Posted on 08/26/2014 3:51:25 AM PDT by Fenhalls555
British diplomats in Washington are apologizing for Twitter posts that made light of the 200th anniversary of their troops torching the White House in the War of 1812.
The apologies were prompted after the British Embassy posted a picture Sunday of Patrick Davis, deputy British ambassador to the United States, with a caption saying he was participating in "the anniversary of burning of the White House with a BBQ.”
The picture was followed by another, about an hour later, that showed a White House replica atop a sheet cake, flanked by sparklers. The caption said: “Commemorating the 200th anniversary of burning the White House. Only sparklers this time!”
Within hours of the tweets, the embassy received several angry Twitter responses and eventually backed off. "Apologies for earlier Tweet. We meant to mark an event in history & celebrate our strong friendship today," the embassy wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
1—BOTH sides were spoiling for a fight in 1812.
2—The British had several major victories in the war, on land and sea (the war was a draw, despite the US belief since that they won, mainly due to one famous victory, which didn’t end the war). And the British drove the US out of Canada, retained control over half of N America. The fact is BOTH sides failed and succeeded in their strategies in that war.
3—Petty?. YOU burnt Toronto first.
IMO, the Brits did us a favor.
We survived Dunkirk, took off a huge army and allies and returned to the continent later and won.
Try again, lol.
p.s my Vietnam comment wasn’t meant to be vicious, just a windup.
I forgive them, and invite them back.
Oh, there are a lot more.
The fall of Vietnam was not a defeat of American arms but a betrayal by the U.S. who cut of all funding and air and naval support to the RVN who was battling an enemy equipped and financed by the Soviet Union.
The unstated strategy behind U.S. involvement—expressed by LBJ to Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines—was to force the Soviets and the Chinese to commit scarce resources to Indochina, thus depriving other Third World Marxist insurgencies in Asia and elsewhere. In theory this would allow post-colonial, emerging states outside Indochina to stabilize and gain the strength needed to resist communism. Whether this grand strategy worked or not is a matter of conjecture.
The Soviets inherited Vietnam but it was an economic basket case. The Vietnamese in the south referred to the Russians as “Americans without dollars.” Vietnam, for all the money and materiel the Eastern Bloc spent to prop it up, became one more nail in the coffin of the Soviet Union.
The fact that you haven’t read the book I suggested makes it quite clear that you are not as well-researched as you pretend. That is a primary source. I am a northeastern American - raised to visit every Revolutionary War battlefield in my state and others - and we all know who and what made up our fighting men at that time. Of course, they evolved into a good fighting force. But to deny the rebellious, amusing raggle-tag army that so plagued General Washington in the war’s early years, is to deny history. I don’t know who mentioned “pitchforks” to you, but most of us know they were supplied with gunpowder and arms.
Off the subject, I want to remind you that your remark about losing Viet Nam was uncalled for and shameful - not to mention, vulgar. There are hundreds of Viet Nam vets on this site, some of them grievously injured. While the wounds of the War of 1812 are well-healed (or should be), the wounds of Viet Nam are open and bleeding. And since there were plenty of allies involved in that action, I would think you’d show more respect.
Actually, it was in retaliation for U.S. forces burning the Canadian capital at York, Ontario. Tit-for-tat.
Considering the threat Islam poses to our way of life, and Fox focuses on this? I for one am not offended.
I must see if I can track that photo down!
As a kid I was given a present of Brady photos - I almost fainted at seeing a photo of Dolly Madison! Admittedly very elderly but she had on her little dustcap and so took me back to the Revolution.
So there are others equally ignorant of real history.
So there are others equally ignorant of real history.
We survived Dunkirk, took off a huge army and allies and returned to the continent later and won.
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What were Churchill’s comments about Dunkirk. A little less positive than your own.
I’m just playing. This is much ado about nothing, but we Yanks can give as good as we take.
British Order of Battle:
4th Foot (King's Own)
7th Foot (Royal Fusiliers)
21st Foot (Royal North British Fusiliers)
43rd Light Infantry (Monmouth)
44th Foot (East Essex)
85th Foot (Buck's Volunteers)
93rd Foot (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
95th Rifle Corps
1st West Indian Infantry (Colored)
2nd West Indian Infantry (Colored)
14th Dragoons (dismounted)
Detachments of:
Royal Artillery
Royal Engineers
Royal Rocket Corps
Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners
Sailors from the Royal Navy
Royal Marines
That’s OK we will get to watch the Muzzies torch London. :=)
Firstly, I am a MA in History, an occasional p/t lecturer here in Scotland, I know my history very well thanks. Esp British Imperial History.
Just because I haven’t read one particular book?. Really?. I am sure I can quote you academic articles and books on the subject you haven’t read. You also amazingly ignore that the obvious fact that you and I were educated under different systems, from early education to further education.
Secondly, by pitchforks I am clearly alluding to overly romantic myths about revolutionary forces, fuelled by bad movies and bad history. I know they were armed, you read my remarks too literally.
Thirdly, I have already stated that my Vietnam remark was in jest and was in jocular/sarcastic response to an earlier remark about the British losing the Revolutionary War.
DONT DARE to ever accuse me, Madam, of actually disrespecting ANY American serviceman or woman on this site. I have posted my thanks to many here in my 8 years here and asked others to thank their parents and family members who served in WW2 to today. DONT YOU EVER DARE ACCUSE ME OF THAT AGAIN. Kindly wind that offended neck in.
Lastly, and on that point, how do you think I feel when I read the comments here about Britain being saved by America, or posts which actually ridicule the British contribution and moreover sacrifice in two world wars?. Or are the Limeys supposed to take it in jest and not respond?. Are the Limeys here on FR not allowed to be offended, it is just for the Americans here?.
Me too.
Just a bit of mutual bashing, as long as it dosent get serious.
That’s rich—A guy who doesn’t know how to post calling me ignorant.
My point was and remains that its rather a romantic myth that what ‘defeated’ the British in 1812-15 were poor farmers with weak firepower. Again, like the first war, what actually won America victory were well trained armies and militias, with good equipment, and led by very good officers and senior commanders. That’s however less ‘sexy’ than a ‘The Patriot’ type history.
As to the units, yes there were crack British units there, I never suggested that what crossed the sea in 1812-14 were all old men and boys.
My point was and is that for all the hoopla since Stateside about the war, it was for Britain actually very much the secondary ‘side war’, the war against France was much more important, ultimately threatening Britain’s actual security (and by extension the Empire).
Winning or losing in N America was ultimately less important, nice to retain Canada and would have been great to win America back, but even the loss of all British terrority in 1815 wouldn’t have ultimately crippled the Empire.
After all, the loss in 1783 really didn’t affect the Empire ultimately. It was a bad loss shrugged off pretty quickly as the Empire expanded to even greater heights. Losing to France however WOULD have been catastrophic for Britain.
Calm down, my computer blipped.
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