So he got the dogs out and left the people behind?!

[Sillysuzie]

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/aug/30/britain-dogs-afghan-people-pen-farthing

Will be interesting to see what happens when we find out which MP or Special Advisor released the phone call recording to the press without consent.

@nocoolnamesleft

Anyone who prioritises animals over children is vile.

Nobody has done that.

I see the idiots with the pitchforks are back. That didn't take long.

Totally support Pen and what he did, and after hearing him on JV I support him even more.
And as for all you pearl-clutchers frothing about his voicemail, how would you react in those circumstances? He swore, big deal.
Perhaps spend some of your wrath on the utter incompetence of this and the American government's handling of this crisis, that's who to blame here. They are trying to paint Pen as the bad guy here to cover up their own absolute fuckup.

Anyone who prioritises animals over children is vile.

Totally agree. But that's not what Pen Farthing did.

@ Tippexy Same old posters still going on about the “animals went in the hold” when that is not the point.
Conveniently, they ignore:
1) the man hours used to process the animals at the airport when those man hours could have been used to process refugees.
2) the fact that his plane took up one a of a limited number of remaining landing slots. His plane held 300 (although we are not told if it did). A military plane would have held 600.

No. Read the Spectator's own correction to its smearing story. Perhaps the MoD are getting concerned about Pen Farthing bringing a claim for defamation. I would be if I were them. Don't let the Tories distract you from the omnishambles that was their evacuation.

For links to the corrections, see here: twitter.com/DulcieJeffery/status/1432233387390119936/photo/1

He offered seats on his privately funded plane to UK government who said they did not need them and had enough capacity of their own - not Pen's fault that he had empty seats

go Pen! Am so so glad the animals are out. More people should have come too but was not down to Pen - was down to Taliban, Biden and UK .

And as for all you pearl-clutchers frothing about his voicemail, how would you react in those circumstances? He swore, big deal.

This. Are all the posters criticising Pen really so perfect they wouldn't lose their temper?

I value the life of an animal equally to a human

Not going to discuss the Pen Farthing situation but in regards to this statement @SweetPetrichor...I find your above comment fascinating but also nonsense. Are you honestly telling me that if you trod on an ant and killed it you'd feel exactly the same as if you accidentally ran a child over and killed them?

This is an interesting article, which I am posting because this topic doesn't seem to be going away. It strikes me as being more balanced.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-58385521

The media have gone to town on Pen Farthing and as usual twisted a lot of the facts.

Which facts have they twisted?

He valued the lives of the animals over the people.
He threatened a government aide.
His staff were cleared to leave and he refused to let them go unless the animals went too.
Military troops were used to load, and unload the plane.
He distracted the people who’s job it was to get people out.

Which of those is untrue? Because most of them have been from sources sympathetic to him.

Anyone who prioritises animals over children is vile.

Where has anybody done that? What a stupid bloody comment!

That’s is heartbreaking @saraclara
I actually don’t understand people who think an animals life is worth the same or more however much they try to justify it.
He should not have risked the lives of his staff, truly awful.

It strikes me as being more balanced.

I’m afraid I didn’t get beyond the first line. Since when did we accept a guy saying he was sorry for threatening someone because their emotions got the better of him?

Just goes to show how easily a country of animal lovers can be distracted from how shite the evacuation really was

Yes

@Tippexy

Yep, and have you heard the vile two minute voicemail rant he left?

I have heard it

Shame he used the f word so much it lost impact

Apart from that I quite admire him. Most of what he shouted and said was true.

At least he has come conviction and dedication, and is doing some good unlike half the cabinet sat round swimming pools apparently chosen for poor signal reception, pricking about with photo shoots with Olympians or having it large it in ubiquitous Aberdeen drinking hotspots.

Just saying.

We have some late contenders in the List of Fault, Guilt and Shame:

Pen Farthing
Twitter
The Taliban
Traditional Islam
The UK government - special mentions to Ben Wallace, Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab
The UK military
The MoD
The US military
The US President Joe Biden
Kabul Airport gate system
Carrie Johnson

And as for all you pearl-clutchers frothing about his voicemail, how would you react in those circumstances? He swore, big deal.

^^ This. Totally.

I wouldn't speak to someone at John Lewis customer services like that. But I sure as hell would use very colourful and threatening language if I was dealing with obstructive bureaucrats sitting in their comfortable offices whilst the Taliban were knocking on my door. I find it quite laughable that anyone would think otherwise.

@SpindleWhorl

We have some late contenders in the List of Fault, Guilt and Shame:

Pen Farthing
Twitter
The Taliban
Traditional Islam
The UK government - special mentions to Ben Wallace, Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab
The UK military
The MoD
The US military
The US President Joe Biden
Kabul Airport gate system
Carrie Johnson

Can we add Piers Morgan to the list? No real reason, I just loathe him. Oh and ditto for Dominic Cummings

I get why some people are angry but a lot of pet owners would prioritize there dog or cat over human adult they dont know
It may sound terrible but sometimes a pet has been there in the worsed of your life and you would do anything to save them no matter what others think

@Sillysuzie

I'm fully aware the animals don't take seats. I'm not an idiot. But they don't just trot on into the hold themselves. Someone has to put them there. And that someone was the military, who could have been loading refugees on to planes instead

@Sillysuzie - Pretty sure that if they were meant to be loading refugees at that given moment then that is what they would have done. I have read that it was airport staff and also other allied troops that said "are you the dog guy?" and all volunteered to help - like all hands to the deck for those that were free during that hour. It was either him alone or him and the animals. The Taliban wouldn't let the staff through.

He swore, big deal.

Someone on another thread was calling for Ben Wallace's resignation for swearing on TV.

Anyone who prioritises animals over children is vile.

Unless you only spend the minimum needed to survive, and donate the rest of your money to save the many millions of children dying of hunger and preventable disease each and every year, then you are prioritising your own comforts over poor children in foreign countries every day of the week. We all do.

The moral outrage on this thread when most Westerners don't give a shit day in day out is astounding. I guess it makes people feel good to have the moral high ground though.

These animals are innocent and nearly all animal suffering is caused directly by humans, either through cruelty or neglect or habitat destruction. I have no issue with anyone trying to help animals live better lives.

@Parker231

Will be interesting to see what happens when we find out which MP or Special Advisor released the phone call recording to the press without consent.

Yes, indeed. I thought the voicemail would have been reasonable without the F words, but given he had a plane with hundreds of empty seats for refugees which the MoD was blocking by purposefully not giving the clearance code, I think the F words were understandable, and the message actually makes the MoD look pretty shitty and irresponsible rather than helping them (for those that can hear past the swearing).

@Tippexy

Same old posters still going on about the “animals went in the hold” when that is not the point.

Conveniently, they ignore:

1. the man hours used to process the animals at the airport when those man hours could have been used to process refugees.

2. the fact that his plane took up one a of a limited number of remaining landing slots. His plane held 300 (although we are not told if it did). A military plane would have held 600.

It never fails to amaze me how few people understand logistics and planning.

This man endangered lives and others won't get out as a result of his actions. He put those animals through suffering with no guarentee they won't all be put down.

He made the UK look like we are more willing to save animals than Afghan allies who risked their lives.

He's upset a lot of servicemen and women and veterans.

There is a row brewing between the US and the UK which may well drag this incident in too.

No amount of 'but he saved the poor animals' cuts it for me. And not its not because of a government campaign against him.

And I've not even mentioned his abusive messages.

The government handling of the withdrawal has been piss poor, but this guy has only served to make it even worse.

Abhorent story.