Posted on 09/16/2007 4:28:33 AM PDT by gridlock
THE Red Arrows have been banned from performing at the 2012 London Olympics as they are too BRITISH.
Barmy organisers claim the popular RAF display team’s military background “might offend other nations”.
The decision has left pilots, who were set to perform their best-ever display at the opening ceremony, in a state of outrage.
One said yesterday: “We have been simply blown away by this decision.
“For years we have talked about performing a display at the Olympic Games and how magnificent it would be.
“It never crossed our mind we would be banned from the event.”
The Arrows, officially named the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, have flown at 4,000 festivals worldwide. But the Department of Culture, Media and Sport ruled last week that the jets were “unsuitable” and “not in keeping with the event as they were too militaristically British”.
The government department is running the event alongside organising committee chairman Lord Sebastian Coe. An insider also suggested the Arrows had ALREADY performed at the Olympics — by doing a fly-past when London won the initial bid.
But the pilot added: “The Red Arrows did indeed perform a fly-past. But that was 2005 and was hurriedly organised.
“We really wanted to put on a world-class display for 2012 — something incredible and never seen before. It would be a showcase of everything that is great about Britain.
“The Red Arrows are as British as the Queen and London buses.
“They’re not an expression of our military power — they’re a source of national pride. But Olympic bosses have said we might offend foreigners. It’s madness.” Yesterday the Department for Culture, Media and Sport appeared to leave room for a U-turn.
A spokesman said: “No decision has yet been made.
“We haven’t made any final arrangements for the opening ceremony yet.”
Have you ever listened to the version of the Star Spangled Banner they play at the Olympics whenever the US flag is raised? No cymbal clashes, no powerful contra-punctual bass line, no blaring trumpets, no crescendos. It is a completely neutered arrangement and does not sound the least bit militaristic. The song sounds like it is apologizing for itself all the while it is being played.
John Philip Sousa must roll in his grave.
Dear Sirs,
The news today reports that your ministry has decided to prevent the Red Arrows from performing at the Olympics, out of a fear of offending foreigners. Well, you have certainly offended at least one foreigner already.
As the son of a Royal Air Force fighter pilot who risked his life in combat to save the country from Hitler, I am furious at this outrageous decision. I had hoped to bring my children back to my father's homeland in 2012 to see the Olympics, but as long as this decision stands, my family and I will not be coming.
Britain will not see a penny of the thousands of pounds I would have spent on this event, unless some charity makes an appeal to purchase large quantities of tar and feathers for application to the hides of the despicable scum who made this decision.
I encourage everyone who feels as I do to let Lord Coe know:
And by all means, tell the government jobsworths what you think too:
Department for Culture, Media, and Sport
I am as angered by this as by anything the multi-culti nitwits in British government have ever done, and that's saying something.
-ccm
Good job. I could not convincingly say I would cross the street to see the Olympics, even if they were free, so I will have to write a different letter.
However, there have been concerted efforts to deprecate this, for example the row with the taxi drivers who were ordered by their licensing agency not to show the flag during the World Cup. Whenever the multi-culti commissars think they can get away with encroaching on the liberty in some official or semi-official capacity, they will do it.
And in some heavily Asian places, the police have supposedly told citizens who fly the flag that they will not get any police backup if their premises are vandalized. The government and media and trend-setting left wingers think that anyone who flies the flag is a closet BNP supporter.
It is undoubtedly true that there is at least the potential for more social opprobrium if you fly the Flag of St. George than there is for flying the American flag in this country.
-ccm
I thought this was a Mayan Calendar topic.
I bet China will have no problem “offending other nations” when the Olympics come to the Middle Kingdom.
Political Correctness is a suicidal disease that apparently only infects Western Civilzations (if the UK even counts anymore).
Schedule an Air Show on the same day as the opening ceremonies.
And see how much drop there is in expected attendance, LOL!
Might as well be sure HRH doesn’t attend.
She’s British too, you know....
(Well, actually, she’s a Germanic, but what the hell.....)
She’s British too, you know....
(Well, actually, she’s a Germanic, but what the hell.....)
“Sorry to bother you Old Boy and stick my head into your scrum, but thought you might want to know that Her Majesty was not entirely pleased with the purported decision..... you know, that Red Arrows thing.
She loves them, you know.... So do her grandchildren... so..... the Palace was wondering.....”
With above, problem solved in 60 seconds.
It is good to be Queen.
“...Us, too, probably....”
Probaly not. We had The Bomb. And used it twice. That put an end to all that foolishness.
We didn’t get the bomb until 1945. It could have been over for a couple of years before that.
re: Good to be the Queen!
It’s twue! It’s twue!
(Different movie, but you get the idea......)
We were a lot closer to the bomb than Jerry was. They may have known that.
The really nifty opening and closing celebrations?
(/sarc)
Sentiment OK, not sure about the language....do Americans really believe that Britons, even palace bureaucrats who act as if they live in the 19th century, still use such 1930s Woosterish slang? Only in teasing self-parody when addressing Johnny Foreigners.....
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