I am a patriot – an immensely proud father of two sons. Both my boys served in the British army, and my eldest, Tom, made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country in Iraq. So I have a strong view on Jeremy Corbyn and patriotism.
Corbyn has found himself at the blunt end of a lot of criticism in the media for his supposed lack of patriotism for notsinging along with gusto to the national anthem during a memorial service to mark the Battle of Britain at St Paul’s Cathedral earlier this week. Battle of Britain veterans were quoted as saying the Labour leader’s “lack of respect” was astonishing.
But I think those who criticise Corbyn should look more deeply at his record. Surely a true patriot is not just a person who follows the laid-out rituals, but one who defends the honour of his country at all levels with pride and vigour. A true patriot would not mislead or deceive his fellow countrymen or put them in harm’s way with no good reason. A patriot would wish to see his country held in high esteem on the world stage with other UN nations firmly in support. This is the man we know Jeremy Corbyn is, from all his words and deeds.
Sadly, in sharp contrast we had a false patriot in a leaders such as Tony Blair who would gladly smile and sing his heart out to the national anthem for all to see, but who at the same time was misleading parliament on Iraq, misleading the people and worst of all misleading those brave troops who were to lay down their lives.
To me he’s the political equivalent of Chumbawumba.
Pap.
This is nothing to do with Patriotism. It is about RESPECT. That was not a Britain is Brilliant event, it was a Memorial Service.
To REMEMBER PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT CORBYN COULD BE BORN IN A LAND WHERE HE COULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE HIS POLITICAL OPINION.
Stop with the excuses. For that act there are none and they just annoy people even more.
He fvcked up.
Even if he is Joan of Arc, The Second Coming or what. He fvcked up GLOBALLY.
Originally posted by @Dubai_Phil
Pap.
This is nothing to do with Patriotism. It is about RESPECT. That was not a Britain is Brilliant event, it was a Memorial Service.
To REMEMBER PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT CORBYN COULD BE BORN IN A LAND WHERE HE COULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE HIS POLITICAL OPINION.
Stop with the excuses. For that act there are none and they just annoy people even more.
He fvcked up.
Even if he is Joan of Arc, The Second Coming or what. He fvcked up GLOBALLY.
He WAS showing respect by standing silently with his head bowed. He wasn’t posing for the camera like Foolish Fallon. He was being honest to his principles. Perhaps you’d rather we lived in country where people are punished for not ‘respecting’ the national flag / head of state. That’s what happened in Nazi Germany wasn’t it - and in N Korea now?
Rather a principled man than a hypocrite - there are enough of those in government.
Originally posted by @Coxford_lou
Originally posted by @Sadoldgit
Never voted Labour in my life but I find the bumbling non media savvy JC a refreshing change from the freshly scrubbed anodyne talking heads we have had to endure since Blair. I want my policitcal parties and politicians to be different. I want a real choice. At last we are moving back to something approaching that. And as much as many people are laughing at JCs “naiviety” many are engaged by it and it is good to see Labour becoming something more than a watered down Tory Party again.
Easy to say when it’s not the party you vote for.
And given Tony Blair and New Labour approach was such a big influence on Cameron, and brought the Tories to the centre ground, you could argue the Tories are a watered down version of New Labour. And I do think that Blair took Labour far further to the Right than Cameron took the Tories to the Left.
You are right, it is easy for me to say - but he does seem to be very popular with a lot of people who were not impressed with New Labour.
Originally posted by @hoofinruth
Originally posted by @Dubai_Phil
Pap.
This is nothing to do with Patriotism. It is about RESPECT. That was not a Britain is Brilliant event, it was a Memorial Service.
To REMEMBER PEOPLE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SO THAT CORBYN COULD BE BORN IN A LAND WHERE HE COULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE HIS POLITICAL OPINION.
Stop with the excuses. For that act there are none and they just annoy people even more.
He fvcked up.
Even if he is Joan of Arc, The Second Coming or what. He fvcked up GLOBALLY.
He WAS showing respect by standing silently with his head bowed. He wasn’t posing for the camera like Foolish Fallon. He was being honest to his principles. Perhaps you’d rather we lived in country where people are punished for not ‘respecting’ the national flag / head of state. That’s what happened in Nazi Germany wasn’t it - and in N Korea now?
Rather a principled man than a hypocrite - there are enough of those in government.
It is absolutely fine that he has principles and is willing to stand by them - it’s just that his supporters must accept that they will attract a great deal of incoming fire when he does something in line with his principles that great swathes of the the public don’t like.
Phil does raise a good point - in theory he wants to lead the UK on the world stage - how he is perceived outside the UK will determine just how effective he is at doing that if he gets that opportunity
Not sure that he fucked up. If you dont believe in God and you are a Republican, wouldnt it be massively hypocritical of you to sing along happily to the National Anthem? You can respect the people who gave their lives for us without singing an outdated and outmoded song.
As Ruth points out, it’s about respect for the fallen. I’ve not got enough respect for the Queen to sing her anthem, but I’ve enough to stand silently when remembering the people that have fought for this country. Most of our families have been affected by war at some stage; we’ve all got for respect for that. That does not mean that I’m any less heartfelt about the loss if I don’t sing God Save the Queen.
I know that professional forces take the Queen’s Shilling. I know that there is some other archaic protocol that Corbyn has to negotiate with the Privy Council, bending the knee. It’s 2015, most countries are bumbling along just fine without deciding their head of state by which womb it comes out of, and in which order. These are medieval concepts that I personally disagree with. One of the reasons I love my country so much is I’m still allowed to.
I liked this quote from one of my FB friends:-
I’ve just watch Prime Minister’s Question Time. As you do.
Jeremy Corbyn: The Jarvis Cocker of Politics?
Seriously: he shouldn’t be a pop star. He is classic Not A Pop Star material. And yet you wouldn’t bet against him getting a number one single.
Guys, apparently Corbyn had sex around 40 years ago. This guy cannot possibly be the leader of a political party much less the PM of the country!
Sex! It’s just barbaric! It’s entirely unnatrual! What sort of a human being has sex? I am outraged.
It is not so much that he slipped Diane Abbot one 40 years ago, its the press trying to make something of the fact that he didn’t intercede when Abbott and a backbencher were having a row - because he slipped her one 40 years ago.
The irony is the press don’t need to grub up this kinda of crap about Corbyn. I’m sure he will provide enough headlines himself.
Originally posted by @CB-Saint
It is not so much that he slipped Diane Abbot one 40 years ago, its the press trying to make something of the fact that he didn’t intercede when Abbott and a backbencher were having a row - because he slipped her one 40 years ago.
They’d have a job, if the human experience is much to go by. The vast majority of rows I have had have been with ladies good enough to bonk me 
The irony is the press don’t need to grub up this kinda of crap about Corbyn. I’m sure he will provide enough headlines himself.
Doing alright so far, I reckon. No-one is going to forget John McDonnell’s appearance on QT in a hurry.
To be honest CB I didn’t bother properly reading the story. Just saw that Corbyn was in the news again for having had the temerity to have sex c.40 years ago.
Found it hilarious how far the press are willing to contort themselves to attack the bloke.
I look forward to next wave of attacks:
CORBYN SHAT HIMSELF, AGED 2.
Edit: corrected a typo. Still cant use my stupid phone.
Originally posted by @KRG
To be honest CB I didn’t bother properly reading the stroy. Just saw that Corbyn was in the news again for having had the temerity to have sex c.40 years ago.
Found it hilarious how far the press are willing to contort themselves to attack the bloke.
I look forward to next wave of attacks:
CORBYN SHAT HIMSELF, AGED 2.
On that note, sir may enjoy this from Mark Steel.
You could tell how chaotic his leadership would be from the start, when he gave some important jobs in his party to people he agrees with. This provoked outrage. If he was being inclusive, instead of appointing John McDonnell as shadow chancellor, he’d have given the job to Jeremy Clarkson.
The other complaint about his Shadow Cabinet was the low number of women appointed, only 16 out of 31 rather than the half he promised.
The Sun complained of an “equality blunder”, and you can understand their frustration as they’ve always been uncompromising with their feminist demands, devoting every day’s Page 3 to poems by Mexican women’s rights campaigners, no matter how strong the protests to stop.
He didn’t even give a job to Yvette Cooper, on the grounds that she’d said she wouldn’t take it. But if he really cared about women’s equality, he’d have said “you’ll do whatever job I bloody well give you, love”, and the problem would be solved.
I’m liking this
I imagine many of the families who use the food banks would take issue with being regarded as beggars.
I bet they hate begging more.
Originally posted by @pap
Originally posted by @CB-Saint
I imagine many of the families who use the food banks would take issue with being regarded as beggars.
I bet they hate begging more.
Not saying they are enjoying the experience - I can only imagine that it is humiliating to have to rely on charity. Calling them beggars is, IMO, needlessly heaping further degradation upon them.