Posted on 07/27/2012 6:45:57 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
A celebration of free healthcare, the trade union struggle, the battle for women's rights and a fleeting lesbian kiss: the Olympics opening ceremony Friday did not shy away from weighty social issues.
Unsurprisingly, the show devised by Oscar-winning British director Danny Boyle drew accusations from the British political right that it had strayed into "leftie" issues.
Aidan Burley, a lawmaker from Prime Minister David Cameron's ruling Conservative party, tweeted: "The most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen -- more than Beijing, the capital of a communist state! Welfare tribute next?"
He followed that with: "Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multi-cultural crap."
Several people tweeted their support for his comments.
Alastair Campbell, former British Labour prime minister Tony Blair's communications chief, retorted on Twitter: "Brilliant that we got a socialist to do the opening ceremony."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Why did Palestine have athletes there? Maybe I have been out of the loop, but when did they officially become a country?
Not only awful.....but extremely boring!
Unless you need surgery on it, in which case you have to go to the end of the line.
-PJ
It was a communist show- communist theme and a leftist telecast- leftist hosts.
Or long bowmen, billmen, knights, or anything cool like that. I know there are politically correct reasons for not having them, and there might be some good reasons for not including them. Sorry to the British FReepers if you think that would have been lame, but I love that stuff.
“This celebration was a reflection of someone who thinks western society is completely addicted to popular entertainment - nothing more. Compared to Beijings opening ceremony this was childish and vapid, bereft of any sort of true achievement or dignity.”
Athens was really good too. I think those will continue to hold the 1 and 2 spots as the best.
This one started out like it could have been the best, but flamed-out badly.
It was a missed opportunity. Much of the pop culture stuff should have waited for the closing
Haven't seen much of their logo floating around either:
yitbos
“Jerusalem”
The hill of Glastonbury where Joseph of Aramethea built a church - with all the flags of the world planted on it.
“Abide With Me”
And that majestic sequence with Isembard Kingdom Brunel, and the Industrial Revolution that changed the whole world, ending with the five rings of molten steel.
Even the brief homage to the NHS was hidden in a perfectly laudable piece about the Great Ormonds Street Hospital.
But where would FR be without its resident pack of “I refuse to watch this” know-nothing haters?
Britain, the UK......is England, Scotland, NI and Wales.
When you insult or attack Britain or the UK, you therefore do so to all of us who are proud to be British (as well as our constituent nationalities). You insult or attack of all of us on these blessed islands.
Britain/UK and England are NOT the same thing.
Mixed feelings as I watched from Canada, Michigan just a spit away from us. Ok, I am going to say something positive. Alright, we did not need Danny boy and his epic with it's sublimal messages, but.....
The wonderful smiles on the faces of the young athletes. Yep, most have their lives in front of them. All power to them I hope they can face future that they must grapple with.
Sermon over.
Oh jeez! Where did those ugly hats come from?
Post of the night. And one that completely captures the degeneration of British society from the defenders of Western Civilization to the sorry welfare state non-entity we see today.
Clearly a British ceremony for a British olympics which will host the entire world should have simply pandered to purely one nation whose knowledge of the UK dosent seem to extend beyond beefeaters, The Beatles, ‘Montee Pythonnnnn’, and Benny Hill.
Silly us.
Imagine the audacity to remind the planet that we basically built the modern world.
(1) <1> And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England's mountains green.
And was the holy lamb of God, on England's pleasant pastures seen.....Til we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land.
(2) Guide me, oh thou great Jehovah.....Bread of heaven, bread of heaven feed me now and evermore. (Welsh hymn Cwm Rhondda)
(3) Abide with me, fast falls the eventide, abide with me, Oh Lord with me abide. In death's dark vale I fear no ill, in life in death, Oh Lord, with me abide. (Sung by crowds at the Football Association Cup Final each year).
Trying to be positive, though I have glass of red merlot in hand. Please bear with me friends.
...and by my post, you know that I know the difference. Let me put it more simply: those who attack the P.C. Brits don’t necessarily attack the U.K. Some here just don’t know the difference.
Straighten your kilt and relax.
You're well within your right to argue against broad based comments made about your people, but don't take things so personaly.
At least they weren’t afraid to say the word “Jerusalem”, like our administration.
But I was disappointed that they made fun of one of my favorite movies, about one of the most compelling stories of a british olympic athlete.
I also found it interesting that NBC wouldn’t tell us what “Tim” was known for.
What the hell does all that horse**** have to do with the Olympics? Romney was right when he says the Brits aren't ready for prime time. This was supposed to be a sporting event not a commie circus. I stopped watching the Olympics after the famous hockey gold medal win by the U.S.A. Haven't watched the Olympics since.
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