Obama and Europe - two of the silliest things ever

[Sasaki Kojiro]

In fairness, I did warn you and you chose not to listen.

Gaelic was talking about the famines and his comment sounds like he could be saying that they only wanted to eat potatoes and starved despite there being bunches of other food. It's mildly amusing given the context. Quit embarrassing yourself.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

A warning is useless after the fact especially when it is made under a false assumption and unlike some I have learned to face up to my mistakes, not try to hide them. So if you would excuse another mistake PVC, kiss my asphalt.

I await my infraction points with great self satisfaction.

Hey if you want to be a twerp, that's fine by me but you spent two pages digging that whole and when Gaelic came back his reaction was entirely predictable.

Oh, and if you want to call out me behaviour do it explicitely, not out the side of your mouth.

You are, I assume, English as am I, but you need to gain some perspective on our history if you want to avoid having your teeth knocked out in a pub brawl.

Gaelic was talking about the famines and his comment sounds like he could be saying that they only wanted to eat potatoes and starved despite there being bunches of other food. It's mildly amusing given the context. Quit embarrassing yourself.

I was not the only one unamused and I am certainly not embarressed for not finding "jokes" about mass starvation on my doorstep unfunny. Especially when it conforms to a wider pattern of Westminsterism of which the Irish just had the worst experience.

Ah you know what? The Irish can speak for themselves.

[Greyblades]

Hey if you want to be a twerp, that's fine by me but you spent two pages digging that whole and when Gaelic came back his reaction was entirely predictable.

Indeed and while I was digging a hole as you claim you were turning a mound into a mountain. I had no intention offense and my poor choice of wording has definitely made my statement misinterprited but so far I've been speaking the truth, should you not believe it, well I have nothing more to add.

Oh, and if you want to call out me behaviour do it explicitely, not out the side of your mouth.

OK, you misinterprited my statement and instead of attempting to find out what I meant you went into a spiel about respecting history. Now that I have spelled out to you what I did instead of apologising or even aknowledging and responding to my reasoning you dismiss it and all but call me an ignorant idiot.

You are, I assume, English as am I, but you need to gain some perspective on our history if you want to avoid having your teeth knocked out in a pub brawl.

Well considering I have no intention of being in a pub I have no fear of it. You seem to be forgetting that this is the internet, anonyminity makes your threats less than effective, unless you are an obsessive psycho killer there is little chance you will find the time nor inclination to track me down and knock my teeth out.
Oh and I am fully aware of my history, the atrocities of the east india company, the exploitation during the potato blight, the slave/cotton/beads and firearms trade triangle, just because I dont find the british empire the scum of the earth doesnt mean I dont aknowledge their actions. The knowledge doesnt diminish my admiration of it no more than knowing they enslaved 3/4ths of a continent deminishes my admiration of ancient Rome.

Ah you know what? The Irish can speak for themselves.

Quite, i'm pretty sure they would also say something about you a british person speaking for them as you have.

I have no intention of antagonising you or the irish and I would rather be your friend but I have to protest your treatment of this.

[rvg]

Can we just blame the neocons and move on? I'm sure that if we dig deep enough we'll find a photo of George W. Bush in a red uniform guarding a food cart.

[Greyblades]

I'm fine with that.

[drone]

POW camps are not concentration camps. Soldiers != civilians.

[Lemur]

POW camps are not concentration camps. Soldiers != civilians.

Fair point. Would the British camps for the Boer population in South Africa be the earliest example of what we call a "concentration" camp, then?

-edit-

Nevermind, I see the Russians beat the British to it by 200 years.

-edit of the edit-

And this appears to be the earliest example of an extermination camp for general population (as opposed to POWs). 1904 for the win!

[Sarmatian]

Trust Russians, Germans, Americans and Brits to set the standards for inhuman behavior.

Compared to you barbarians, us sophisticated Serbs did it at the end of 20th century.

[rvg]

Trust Russians, Germans, Americans and Brits to set the standards for inhuman behavior.

Compared to you barbarians, us sophisticated Serbs did it at the end of 20th century.

Better late than never, right?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Indeed and while I was digging a hole as you claim you were turning a mound into a mountain. I had no intention offense and my poor choice of wording has definitely made my statement misinterprited but so far I've been speaking the truth, should you not believe it, well I have nothing more to add.

It was still in poor taste, and I think you should just acknowledge that.

OK, you misinterprited my statement and instead of attempting to find out what I meant you went into a spiel about respecting history. Now that I have spelled out to you what I did instead of apologising or even aknowledging and responding to my reasoning you dismiss it and all but call me an ignorant idiot.

What you meant is not at issue, what you wrote is. Anyway, this particular conversation started because you took issue with PJ pointing out the various ways the British government mistreated it's subjects, including the Indian famine. Going on about your nationalism in such a context won't win you any points. If you want to be proud of being "British" that's fine, it's not an identity I personally have, but many in these Islands seem to like it. The point is, things like the Irish Potato Famine, use of the Welsh Knot, forcible removal of Welsh people to flood a resivour to feed Liverpool... these things happened, and not all that long ago. So going, "oh, you mean Cromwell and the Irish" shows a lack of appreciation for our more recent history. If you want to be poud of something, fine, but make sure you know what you're being proud of.

Well considering I have no intention of being in a pub I have no fear of it. You seem to be forgetting that this is the internet, anonyminity makes your threats less than effective, unless you are an obsessive psycho killer there is little chance you will find the time nor inclination to track me down and knock my teeth out.

I am not threatening you, I am inviting you to consider that living in Great Britain it is quite likely that at some point you will find yourself in a pub or other social setting where alchohol is being consumed and you will be sitting accross from someone who has much stronger views on your particular version of British history than I do.

Oh and I am fully aware of my history, the atrocities of the east india company, the exploitation during the potato blight, the slave/cotton/beads and firearms trade triangle, just because I dont find the british empire the scum of the earth doesnt mean I dont aknowledge their actions. The knowledge doesnt diminish my admiration of it no more than knowing they enslaved 3/4ths of a continent deminishes my admiration of ancient Rome.

Then I invite you to take on some non-English perespectives. Try reading something by a Welshman or an Irishman, or even a Cornishman.

Quite, i'm pretty sure they would also say something about you a british person speaking for them as you have.

I don't know, I'm part Welsh and I live in the South West so I know something about the Westminster boot.

I have no intention of antagonising you or the irish and I would rather be your friend but I have to protest your treatment of this.

I can accept that what you initially wrote was meant to be a joke, but it wasn't funny, and under the circumstances, "oops, sorry" would have been a good way to go.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I can accept that what you initially wrote was meant to be a joke, but it wasn't funny, and under the circumstances, "oops, sorry" would have been a good way to go.

You still don't get it

You should apologize.

[Vuk]

Both of you are being ridiculously petty. Rather than bickering like 8 year olds, you should just ignore each other's comments on the subject.

[Greyblades]

The voice of reason coming from vuk? Heh, thought I'd never see the day.
I dont think I'm wrong and I'm not exactly sure I understand what I did was "bad" but as vuk says this isnt important.
Truce?

[a completely inoffensive name]

I think we can all agree that the real person who should apologize is Phytophthora infestans.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

You still don't get it

You should apologize.

Please, spell it out for me - because right now I genuinely don't see it.

As far as I can see Greyblades made a crass comment that was, frankly, out of order and not remotely funny as a follow up to rubbishing PJ's claim that the British government has a less than spotless human rights record in recent history, and what he was making light of was Gaelic's post on the Irish Potato Famine, which is not a topic for levity anyway.

It was out of order, I pointed out why, and I feel the right to be mildly offended even though I'm not Irish because it's not just a black period in Irish history, it's a black period in British history.

[CountArach]

I think this thread has gone on long enough. It has been well off topic for some time and has started to get heated.