Mercer seems to have been an officer who was well respected in the Army by all creeds and colours, and I am undecided about whether the man should be labelled a racist.
I think that if Mercer isn't a racist Cameron has made an error in sacking him, and if he is a racist Cameron's judgement must be called into question for giving him a front bench job in the first place.
What do others think?
2007-03-08 21:08:15 · 15 answers · asked by Spacephantom 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
OK Mojo - well spotted - I did mean Patrick Mercer of course. I'll blame that one on bad mousmanship.
2007-03-09 13:02:29 · update #1
What Mercer said about life in the forces was perfectly true as everybody is shouted at by NCOs, I certainly was and called a lot more insulting things than "black bastard" when I was deemed to be idle, or scruffy or some other such shortcoming. All my mates got the same kind of verbal abuse about their failings because being humiliated is all part of the discipline that makes you buck your ideas up in the forces if you needed to be made aware of things. That is the way it was and that is the way it is today. Mercer also apparently was well respected by his lads whatever race or colour they were and his battalion was a happy one.. But where Mercer went wrong was in saying something that as a senior politician he should not have said in the present epoch of "political correctness mania" and Cameron really had little choice but to move him off the front bench for saying what he did to the newspaper..
2007-03-08 22:00:18 · answer #1 · answered by Wamibo 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Mercer, is a realist. He knows what kind of banter goes on in the armed forces. If the recruits can't take it, they shouldn't be there. A lot of it is said without true malice, they are just testing out the character of the other person in order to get to know them better. Their life might depend on each other. Cameron, was pandering to the PC race police, he has over-reacted and I have lost respect for him. Mercer, was simply stating what goes on, not what he personally believes. How are we ever going to stop this PC nonsense, if people like Cameron feel cowed by it.
2007-03-09 05:29:00 · answer #2 · answered by Veritas 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What Mercer said about the army is the truth, it would have sensible if he had passed his opinion in a better way by stating that he did not agree with the many racist terms used. e.g, Spade, Sambo, Coon, Wop and Packi.
All these terms have come from the days of Empire and some were once used by some people as a normal figure of speech.
It is time that this terminology was outlawed and Cameron really had no other choice but to dismiss him.
2007-03-08 23:29:58 · answer #3 · answered by Renewable 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Cameron continues to alienate many who are sick of Blair. I don't believe Mercer was being racist, but Cameron jumped on the PC bandwagon and sacrificed him. How weak and cheap was that?
2007-03-09 02:52:32 · answer #4 · answered by I'm Sparticus 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No favours at all,many will think Mercer spoke the truth, many others will think this 'racist' thing is going well over the top.
Mercer also mentioned overweight troops not being up to scratch, should we start an 'anti fatty protection league'
2007-03-08 21:37:37 · answer #5 · answered by budding author 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Not Paul Mercer as well. and only a day after he sacked Patrick Mercer.
2007-03-09 06:03:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
So what you're particularly asserting is that the Tories are in simple terms like our GOP in that they are approximately one hundred years in the back of the the remainder of civilized society of their thinking. Oh wait, the Tories may well be ahead of the GOP of their thinking. The GOP and the Bush administration in particular, have an exceedingly southern plantation state of concepts and coverage shape.
2016-11-23 16:56:25 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a big mistake. mercer spoke his mind, relating personal first hand opinion of the way things actually are.
Sadly, our world has gone soft, pandering to every minority going. The army is a tough job in tough places, and not one where you need to be worried about politically correct speak.
If the army wants people willing to die (and they are dieing) then it cant use people who have the same attitudes as social workers. Cameron needs a pair a round things that dangle and should have backed his men, as Mercer did.
MERCER, also mentioned fat, lazy and ginger people, so he was not really referring to just colour people at all.
Perhaps I would get thumbs up, if i made a public apology to every minority for every wrong i or my ancestors have evercommitted. Thumbs down people - get a life, we live in a tough dog eat dog world in forces, i have been called a white honky myself, but it is the context of banter that matter most.
2007-03-08 21:11:55 · answer #8 · answered by dsclimb1 5 · 4⤊ 3⤋
He has only sacked him before the revelations of their torrid affair comes out. Cameron is no different from any of the rest - looks for scapegoats and won't take any blame.
2007-03-08 21:12:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
This is another case of somebody being castigated for telling the truth. As a Lt.Colonel who has been to war more than once with his men, he is in a prime position to say what really goes on, and I fail to see what the fuss is about. All I can say is More fool him for resigning!
2007-03-08 21:48:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋