Political correctness

[Andy O'Pray]

I have just watched a CNN news clip of Royal clearing houses in Umm Qasr. I was somewhat bemused with the clip and thought of the warnings preceeding most movies.

Warning, this movie contains scenes of violence, but will not contain obscene language.

Royal bursts in the door, shouts. "Get on the f@#$ing floor" and the TV station bleeps out the word "f@#$ing". Go figure.

Aye - Andy.

[Mike]

Andy....saw that bit a couple of times, thought the lad kicking in the outer door, booted it with so much enthusiasm I thought he was going to fall on his ass, still it was great to see the lads enjoying themselves at long last.....though I thought they were a little restraint, perhaps it was because the cameras were there. Back here they say the fox doe'nt enjoy the chase, those rag heads appeared to, coz they kept on wanting to move their heads to look at the camaras! Well done all
Aye

[El Prez]

Radio 5 last night had a classic BBC panel, the shows presenter, a lady from Janes and the editor of the Independent (strongly anti-war). They were in the process of rubbishing military phraseology such as Military Intelligence and Carpet Bombing in an Islington Dinner Party giggly way, all laughing and sneering at the UK military, when an email was placed in front of the presenter. He read it and paused.
"You and your guests are disparaging, patronising, offensive and ignorant of the terminology used in war. You have never used or experienced these terms. That fact does not make them stupid."

Whoever wrote the email deserves a beer. They immediately, all three, started back pedalling like the shisters they are and did not want to be associated with taking the mick out of the military, at such an insensitive time. The BBC has an awful lot of questions to answer when this is over; impartial, I think not.

[scaleyback]

The BBC payroll is almost entirely populated by Independant and Gaurdian readers. Their constant naysaying and negativity and blatant anti-war stance is, considering the 'unique' way they are funded, quite criminal at a time like this, or anytime really.

[DelD]

One thing that annoys me about the coverage, and this is fairly much a constant in peace or war is the inability of the media, and the BBC are no better than anyone else, to correctly pronounce military unit titles, or to even attribute actions to the appropriate service. They get ranks wrong, make up new names for equipment etc. This may seem to them to be a trivial issue, but when men are dying fighting for their units, is it too much to expect to at least get the unit and rank right.
Will someone explain the Household Cavalry rank structure to them please, and inform them that the Royal Artillery are part of then Army. Perhaps explain the correct way to use the numeric prefixes for Marine Commando units, the difference between a regiment and a brigade and what the hell is an "Abrahams" Tank?
With all these military "experts" on tv constantly perhaps they could help out.
At least do the dead the courtesy of getting their rank and unit right.

Finally stop pontificating about the awfulness of the phrase "friendly fire", wasnt it the media who made that one up? I always thought blue on blue was the military way to describe such an awful incident.

[James82ah]

I agree with everything you say DelD. The media should definately try harder. I myself am merely a "hopefull" wannabe Royal Marine, but I cannot understand why journalists, the one set of people in the whole world whose JOB it is to find out everything, and report it can't find out such a seemingly small detail as to the correct way of saying 40-42 or 45 commando. As you know, it's said as four-two, or four-five, not 45th or 42nd. I even read in a newspaper the other day something about the 40th command regiment!

P.S, I'm pretty certain the Abraham Tank is the U.S main battle tank. Not 100% on that though.

[Topper]

Arabaham had seven sons, Arabhams is a tank.

[rabby]

Arabhams is a tank

No, Arabhams is a ham from an Arabic pig, the M1 Abrams is the U.S. main battle tank.

[DelD]

Correct. And a Lance Corporal is not the same as a Lance Corporal of Horse.

[Sticky Blue]

Think it was SKY yesterday with US forces at the Airport. Soldier with Missile system on his shoulder aiming at enemy forces. One of the guys shouted at the missile holder, "Move across the f**king road, you'll get us with the back blast", lad moves as another US Soldier with binos starts the taget indication, "They're on the f**king move, right to left". Lad with the Missile system then bimbled back across the road saying, "I tried to fire but it's f**ked, it won't f**".
SKY studio presenter "We appear to have lost sound there for the minute but we will stay with the pictures. It appears that we have cut the sound because the soldiers are under a lot of pressure and the language is not suitable for this time of day". NO S*IT SHERLOCK!!

The cameraman must be after an award because he was right there with them looking over the top.