Posted on 01/13/2005 5:47:48 PM PST by veronica
So, Prince Harry, the nightmheir to the throne, has put his intellectually subnormal foot in it again. Prince Williams half-witted half-brother attended a fancy dress party held by Richard Meade, the triple Olympic gold medallist (1968 & 1972), and his fancy dress consisted of Rommel shirt with a bright red Nazi armband on the sleeve. Oh, and he had a fag on. A veritable tsunami of bad taste.
Harry has been drawing a lot of flack for this gaff. Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag, leader of spiritual leader of the Whitefield Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, described the photo of a swastika-adorned Prince as "a most unfortunate gift to neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers." Michael Howard, leader of the Conservative Party (a fringe British political group), who is himself Jewish, said "I think a lot of people will be disappointed to see that photograph and it will cause a lot of offense."
So far, not a single voice has been raised in support of the plonker's actions. However, we at the London News Review are staunch fans of Harry and are ready and willing to mount a clumsy defence:
Our defence of Prince Harry
1. Prince Harry is sensationally stupid. Seriously, the lad is practically retarded, so its appropriate to cut him some slack. Its a small miracle every time he finds his mouth with his cigarette, so the fact that he would put on a Nazi armband and not think at any point that this might possibly be a really really wrong thing to do, is perfectly understandable. Questions must be asked of the people around him: his friends, his carers, his bodyguards. Did no one think to mention to the dribbling moron that maybe the pretty red armband with the funny black squiggle in the middle was maybe best left in the limo? Would you blame a coma victim for wetting the bed? No. So dont be too harsh on Harry.
2. The theme of the fancy dress party, thrown by famous horseman and friend of Prince Charles, Richarde Meade, was believe it or not Colonials and Natives. Oh lordy. Colonials and Natives? What the **** are these people on? What century are they living in? Colonials and Natives? It beggars belief. Why not Imperialists and Nig Nogs? Or would that have been bad taste? So anyway, a fair share of the blame for Harrys outfit must surely go to the imbecilic Richarde Meade and his appalling choice of party theme.*
3. Where did Harry get the armband? Presumably he went for advice to his grandfather, who delightedly threw open his closet doors to reveal rack upon rack of Gestapo jackets stormtrooper boots. Or maybe Prince Philip simply slipped off his dressing gown to reveal his own swastika armband, which he rolled off and pressed lovingly into Harrys upturned palm. Now off you go, you young scamp, and have fun.
4. No one seems to have wondered: perhaps Prince Harry didnt realize it was a fancy dress party? Its possible he just came on from a meeting, and didnt have time to change. In which case it is heartening to see that he has developed an interest in politics. An early brush with fascism didnt do Ricky Tomlinson any harm, so lets go easy on Harry: he may well grow out of it, and soften in his politics towards Stalinism instead.
5. Most crucially: this was a fancy dress costume. In this context, the Nazi uniform has become a novelty, a bit of fun. This is surely a good thing. It is wrong to be scared of it: if we let the taboo linger, if we draw an amazed breath when we see Harry sporting the emblem of the Nazi party, then the swastika still has its power. So much better for us to think of it as a daft (yet undeniably stylish) outfit in a fancy dress shop, hanging alongside a wizards garb, a policemans uniform and a fairy costume. To treat the swastika in this way is not in any way to deny the seriousness and horror of the holocaust, but to remove the last vestiges of power from the Nazis. Little does Harry realize it, but his wearing of the swastika is an important political statement: it is the militant trivialization and belittling of Nazism. Mel Brooks should think about finding a bit part for him in the Producers. I bet he throws a wonderful salute.
¤
*Prince William went in a skin-tight leopard costume with tail and claws: a cleverly diplomatic outfit, although one has to ask what the heir to the throne was doing attending a party which had the theme 'Colonials and Natives'. Might it not have been more politically astute to have feigned a headache, stayed at home and watched a DVD of Zulu Dawn instead?
well, most poles would not like the Teutonic flag displayed I guess
Only if this flag would be somehow anti-polish. I think that most Poles dont know too many Teutonic flags...
So this jerk claims that Poland was created by Germans and populated by Germans and later someone forced them to become Poles... It's not even funny.
For me it is quite funny. :)
Most of Poles are not so sensitive. Although my mother, when she hears German spoken in a restaurant, she leaves the place. I guess she would not like to see any German flag either.
Didn't Hermann show us this page ?
This text is far out, man! WHO EXACTLY was able to force Germans to become Poles if Poles did not exist?
It reminds me funny Galichan/Ukrainian theories about Russification of the Ukraine under the Polish/Lithuanian rule. Must be done by the same people.
I am not sure what the actual Putinists claim. My take is that Ukraine, Russia and Byelorus are in process od divergence (which maybe can be reversed to some degree) from the origial ethno/cultural unit called Rus. Rus, started in the north as Germanic tribe of Swedish Vikings organized Slavic and Finnish tribes into one society, first in the center in Novgorod then in Kiev. Then the east was conquered by Mongols/Tartars and west was conquered by Lithuanians/Poles. Later Moscow became the center of revival.
Galichan theory was fabricated in XIXc Lvov and denied Russian claim to be the continuation of Rus, at the same time Galichans framed the history of Ukraine as victim of Russian invasion. In such view the actual history of Rus from IXc to XVIIc is losing any sense. It is very sad to base one's national identity on a lie.
"Of far more impressive lineage was the Hapsburg dynasty which traces itself back to Charlemagne and beyond"
Again, no argument here. There were some wonderful, hard-working people in the German East. Many of those who survived the exodus came to the US.
However, the control of Germany by the Prussians was a mistake. Bismark was a schemer and a genius, but he hurt Germany because of his anti-Catholicism and demand to control by Prussia.
rather not
With Chechens is even more funny, they absolutely arent Russians only their land and all natural resources are ethnic Russian.
btw How do you found this article?
How does one get Nazi out of 'colonials and natives'?
The iron cross dates back to the pagans and sun worship.
You can click on the image and be taken to the British Museum, where you can read about the stele and the iron/maltese cross.
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