Prince Harry caught on video using a racist slur

[sherby]

what do we think about this one then?

You would think after the nazi thing he would've learnt his lesson no?

Hang on! not quite 30 years, actually. My math skills clearly haven't improved.

edam - I can see 4 posts in total, 3 the same and the 4th apologising, or is it just me?

have just watched the video on youtube.
he actually made me laugh when he pretended to be on the phone to his grandma.
and pretending to give instructions.
poor fucker, not that he needs my sympathy, but really what a life the poor boy leads.
he goes fighting in Afghanistan and we still all bang on about what a big sponger he is and how he does nothing.
this kind of reporting makes me want to emigrate, really. we are all so drunk on our own righteous indignation and smugness.

The video clip shows Harry for what he really is, stupid - clearly promoted into the army due to his connections and not his intelligence. If he wasnt funded by me as a taxpayer it wouldn't bother me as much but he is, so I am afraid I won't accept his apology and now seek his resignation from public life - please just go away.

What he said about the asian officer is deeply offensive - this racist remark cannot be compared to terms such as aussie or frogs - if you think that you clearly have no understanding of racism - it should always be challenged and not dismissed / justified as banter.

Harry is fab. Looked at in context he is not being racially offensive.

what??

Banter between blokes in the army, like in boarding schools, is based on abusive terms being used in affection eg Fatty. There is no intent of racial offence here.

I don't actually dislike Harry per se. He is just a product of his upbringing and a bog standard army officer.

I think the argument isn't actually to do with him. He's not going to be disciplined, even if they pretend they are going to, and why should he be really? He doesn't understand what he has done wrong.

What is distressing is the absolute non understanding of the basic premise of what constitutes being 'racist' by the army etc.

And I don't think anyone is ever going to change that. As I said before, they just don't 'get' it.

fgs Podrick - it is hardly the same as calling someone 'fatty'

"our little paki mate" I'm sorry but I find that downright offensive.

I think it is outrageous that a member of the Royal Family, and a young and supposedly 'liberal' one at that thinks it is fine to behave in this way.

It is not fine. Not by any stretch of the imagination and to say there is no racial offence meant is just ridiculous imo.

Not going to comment on Harry-but I do wonder how many people on this thread realise what the British Army is like these days? There are a LOT of Foreign Nationals who now serve in the army-Fijians, Ghanains, South Africans, Gurkas obviously and yes there are problems but most people I know just get on with it-and each other. My DH has a black ASM (most senior soldier in his Company) a black Woman Captain and a black OC (major)-out of 3 officers. Within the Company was also a Gay Staff Sergeant who was in a Civil partnership and living in Married Quarters. AFAIK none of these people feel in any way discriminated against.

I think it isa little bizarre to make statements like "He doesn't understand what he has done wrong." We clearly have no evidence for the type of person Harry is, and so make sweeping statements based on ignorance and prejudice is just very unhelpful. not particularly your remarks bagsforlife but plenty of examples on this thread.
I think there is probably a lack of understanding on both sides, from the people I have spoken to about over the last few days. people who have been in the armed forces think that those who are outraged don't really understand what that culture is like and without knowing this context they can't understand the intention and the context and therefore are mistakenly thinking this is a racist slurt when it isn't

and those people who are outraged think that the forces/upper classes/royal family/ the "other people" are spoilt and stupid and don't really understand that this term is racist and offensive in the "real world"

and so the NOTW and the vile media scum have stirred up some more hatred and misunderstanding and nasty tribalism.

and the world is a slightly worse place because we are all so keen to be satisfyingly outraged about it, to see it i comfortingly black and white terms, rather than trying to see the other side of the argument.

I hate it that so many people are so easily suckered into this nasty little media circus every time.

by the way I think it is interesting that the headline is Harry is "caught" on video. he is making the video himself.

Prince Harry went to Afghanistan because he wanted to. He is a serving officer and they want to do active service. If he hadn't wanted to go, he wouldn't have gone.

Having said that, he did a good job, as do all the other army personnel out there. No better nor worse.

He gets paid a huge amount of money just for being Prince Harry (his army salary will be a drop in the ocean compared to his private wealth, pocket money really).The media circus is the price he pays for the life he leads. It doesn't take much to tow the line and not say anything stupid. However, I still maintain he doesn't realise what he said was offensive. Not for any proper reason but through inbred ignorance.

Prince Harry went to Afghanistan because he wanted to. He is a serving officer and they want to do active service. If he hadn't wanted to go, he wouldn't have gone.

Having said that, he did a good job, as do all the other army personnel out there. No better nor worse.

He gets paid a huge amount of money just for being Prince Harry (his army salary will be a drop in the ocean compared to his private wealth, pocket money really).The media circus is the price he pays for the life he leads. It doesn't take much to tow the line and not say anything stupid. However, I still maintain he doesn't realise what he said was offensive. Not for any proper reason but through inbred ignorance.

oops sorry for double posting, computer playing up.

oops sorry for double posting, computer playing up.

no I don't really understand
"He gets paid a huge amount of money just for being Prince Harry"
"the media circus is the price he pays for the life he leads"
I have no idea what that means. he receives his army salary (which he earns) and he receives money from his trust funds. he isn't "paid" money from the government. it is his money, from his mother and father.
I don't really see why he has to "Pay a price" for that.
as for "inbred ignorance" - well that is just gratuitously insulting.
"inbred" is a pretty vile term of abuse.
to state that all "public school" types don't "get" racism is pretty stunningly ignorant in itself, as well as being grossly generalising and insulting.

next thing, someone will be calling his dead mother a slut and calling him a bastard and his father a cuckold. because it doesn't really matter, they are too rich and thick and stupid for the normal rules of human decency to apply to them.
or something.

Bagsforlife - sorry but this is a gripe of mine. It's not just the Army in Afganhistan, the RAF and Royal marines are out there as well, also doing a good job.

There seems to be a lot of comments on here about how racist the Armed Forces are, well I have come across lots of Irish men called Paddy, Scots called Jock, Welshmen called Taffy, a white south african man called Zulu,and yes, 1 Asian whose nickname was Abdul. The thing is, everyone has a nickname, some worse than others.
The P word isn't right, it has, mostly been stamped out, but I don't think, having watched the video clip, that it said in a hateful way. Not like some thugs who go round tormenting foreign nationals.
I would be interested to hear the views on the person who was claled the name, adn if Harry was making the vidoe himself, then who was it for, as if it was his and its been given to the NOTW then someone must have stolen it surely

No, I certainly don't think his 'dead mother is a slut', I don't think he is a 'bastard', whether his father is a 'cuckold' hmmm,.

I do understand the armed forces all have nicknames. I do understand he is probably called 'Ginger' etc. I don't think he understands what he has done wrong. I do think he doesn't equate 'our little Paki friend' with being patronising and insulting. It's not his fault. I don't think he should be removed from public duty. I think he's quite pleasant really.

I still think the upper echelons of society, as a whole, think that political correctness has gone too far etc., and they equate calling someone a Paki with that sentiment. Mainly because they still regard themselves as basically superior.This is obviously a very simplistic view, and there will be a few exceptions, but one which I happen to hold.

The media circus gets on my nerves too. But the media circus also plays to all the pro Royals on numerous other occasions. I don't agree with trial by media. This is my personal opinion about Prince Harry. Strangely, I am not influenced by the News of the World (contrary to what you may think).

I also do realise about all the other forces in Afghanistan.

No, I certainly don't think his 'dead mother is a slut', I don't think he is a 'bastard', whether his father is a 'cuckold' hmmm,.

I do understand the armed forces all have nicknames. I do understand he is probably called 'Ginger' etc. I don't think he understands what he has done wrong. I do think he doesn't equate 'our little Paki friend' with being patronising and insulting. It's not his fault. I don't think he should be removed from public duty. I think he's quite pleasant really.

I still think the upper echelons of society, as a whole, think that political correctness has gone too far etc., and they equate calling someone a Paki with that sentiment. Mainly because they still regard themselves as basically superior.This is obviously a very simplistic view, and there will be a few exceptions, but one which I happen to hold.

The media circus gets on my nerves too. But the media circus also plays to all the pro Royals on numerous other occasions. I don't agree with trial by media. This is my personal opinion about Prince Harry. Strangely, I am not influenced by the News of the World (contrary to what you may think).

I also do realise about all the other forces in Afghanistan.

I am sure Prince Harry isn't losing any sleep over it. Shouldn't think he cares less what the News of the World thinks about him, or whether they whip up any media frenzy about him. Even less what a 'whole load of twittering women on the internet'think either

By scaredoflove on Mon 12-Jan-09 11:53:40

would there have been this uproar if he had spoken of a short australian?? Our little aussie friend?

By seeker on Mon 12-Jan-09 11:56:51

Thing is, people who are saying that it's the same as saying "our little Aussie friend" are missing the point - I can only assume deliberately.

maybe i am a bit thick but could someone explain to me the difference between paki and aussie. even jock - which i am - doesnt bother me

Jock, Aussie, Taffy, Pom - these are all insulting names that are used between people who consider themselves largely equal. Paki is a derogatory term used by people who consider themselves superior. It's the same as nigger. And anyone who doesn't know this must have been living in a sealed box since 1970.

And another thing. If people who belong to a minority group choose to use derogatory certain words about themselves, then that is their prerogative. It does not give other people the right to use the same words. I would question their motives - sometimes people use such language as a defence mechanism, either as an attempt to fit in, or to get in first with the insults.

lol @ me living in a sealed box
i dont think so somehow