17-08-12, 08:52 AM
Not wanting to get too Grahamm-esque but...
We?
[/quote]
Yes, we, the people of Britain, who were being represented by the ceremonies. We, the British people who understand that while there are immigrants who take the piss and break the rules there are a lot of non-immigrants who do the same things and lot a of immigrants who do things right and make the UK a better place. If that doesn't include you then that's a pity.
(16-08-12, 08:43 AM)Rusty link Wrote:[quote author=ozpom link=topic=4200.msg35041#msg35041 date=1345101255]
To show the world that we're aware of it and glad of it.
We?
[/quote]
Yes, we, the people of Britain, who were being represented by the ceremonies. We, the British people who understand that while there are immigrants who take the piss and break the rules there are a lot of non-immigrants who do the same things and lot a of immigrants who do things right and make the UK a better place. If that doesn't include you then that's a pity.
(16-08-12, 08:43 AM)Rusty link Wrote:Perhaps we should also have celebrated how wonderful it is to be in the EU? Or replaced the Union flags with Brussels star circles and had our MP's march along waving them as examples of personal integrity and trustworthyness? The whole thing was political propaganda, stage managed confection, total bollox intended to project an image of a Britain that doesn't actually exist.Yes, they are, but as often happens in these sorts of discussions you're taking things to extremes to dodge the question. I'm not going to push this any further as I'll just be dismissed as a lefty pinko tree-hugger :rolleyes
The athletes did well, but they were and are being used as political pawns.
Quote:Ozpom - the opening ceremony was massively diverse! The actors of various skin colours playing parts that would have been white at the time, the whole section about the immigrant workforce to rebuild after the war. The section about teenagers appears to be about teenagers in that particular part of London (this made me laugh actually as I got a message from the Brazilian side of the family asking where the English kids were!). Add in the volunteers and flag carriers of various backgrounds (including a lot of head scarves but no burka that I saw) there was a pretty obvious mix of people through the games.Ah yes, I admit I'd forgotten the post-war immigration part. And yes, there was a good ethnic mix in the people who took part. It's just that no specific mention was made of how good it is that GB is a colourful mix of cultures, it was just left in the background. Maybe they though they'd offend too many Daily Mail readers
Sadness is just another word for not enough coffee