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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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8
Watermelon40 · 25/08/2021 21:27

@ijwmtb

I feel really conflicted about this. On one hand, I don't think there is anything to suggest that PF's motives are anything but honourable - he is trying to get the people and animals he cares about to safety by pulling every string available to him. I can understand that and admire the efforts he has gone to. Part of me thinks there is always room in the world for a little more kindness, and everyone should focus on making their own positive contribution rather than criticising someone else's efforts as not being worthy enough.

On the other hand, this is a desperate situation and I find it difficult to believe that his proposal doesn't come at the expense of anyone else. I understand that it is an additional plane with room in the cargo hold but it is still additional logistics at the airport, weight on the plane, takeoff slot, paperwork, ministers' time, media coverage at a time when there is so much going on. And although I am lifelong animal lover and vegetarian, I cannot justify prioritising animals' lives over human lives in this scenario (not least because I cannot see that dogs and cats are as much threatened by the Taliban as women, interpreters etc.).

I suppose I mainly feel sad to see the publicity that this is getting - that of all the desperately sad stories of people at risk, this is the one which the media has picked up and run with and which British people seem to be getting behind (just judging from the level of updates/shares I'm seeing on my social media). I am mostly proud to be part of an animal loving country, but it makes me sad to see this reaction in a country that is so hostile to refugees/immigration - we have become so numb to stories of Afghan suffering that we need a cuddly animal to trigger our compassion.

Good post, I agree
NiceGerbil · 25/08/2021 21:27

Do you know the family?

That piece in metro what they quote sounds like nonsense.

That pic made the news all over the place. Needs to have a line drawn under it.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 25/08/2021 21:28

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

KidneyBeans · 25/08/2021 21:28

@JaniieJones

'Why are you so angry by the way'

Because it is a humanitarian crisis, the taliban are executing people and we have this clown wasting time and using scarce resources and posting constantly media to get dogs and cats out. Too right it makes me angry.

He's not diverting resources and he's using his own social media to save his staff and their families and risking his life to do so.

Be angry with Biden, Boris et al but don't criticise some one who is trying to save those that he feels personally responsible for(and who will likely save others along the way)

Doodlebug71 · 25/08/2021 21:29

@JaniieJones

'Why are you so angry by the way'

Because it is a humanitarian crisis, the taliban are executing people and we have this clown wasting time and using scarce resources and posting constantly media to get dogs and cats out. Too right it makes me angry.

You have utterly and totally missed his MO/point. PPs have explained his MO/Point, and you've refuted that/ignored it. You may even have reported posts explaining/reporting this, so that MN has deleted those posts. Go you. The ignorance remains. In every sense of the word.
Handsoffstrikesagain · 25/08/2021 21:30

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SueSaid · 25/08/2021 21:30

'But like I said, your anger would be better directed at the governments that created this monumental shit show. You're behaving as though Pen Farthing is going to be solely responsible'

His supporters and enablers are all over social media it is impossible not to have an opinion on this absolute circus. I can also be angry at the US's withdrawal.

Everyone keeps harping on about 'the hold'. It isn't about that. If he has vehicles and the ability to transport 200 dogs and cats and access the airport he should be transporting people to the airport. I'm sure 200 crates will be what, 2 busloads?!

NiceGerbil · 25/08/2021 21:30

I'm not being facetious. How do you know it's true?

Sounds like total bollocks to me.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 25/08/2021 21:32

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HarrietPierce · 25/08/2021 21:32

" we have this clown wasting time and using scarce resources and posting constantly media to get dogs and cats out. Too right it makes me angry."

Some clowns come to mind, our Prime Minister for one, but not Pen Farthing JaniieJones.

Doodlebug71 · 25/08/2021 21:32

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KidneyBeans · 25/08/2021 21:32

@Handsoffstrikesagain

Can you imagine the vitriol if Trump did this? Biden is not fit for office.
Trumps plan was to withdraw by May 1st
Classica · 25/08/2021 21:34

@Handsoffstrikesagain

Can you imagine the vitriol if Trump did this? Biden is not fit for office.
Umm...

You'll be shocked when you find out about Trump's withdrawal plans.

SecondCityShark · 25/08/2021 21:34

Good for him. A principled man.

powershowerforanhour · 25/08/2021 21:37

I meant there is a certain "space" in the public eye for fluffy creatures in peril. Desperate refugees aren't in the fight for that space, the Nowzad animals and Geronimo are.

SueSaid · 25/08/2021 21:41

@powershowerforanhour

I meant there is a certain "space" in the public eye for fluffy creatures in peril. Desperate refugees aren't in the fight for that space, the Nowzad animals and Geronimo are.
Yes it's like some weird blinkered thing going on. Forget the atrocities focus on the cute cats and dogs, rehoming them and everyone living happily ever after. I'm guessing some need this feel good story because they cannot cope with thr reality of the situation. Twitter is full of 'go Pen'. Utterly bizarre.
DogFoodPie · 25/08/2021 21:41

@Baluchistan95
Ex-Royal Marine. Not sure how you have deduced that he is ex-SAS.
Already been pointed out upthread however I think the point is that he is a former career military man who has served in the region and now lives there so he is going to have an informed opinion on how well the withdrawal of military forces has been handled.

UthredofBattenberg · 25/08/2021 21:43

Support him and what he's trying to do.

Many of his staff a female vets, he's doing his best to get his staff out. He could have fucked off weeks ago, but he's not. He's fighting for his staff to be evacuated. Organised a plane funded by entirely by donations which has seats to spare to help dozens of other eligible Afgan people leave.

So he wants to bring his animals and put them in the cargo hold. So what? People cant go there, why waste the space?

The MOD put an armoured car on a plane. And some people are up in arms about this guy trying his damn hardest to get his staff and animals to safety!

Give me strength...

NiceGerbil · 25/08/2021 21:45

I think it's really hard to face up to the cruelty etc that humans can do to each other, and that is just such a constant from daily news things to war and etc etc. It's too much to take in, you can't really do anything, and we're all the same species.

I don't blame people for focusing on other awful things tbh.

So I do get it.

snowballer · 25/08/2021 21:46

Forget the atrocities focus on the cute cats and dogs, rehoming them and everyone living happily ever after.

This just isn't the case, and I think you know that. In large scale crises over which people have no control at all, individuals will often get behind a singular cause or story, because it gives an element of control or hope. It's just not true to say people aren't thinking about the catastrophe that's unfolding. The sense of helplessness and despair is enormous. Stop rewriting what's happening, and stop telling people what they should or shouldn't feel; it doesn't make your case any better.

Petardos · 25/08/2021 21:49

You'll be shocked when you find out about Trump's withdrawal plans.

Proof?

EsmaCannonball · 25/08/2021 21:52

I feel things need summing up -

There are private chartered flights leaving Kabul airport for employees of foreign organisations or those who can afford to pay private security contractors. There is already queue-jumping and most of these flights are leaving with empty seats and only inanimate objects in the hold.

Technically humans could travel in the hold of a chartered plane but it would be a logistical nightmare, pretty dangerous, and the airline would probably refuse to fly as they would be uninsured.

The Taliban are not going to hunt down dogs and execute them, but they will kill them if they see them, they will kill people's pet dogs if they see them (they did this to a female Afghan sports coach a while ago), and I'm not sure what the punishment for having a pet dog is but it is forbidden and so there will be one. I'm guessing there will be a lot more strays as anyone with a dog will find it too risky, and the Taliban will kill those dogs, often in very horrible ways.

NiceGerbil · 25/08/2021 21:52

@UthredofBattenberg

Support him and what he's trying to do.

Many of his staff a female vets, he's doing his best to get his staff out. He could have fucked off weeks ago, but he's not. He's fighting for his staff to be evacuated. Organised a plane funded by entirely by donations which has seats to spare to help dozens of other eligible Afgan people leave.

So he wants to bring his animals and put them in the cargo hold. So what? People cant go there, why waste the space?

The MOD put an armoured car on a plane. And some people are up in arms about this guy trying his damn hardest to get his staff and animals to safety!

Give me strength...

It's a long thread and a lot of stuff has been covered.

The USA have left loads of serious military equipment there when they left which is now in the taleban hands.

Very bad news but given the situation not sure what other options, appalling as it is to essentially give them all that. So taking an armoured vehicle out is not entirely silly maybe it had some specialist systems or similar they couldn't really leave.

It could have all been destroyed I suppose? Not sure that would have been a good idea either.

In the end this sudden and fast USA withdrawal has really fucked things up.

It's an appalling situation.

The anger from those who fought and the families of those who lost their lives is totally understandable.

One ex soldier said he was angry but at least they had 20 years of a more normal life. Girls at uni women working freedom etc.

So many young people have grown up with more freedom and it's all just going to be gone.

Handsoffstrikesagain · 25/08/2021 21:52

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3cats4poniesandababy · 25/08/2021 21:58

@NiceGerbil the US equipment was given to the Afghan army to help them set up not just abandoned by the US military.

I can't say I am impressed at the why the US have withdrawn but equally you are making it sound like the US literally left equipment for the taliban. No the equipment was left for the Afghan army.

I have my criticism of the Afghan army and how the US/NATO trained them but that would be quite a long post.