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So within the context of that, i think what he was saying was that he didn't feel there was any need for ethnic minority soldiers to get 'extra' support because hey, fat and ginger people get picked on too. thus, if anyone does comment on a soldiers skin colour, it's not racism, it's just the macho culture of the army.
frankly, i think that's incredibly naive but, in isolation, not necessarily an endorsement of racism in itself.
however, when a comment like that is followed on by talk of some black soldiers being soldiers being lazy and crying 'racism' when criticised, that for me is when you're stepping into dodgy territory.
because it suggests that the only time racism is a problem within the army, is when 'lazy' black soldiers use it as an excuse for being slack.
for me that's the crux of the matter. if he'd accepted and acknowledged that black soldiers can encounter racism, but that conversely, some soldiers can also use racism as an 'excuse', that would at least suggest a slightly more balanced view. but like i say, he doesn't. he lays the blame for any difficulties some black soldiers experience firmly at their own door.
what's also interesting is, when you reread what mercer said, it appears he was going out of his way not to appear racist. he made a point of saying he had the 'good fortune' to command a racially mixed regiment. he also states clearly that he say those black british born soldiers as being as 'english' as white british born ones.
which leaves us with the dilemma - is mercer actually a fusty old fucker who's trying to be even handed and getting it all wrong. or is he just a racist old bastard, who's said a couple of 'right on' things (ie: they're as english as us etc) to try to soften the blow of his prejudice?
based on my own prejudices, i'd say - he's a tory, it's probably the latter!
Statistics: Posted by pol pot noodle — Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:20 pm
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Statistics: Posted by Cavey — Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:59 pm
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Cavey, Paragraph... Paragraph, Cavey.
As for the Tory twat, yes Old Etonian Tory fuckpig is an opportunist and yes, it is a strange world we live in where it's ok to be persecuted for having the hair colour of a citris fruit or carrying more lard round your midriff than is healthy but not for mentioning someone's skin colour.... BUT what was the point he was making? If he was saying that blacks use the race discrimination card to counteract any criticism's one thing but to say ethnic minorities are all lazy is plain stupid and racist.
Statistics: Posted by Bovine Juice — Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:46 pm
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Where was I? So to conclude - green journalists and politicians want you to believe that we're killing the planet to keep them in jobs and get funding. For once the scientists are being ignored? 'They are ignoring me' a scientist with a huge beard said. I get it all the time, I shouted back at the screen...Statistics: Posted by Cavey — Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:25 pm
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"But that's the way it is in the army. If someone is slow on the assault course, you'd get people shouting: 'Come on you fat bastard, come on you ginger bastard, come on you black bastard.'
"I came across a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were idle and useless, but who used racism as cover for their misdemeanours. I remember one guy from St Anne's (Nottingham) who was constantly absent and who had a lot of girlfriends. When he came back one day I asked him why, and he would say: 'I was racially abused.' And we'd say: 'No you weren't, you were off with your girlfriends again.'
"In my experience, when you put on the uniform then all differences disappear. If you are a good soldier, you will do well. If you are a bad soldier, you will leave prematurely. There is a degree of colour-blindness among the vast majority of soldiers.
"I never came across a piece of nastiness inside the battalion that was based exclusively on racism."
Sorry, I don't see that at racism.
Yes, as a politician he should have realised that would have caused a fuss, but he does appear to be speaking his mind – I thought that’s what we wanted our politicians to do.
I see it as massive opportunism on Old Etonian Tory fuckpig’s part. He wants to be seen as purging the unsavoury elements of his party but he’s coming across as a complete Nazi himself.
But the thing that really gets me is why is not OK to call someone a “black shit” but totally fine to call someone a ginger or fat bastard. Discrimination is discrimination, after all?
As I’ve consistently said, what we need in this country is a proper debate on racism and that’s never going to happen when people are shot down for saying the slightest controversial thing, as is the case here...
Statistics: Posted by matt611 — Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:23 pm
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