In todays news...

[MyLittleStudPony]

There are times when identity politics goes too far: diversity this, inclusivity that, equity, reparations(!)...

This is not one of those times. An eminently sensible decision on the face of it.

An interesting thought on reparations. This was also in today's news:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/royals-should ... 01387.html

More people polled thought the royal family should pay reparations than thought they shouldn't.

It tended to be the younger folk who thought they should and the older, Brexity types who thought the royals should hold onto money made from the slave trade.

[Potter]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-65471314

That's put the kybosh on that racialism. And rightly so.

Has this little storm in a tea cup silenced the lambs for you Pony?

IMO it was unwise to display the dolls and very unwise to argue that they weren't a racist symbol, but how easily the dull minds of the moaning classes are pacified.

Take one little part of it, Heineken boycotted the pub because of the dolls, ok, in isolation I'm fine with that, but Heineken also supply their drug to African countries that routinely commit atrocities on their own people and they're still massive in Russia.

They proudly state - "Our balanced portfolio of premium, mainstream and economy brands is a key driver of our success in Africa..."
They've been very active in Russia through their sister brands, despite promising not to - https://movendi.ngo/news/2023/02/26/hei ... 0companies.

They stopped supplying one pub to quieten the chattering little Englanders, but they carry on ploughing the fertile fields of Africa and Russia.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's one of the reasons I don't drink their products.

[Screwdriver]

Has this little storm in a tea cup silenced the lambs for you Pony?

IMO it was unwise to display the dolls and very unwise to argue that they weren't a racist symbol, but how easily the dull minds of the moaning classes are pacified.

Take one little part of it, Heineken boycotted the pub because of the dolls, ok, in isolation I'm fine with that, but Heineken also supply their drug to African countries that routinely commit atrocities on their own people and they're still massive in Russia.

They proudly state - "Our balanced portfolio of premium, mainstream and economy brands is a key driver of our success in Africa..."
They've been very active in Russia through their sister brands, despite promising not to - https://movendi.ngo/news/2023/02/26/hei ... 0companies.

They stopped supplying one pub to quieten the chattering little Englanders, but they carry on ploughing the fertile fields of Africa and Russia.

A couple of observations:

That is the entire reason this sort of "virtue signalling" is imho appropriate in this circumstance. Racism is not black and white (!) it has shades of grey but there are times when a situation is so far over the line a civilised society needs to put it's foot down and say "that's going too far".

Secondly, I am uncomfortable with the idea of belittling "dullards" (much as I enjoy that type of sport on this forum when the occasion demands), each and every individual on this planet is equal in merit and if you consider yourself say, more intellectual than "the herd" you should also remember, there are way more of "them" than there are of "you".

Remembering how Karl Marx used that fact to his advantage (and what the left are up to now!) should make it an easier pill to swallow because we must allow for this sort of hypocrisy to quell "the masses". Yes it is "a white lie" as you suggest and while I am no great fan of big business, sometimes we do have to compromise.

Interesting fact. In the Eskimo language while they might have a dozen words for "snow" they do not have words for "advertising" or "branding". Instead they merely use the word we translate as "lies". Sometimes the simple truth is more accurate.

[Horse]

Interesting fact. In the Eskimo language while they might have a dozen words for "snow" they do not have words for "advertising" or "branding". Instead they merely use the word we translate as "lies". Sometimes the simple truth is more accurate.

Other interesting facts are that there are seven 'Eskimo' languages (including five 'Inuit') and that 'Eskimo' is often considered racist but many do not like 'Inuit' because it is not a word/term of their own.

Sometimes the simple what is more accurate?

All this found while Googling for the 'lies' claim. Which didn't appear in search results.

[Potter]

Secondly, I am uncomfortable with the idea of belittling "dullards"...

If you don't then they might end up forming groups, most large scale atrocities start with some sort of mistruth being peddled to arouse the dullards and before you know it they'll be defending statues from Muslim Ray Gun gangs, trying to defund the police, following megalomaniacs like Hitler, or grabbing pitchforks to kill people that confuse them.

Pointing out that they're not thinking properly might stave that off a bit.
I learned a lot from having my mind changed about things, but if no one had ever attempted to change my mind then I'd never have learned anything.

[Screwdriver]

There is a difference between belittling with insults and pacifying with education (or merely virtue signalling).
We should have learned that during Br*x*t.

[Yambo]

Take one little part of it, Heineken boycotted the pub because of the dolls, ok, in isolation I'm fine with that, but Heineken also supply their drug to African countries that routinely commit atrocities on their own people and they're still massive in Russia.

No, Heineken boycotted the pub because the dolls made the news.

[Potter]

No, Heineken boycotted the pub because the dolls made the news.

The war in Ukraine also made the news.
If you look hard enough you can also find news about Africa - although it's harder to find, presumably the news is racist too.

[DefTrap]

I too am uncomfortable about the unfairness with the Golly-pub story.

For fairness, they should expose everyone who has a golly tucked away in a drawer for their rainy-day-light-racism, when they want to take them out and dance them around or wave them at a passing foreigner for the bants. And then they should carve a swastika on their foreheads like in that Tarantino, so that we all know

[Count Steer]

I too am uncomfortable about the unfairness with the Golly-pub story.

For fairness, they should expose everyone who has a golly tucked away in a drawer for their rainy-day-light-racism, when they want to take them out and dance them around or wave them at a passing foreigner for the bants. And then they should carve a swastika on their foreheads like in that Tarantino, so that we all know

I have a book written by Helen Bannerman in 1899 that would probably stop Heineken providing me with products if I put it on prominent display. Probably makes it a valuable talisman against bad lager A copy of Robinson Crusoe should also fend of any incoming modern 'IPA'.

[Yorick]

What a twat..

McHugh, 28, told the court he had drunk six beers and 10 double shots of spirits, and had taken up to seven lines of cocaine before the collision at 2.45am on Sunday 9 October last year.
https://news.sky.com/story/man-found-gu ... y-12873018
.

[Bike Breaker]

I too am uncomfortable about the unfairness with the Golly-pub story.

For fairness, they should expose everyone who has a golly tucked away in a drawer for their rainy-day-light-racism, when they want to take them out and dance them around or wave them at a passing foreigner for the bants. And then they should carve a swastika on their foreheads like in that Tarantino, so that we all know

That would be me. I own a gollywog that was a present to me years ago and therefore, for me, has great sentimental value. He is slightly less than 6" tall and sits in a model sidecar, the rider of the motorcycle being a teddy bear. This is on a high shelf in the corner of my living room.

It's possible the animal welfare people will get here first to burn me at the stake.

[MingtheMerciless]

I too am uncomfortable about the unfairness with the Golly-pub story.

For fairness, they should expose everyone who has a golly tucked away in a drawer for their rainy-day-light-racism, when they want to take them out and dance them around or wave them at a passing foreigner for the bants. And then they should carve a swastika on their foreheads like in that Tarantino, so that we all know

I have a book written by Helen Bannerman in 1899 that would probably stop Heineken providing me with products if I put it on prominent display. Probably makes it a valuable talisman against bad lager A copy of Robinson Crusoe should also fend of any incoming modern 'IPA'.

I'm sure my copy of Farnham's Freehold by Heinlein (first published in 1964) would get me added to "the list" and my user name could be considered an issue as well.

[Count Steer]

I too am uncomfortable about the unfairness with the Golly-pub story.

For fairness, they should expose everyone who has a golly tucked away in a drawer for their rainy-day-light-racism, when they want to take them out and dance them around or wave them at a passing foreigner for the bants. And then they should carve a swastika on their foreheads like in that Tarantino, so that we all know

I have a book written by Helen Bannerman in 1899 that would probably stop Heineken providing me with products if I put it on prominent display. Probably makes it a valuable talisman against bad lager A copy of Robinson Crusoe should also fend of any incoming modern 'IPA'.

I'm sure my copy of Farnham's Freehold by Heinlein (first published in 1964) would get me added to "the list" and my user name could be considered an issue as well.

Quite a few Heinlein (and other sci-fi authors) books of the 60s and 70s would raise eyebrows if published today. I've been reading quite a few of the Masterworks series recently. Some of them haven't, erm, aged very well. Pretty accurate reflection of how things were though so editing/banning them would be an attempt to rewrite history.

On the golly theme, the Robinson's golliwog badges were essential additions to mod's parkas in my yoof. I did a bit of googling and there's still a busy trade in them and some are worth £££s. Got the lollpipop man one somewhere. It looks like the last badges/statuettes were made as recently as 1999/2000 - which is a bit surprising.

[KungFooBob]

My wife collects those little golly figurines, the racist bitch!

They're on prominent display in the study, along with her Myths and Magic collection.

[Horse]

My wife collects those little golly figurines, the racist bitch!

They're on prominent display in the study, along with her Myths and Legends collection.

Make up some miniature BLM placards for them, see how long before she notices

[Mussels]

There are times when identity politics goes too far: diversity this, inclusivity that, equity, reparations(!)...

This is not one of those times. An eminently sensible decision on the face of it.

An interesting thought on reparations. This was also in today's news:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/royals-should ... 01387.html

More people polled thought the royal family should pay reparations than thought they shouldn't.

It tended to be the younger folk who thought they should and the older, Brexity types who thought the royals should hold onto money made from the slave trade.

When African nations agree to pay reparations I might pay some attention to this sins of your father stuff.

[Screwdriver]

That would be me. I own a gollywog that was a present to me years ago ...

The item itself is just "stuff". It makes no representation, does not stand for anything and has no political affiliation etc. Whatever response it might provoke are all in the mind of the observer. The object itself is merely an historical artefact. It might mean "Robertsons Jam" to you or memories of the person who made it a gift. One of the reasons for its historical popularity is that it is also an interesting graphical element.

It might not have the same connotations to anyone who has some skin in the game but that is irrelevant in one's own private home.

If however such an item is placed on prominent display in a public space, lit. "public house" in this case, then that is a kind of statement made by the proprietor. It might be saying "I used to work for Robertsons" or "I collect these figures" but a random non-partisan observer might easily make a connection to the racial slur that became associated with that formerly innocuous figure.

Such a public house is a licensed premises and that licence, I would argue, implies conformity to public standards of decency and propriety which are formed from a consensus of public opinion. That is why if anyone complains about a feature in a public space, then a decision has to be made within the legal framework relating to the provision of those public services or premises.

[Mussels]

TFL confirm there is smoke without fire.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65501041

The London Fire Brigade attended the station and confirmed there was no fire.

We had no idea what was going on. People on the platform and in the Tube were smashing through the windows to get out. I now realise that's because the Tube carriages were filling with smoke.