Red Arrows

[Annasfield]

Apparently,The world-famous Red Arrows have been banned from appearing at the 2012 London Olympics because they are deemed "too British".

Organisers of the event say that the Arrows military background might be "offensive" to other countries taking part in the Games. The display team have performed at more than 4000 events worldwide, but the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have deemed the display team "too militaristically British". Red Arrows pilots were said to be "outraged", as they had hoped to put on a truly world class display for the Games, something which had never been seen before. Being axed from a British-based event for being "too British" is an insult - the Arrows are a symbol of Britain.

The Red Arrows have been excellent ambassadors for British overseas trade, as they display their British-built Hawk aircraft all over the world.

The Arrows performed a short flypast in 2005 when the winning bid was announced, but their flypast at the Games was to have been truly spectacular.

It is to be hoped that common sense prevails.

If you disagree with this decision, sign the petition on the link below...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/RedArrows2012/?ref=redArrows2012

Admittedly, I have just been sent the above in an E-mail, but I personlly think it is such a shame. Thought I'd share this with you all.

[Jah Lush]

I wonder what idiot in the Department of Culture and Sport came up with that bright PC idea? What an arse. It's got my signature Anna.

[SeanMacGabhann]

whoooah - hold on people

Where is the source of this story - I can only find it on the usual shite-stirring blogspots and until I know this to be fact I'm not signing anything (even if I believed for a second those online petitions did anything)

Chain mails are one of the worst things to come out of the internet and email

Sorry Anna - I know your intentions are probably good on this one but it all sounds a bit dubious so far. The EU publish a book refuting all the myths about them (straight bananas and what not) and it only needs to be published in one language....

[Keef]

What an absolute load of bol!ocks!

[Annasfield]

What the post or the subject? :-$

[Keef]

The subject if it's true... This rumour can't have come from nowhere, and if its in the Sun then it must be true! :-S

If this is true, then it is bol!ocks, and the petition can't hurt either way. If it's not true, then I don't know where it all came from, but the petition still can't really do any harm, except possibly stir up some UKIP type shite... I'm with you though Anna and Jah.

[*Bob*]

Perhaps the Olympic committee is considering some new ideas for opening ceremony in 2012, rather than knocking-out the same good-old Brit staples as plucked from a page from the Eagle comic, circa 1973?

Then again, I doubt it. We'll probably get the Chicken Shed Theatre holding up a thousand bit of paper to form a mosiac of a full English breakfast, then.. WHOOSH.. the 'arras fly over dropping the old red white and blue smoke - and from this, the kids get their cue to turn the cards over and bingo - it's Princess Di, - gawd bless 'er!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Sorry Keef - gotta disagree.

By perpetuating the rumour "just in case"(which is what signing the petetition or forwarding the email is doing) , it reinforces the already-entrenched-in-some-quarters belief that UK and/or it's "ordinary" people is/are constantly being meddled with/told what to do , and so, rather than ever cooperating with the EU, the Olympic commitee, the Government etc we end up with a siege mentality

plus "possibly stir up some UKIP type shite" isn't something we should be doing lightly I would have said

All of what I said will look silly if it turns out to be true - but then again I'm not really a fan of the arrows.. if I was participating in the games as an Iraqi I might not be too thrilled to see such excellent UK trade ambasadors (although I like the shapes and the flying dare-devil stuff)

"Don't believe half of what you see and none of what you hear"

[Brendan]

If this story is true then there is a valid argument for it. Britain will be playing host to other countries, inviting them as guests to these shores to participate in games that are supposed to promote international peace and cooperation.

To the general British public the Red Arrows may just seem like a bit of patriotic fun. This has its place but perhaps a bit more tact is called for at an event like the Olympics as they can just as easily be interpreted as a display of military strength

In many countries outside Britain the British military is not seen in a very good light. This is completely justifiable as historically the only relationship many people had with it was one of oppression and brutality, within living memory in some cases.

If you give an annoying relative a kicking down the pub one night you wouldn?t go waving your knuckles in their face all the way through Christmas dinner would you?

The problem here though is that the likes of the Daily Mail will get hold of this and twist to their own neo-fascist ends. According to them it will probably be about immigrants who don?t want to naturalise.

[*Bob*]

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> If you give an annoying relative a kicking down

> the pub one night you wouldn?t go waving your

> knuckles in their face all the way through

> Christmas dinner would you?

As totally bizarre statements go - this is one of my favourites so far.

[Brendan]

Yeah it is a bit of a weird metaphor. I?m not sure where they come from sometimes.

[spadetownboy]

well i for one think its a great idea as everytime i see the red arrows do a fly by be it at an event or on the box it just conjurs up images of the jackboot of british imperialism marching over the plains of ulster;-)

[Keef]

Sean I have never and will never take UKIP, their members, or their voters lightly, I find then deplorable, but shouldn't find that I feel called on to state that.

[TillieTrotter]

I sometimes want to cry reading some people's posts.:(

[Annasfield]

Oohhh errr - I really didn't mean to be controversial. I love seeing the red arrows, their talent is amazing and its a real spectacle. Just thought it was a shame :'( :-$

[SeanMacGabhann]

Keef - I hope I didn't imply that you needed to state that - heaven knows I'm not trying to implicate you in any sort of way!!! (* feels the ground shifting benath feet *)

i was referring to the line "but the petition still can't really do any harm, except possibly stir up some UKIP type shite" which could be taken as underestimating them a bit

For the record, I'm not implying ANYONE on here is being fascistic - honest honest

I can already feel this thread gathering a momentum it needn't - has anyone spotted the story on the main news sources?

And Tillie why would you want to cry? :(

[Brendan]

I like them too Annasfield and have in the past gone out of my way to see them. It is just that I can see how it could be offensive to some of the nations who we are inviting here as our guests.

They could get those Red Bull guys in their Pit Specials instead.

[Brendan]

I guess what I?m saying is that the Olympics is not the appropriate stage for military displays.

[Keef]

Sorry Sean I over reacted there, must learn to count to 10, what I said wasn't meant to underestimate them, more to suggest that we should just ignore their idiotic nonsense. Anyway, I can understand people's points, but we had to listen to Kylie when it was in Australia, surely it can't be more offensive than that! Okay it might not look as nice, but as a statement, come on!

[Brendan]

I suppose Kylie?s crimes against humanity have probably reached as many people as the British military?s.

[SeanMacGabhann]

huzzah

Haven't there been worse singer's than Kylie at opening's tho'? Diana Ross and the "penalty" springs to mind (and do I EVER wish it hadn't)

I seem to remember The Shamen doing the half time entertainment at Highbury one afternoon in the 90s as well - mind you, back then that was an improvement on the football

Anyway - Red Arrows. I get the excitement. But there is a debate to be had about Britain's role in the world, current events and if they are the best global ambassadors for Britain surely? Rather than hearing some blog-sphere rumour and signing a petition?

[Ladygooner]

Probably the Red Arrows will be cancelled due to global warming!

[SeanMacGabhann]

weelllll at this point (post all the construction for 2012 etc and all that goes with it) I doubt an aerial display will make one bit of difference either way

[Ladygooner]

But what about all that nasty coloured smoke?!

[SeanMacGabhann]

just to try and clear this up I googled "olympics red arrows"

Looks like the "story" has been doing the rounds for weeks and exposed as a hoax but oh. my. god. Talk about a depressing trawl through the British psyche

The amount of people on these blogs who WANT to believe it just so they can say something like "what about that mosque - I'm going to set up a British petition to have it bulldozed!"