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AIBU?

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Original poster

This Pen Farthing guy

999 replies

TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 10:54

The bloke with the animal shelter in Kabul.

Refusing to leave unless he can take ALL of his 60 odd staff and ALL of his 200+ cats and dogs with him. Hmm Expecting the government to make special rules for him and his friends.

Getting people out - understandable. The Taliban aren't going to look kindly on people who have translated for the military, or "collaborated" in other ways. But staff at an animal shelter?

And as for the refusing to leave without the animals and making this all out to be the UK government's fault? For not falling over themselves to arrange transport for a bunch of ownerless animals nobody wants when there are human beings in fear of their lives?

What is this guy playing at?

OP posts:
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Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 11:44

@Goofers

Well, his plane has been given permission to land now…
The squeaky oil gets the wheel. Hope he's pleased with himself. If this is true and he strolls into the airport with his pets, while desperate people are waiting in days long queues outside, he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself.
OP posts:
Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 11:45

Squeaky wheel gets the oil. Obviously.

OP posts:
Cleverpolly3 · 25/08/2021 11:46

@TheGenealogist

Why should he be ashamed of himself?

Isn’t he saying he can take some of those people?

You are out of line to diminish the work he does and his endeavours because animals are worth less than humans in your eyes.

Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 11:46

@Doggydoodah123

As an animal lover I think you and your opinion are a disgrace.
I can live with that.

Personally, I think putting the lives of animals above humans is a disgrace, but there you go.

OP posts:
ferretface · 25/08/2021 11:46

He's created extra capacity to take some of those desperate people with him though?

Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 11:47

[quote Cleverpolly3]@TheGenealogist

Why should he be ashamed of himself?

Isn’t he saying he can take some of those people?

You are out of line to diminish the work he does and his endeavours because animals are worth less than humans in your eyes.[/quote]
Because he's skipping the queue and making airport/military staff spend time processing dogs and cats rather than women and children.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 25/08/2021 11:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn as it quotes a deleted post.

Sakura7 · 25/08/2021 11:51

I think he's wonderful and we could do with more like him.

He has organised the plane himself to take not only his own staff and animals out, but also 100+ Afghans seeking refuge. The animals are not taking the place of people as they're going in the hold.

Ponoka7 · 25/08/2021 11:52

"He's basically saying "my animals are more important than some of the people in this queue" and that's fundamentally wrong."
He isn't, as said, he's taking 100 of those people who if he left with his wife wouldn't have got out.

"If he gets a slot it will mean a plane full of people lose one."
Not necessarily.

I've followed this from the start because a charity I give to 'pawprints to freedom', based in Romania, picked up on his plight. A lot was raised via their followers and other followers of animal charities. Nothing strange about it. Yes people come first, but we can't just keep ignoring the plight of animals. Our army used street dogs as warning mechanisms when we were in conflict. They fed them well, which encourages breeding. It was another problem that we added to. The treatment of dogs by radical Muslims is horrific.
He has a cause that he believes in and none of this is of his making.

"If these staff end up being killed because he refused to budge without the animals then he is culpable."

From day one his staff were in danger. If he had left with his wife, their fate would be unknown. The Taliban don't like people who don't fully think like them and people involved in animal care, the women working there, certainly don't.
Western governments are the guilty ones. People are disappearing, people are being executed. Then the sex slaves/rapes/forced marriage will come to light. People are already saying that this is happening.
Or do posters believe this 'new age Taliban' that they are claiming to be?

Jarstastic · 25/08/2021 11:53

@ferretface

He's created extra capacity to take some of those desperate people with him though?
He hasn’t created extra capacity. The military planes can take far more people this commercial aircraft.

In fact he may be delaying people who have been at the airport for days.

The last evacuation flights are going to be Thursday or Friday, otherwise there won’t be time to get the last 1,000 British trips out.

Samcro · 25/08/2021 11:53

sadly as I love animals, I do think priority has to be to get people out.
if he won't leave that is his choice.

EvilPea · 25/08/2021 11:53

Is the queue skipping you talk of onto an existing plane?

He is skipping the queue because he has one to get on, he’s also taking some of the queue with him

As for the asylum and job offer. I’ve not missed that but. But presumably helping the soldiers with injured animals makes them a target, the fact a lot of his staff are highly educated women, makes them a target. The fact we don’t have enough vets and it’s a needed trade. Also helps their case

Jarstastic · 25/08/2021 11:55

Troops not trips!

Goofers · 25/08/2021 11:55

@ferretface

He's created extra capacity to take some of those desperate people with him though?
Not really - his plane carries 300. It’s now taking up a scarce slot instead of a plane that could take 600.
Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 11:56

@Saucery

Do share all your own sterling efforts to help the situation.

Or sit down and shut the fuck up.

I'm already seated, thanks.

Must have missed the rule that you are only allowed to post on current affairs when you are directly involved in the story being discussed. My bad. Hmm

OP posts:
Snookie00 · 25/08/2021 12:00

Agree with you OP. His staff don’t appear to be at any greater risk from taliban retribution than any other afghans. Whilst on an individual basis I’m sure they would like to leave but how are they more deserving than any other millions of Afghans that we are leaving

The guy does seems unhinged and utterly dogmatic towards protecting his “kingdom” He is playing the media and U.K. animal lovers beautifully and now has seems to have got his way.

Peacrock · 25/08/2021 12:01

The animals are not taking the place of people as they're going in the hold.

But timeslots are extremely limited, by having his plane on the tarmac for any amount of time is taking spaces away from vessels that can carry more people with a quicker turnaround- a shortage of planes is not the issue at all with evacuating people.

FlipFlopsButNoSun · 25/08/2021 12:01

I don't think you've got your facts right OP.

Pen is an amazing man. He has so much loyalty to his staff. He has worked tirelessly to ensure they all got visas and documents and the government were able to accept them for travel our of Afghanistan. He has risked his Life to ensure none of his staff are left behind to face death.

He has arranged a private plane to accommodate him and the staff. This means the space they would otherwise take up on a government military plane is freed up for others. The animals are going in the cargo hold where people can't go, so they are not taking space from anyone.

Furthermore, Pen has space on his plane and has offered those spaces to anyone the government needs to fly home.

He is incredible and I wish him all the very best. If all his staff land safely in the UK it is largely down to him.

If it was left to the government, all the animals would have died, and a large majority of Pen's staff would have been shot or killed by Taliban.

Amazing man. I bet you wouldn't have his backbone OP. I know I wouldn't have had the courage to do what he's been doing. Incredible.

Would make an amazing film. Hope one is made one day so people like the OP can see exactly how brave, selfless and inspiring this man has been.

Peacrock · 25/08/2021 12:01

The issue with the aircraft having the time to land.

Hoppinggreen · 25/08/2021 12:03

@FlipFlopsButNoSun

I don't think you've got your facts right OP.

Pen is an amazing man. He has so much loyalty to his staff. He has worked tirelessly to ensure they all got visas and documents and the government were able to accept them for travel our of Afghanistan. He has risked his Life to ensure none of his staff are left behind to face death.

He has arranged a private plane to accommodate him and the staff. This means the space they would otherwise take up on a government military plane is freed up for others. The animals are going in the cargo hold where people can't go, so they are not taking space from anyone.

Furthermore, Pen has space on his plane and has offered those spaces to anyone the government needs to fly home.

He is incredible and I wish him all the very best. If all his staff land safely in the UK it is largely down to him.

If it was left to the government, all the animals would have died, and a large majority of Pen's staff would have been shot or killed by Taliban.

Amazing man. I bet you wouldn't have his backbone OP. I know I wouldn't have had the courage to do what he's been doing. Incredible.

Would make an amazing film. Hope one is made one day so people like the OP can see exactly how brave, selfless and inspiring this man has been.

I totally agree. I would watch that film
Original poster
TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 12:04

Would make an amazing film

I'm sure he has an agent already on the case. With someone earnest and worthy like Eddie Redmayne lined up to play brave, selfless Pen, the hero.

OP posts:
ChicChaos · 25/08/2021 12:05

He is incredible and I wish him all the very best. If all his staff land safely in the UK it is largely down to him.

I think you'll find it's down to the military for keeping the airport open. His staff could have left days ago.

Goofers · 25/08/2021 12:08

This means the space they would otherwise take up on a government military plane is freed up for others.

Er, this isn’t true. As there is nothing to say they would otherwise have been on a military plane.

FlipFlopsButNoSun · 25/08/2021 12:09

If he gets a slot it will mean a plane full of people lose one

No it won't. Check your facts.

If he gets a slot it means he can offer 100 extra spaces on his plane to those who need a space. He will also not take up spaces on another plane for him and his staff who would otherwise have to be transported on a government funded plane (or likely fave death by the Taliban). Again, freeing up more space for others.

He has sourced the plane. All he needed was a call signal so the damn thing can land and take off. (Which it seems, thank goodness, the government are finally agreeing to)

Angry
PicsInRed · 25/08/2021 12:10

The workers would be treated as collaborators and shot, so they needed to be evacuated.

Farthing wanted to put animals in unused space in the freight hold where humans cannot be and are not put. Wasted space.

The UK literally evacuated a fucking car the other day, shown just before takeoff by a reporter on live television, that car in the same space occupied by actual humans, and which could theoretically have taken more actual humans. A fucking car.

Ben Wallace made a tit of himself, recognised his own tithood and rightly reversed the decision.

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