end we settled on three choices: number three ... the Sprouts (placard 'The Sprouts', sent in by Mrs Vicious of Hastings... very nice ; number two..... the Phlegms (placard) ... from Mrs Childmolester of Worthing; but the winner was undoubtedly from Mrs No-Supper-For-You from Norwood in Lancashire... Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards. (placard; roar of applause) Very good - thank you, Carol. (Carol exits) But as you know on this programme we're not just prejudiced against race or colour, we're also prejudiced against - yes, you've guessed, stinking homosexuals! (applause) So before the streets start emptying in Chelsea tonight, Let's go straight over to our popular prejudiced panel game and invite you once again to - Shoot The Poof! And could our first contestant sign in please.
Cut to blackboard and entrance as they used to have in 'What's My Line'. A contestant comes from behind screen and starts to write his name.
Voice Over Our first contestant is a hairdresser from...
A shot rings out and the contestant falls to the floor. Applause.
Cut to a camp highwayman in a pink mask who blows smoke from a gun and puts it back in the holster.
Highwayman I never did like that kind of person... !

Gordon Brown admits Lisbon is finished
The British prime minister is privately ready to sacrifice the treaty rather than allow Ireland’s No vote to create a two-tier Europe

www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4139426.ece

scunnert wrote:

From Monty Python:


Monty Python was 30+ years ago. I had thought we'd matured and now showed respect for other peoples' nationalities and sexualities.

Clearly I was wrong.

TLJ wrote:
scunnert wrote:

From Monty Python:


Monty Python was 30+ years ago. I had thought we'd matured and now showed respect for other peoples' nationalities and sexualities.

Clearly I was wrong.

TLJ - the sketch was an attempt to satirize the attitudes that underly the use of racial/ethnic epithets. Clearly folks still harbour those kinds of attitudes, and resurrecting this little sketch, I thought, was a community service. However, if you are offended by it please feel free to delete the post(s). I won't be offended.

scunnert wrote:


TLJ - the sketch was an attempt to satirize the attitudes that underly the use of racial/ethnic epithets. Clearly folks still harbour those kinds of attitudes, and resurrecting this little sketch, I thought, was a community service. However, if you are offended by it please feel free to delete the post(s). I won't be offended.

A misunderstanding between us, Scunnert. Thanks for the explanation.

TLJ wrote:
Monty Python was 30+ years ago. I had thought we'd matured and now showed respect for other peoples' nationalities and sexualities.

Clearly I was wrong.

Partly, Jambo, partly.

Would you be offended if someone called you "Jock" as a generic term for a Scot, if they didn't know your name?

I've seen my job go from bloody Jurassic (when I joined, "if you don't like it, F.Off!!" through the pink and fluffy stage (where no-one speaks for fear of offending anybody's sensibilities if they happen to be listening) to the stage we are at now (Limbo - what can I say to you without you taking offence, even if I don't mean to give offence?)

Humour can be used as a defence mechanism. Indeed, I've heard some really sick statements which in normal company would be truly out of place.

But

If you're scraping body parts up, and its a coping mechanism...is it wrong?

I wouldn't call German people Krauts, French Frogs or Arabs Rag-heads, but I don't condemn. I've used some choice language in my time and some of it I'm not proud of, but it wasn't racial hatred it wasn't deliberately inflammatory.

It's a pressure vent. If you can't curse under pressure, what's left?

If TLHeartoffMidlothianSupporter is annoyed by the use of what he considers to be inappropriate epithets he's quite right to object and I'm sorry if my flippant use of same has offended anyone. The French got their nickname from allegedly eating frogs legs and the Germans from really eating sauerkraut or possibly just plain cabbage and the inhabitants of Vale of Leven got their name of Jeely Eaters because they ate jeely pieces at lunch time. I must enquire of my many friends in the Vale, the Vale, the Beautiful Vale of Leven, if they think the term Jeely Eater is insulting.