Prince Philip dies at age 99

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

Mandela is no Ghandi

Mostly because Mandela actually liked black South Africans.

brutal

[The Second Barrier]

Didn't expect this shit to happen. Unexpected considering how long both the Queen and Phillip lived for

God bless him, and may he rest in peace

https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/ ... 5323212800
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-09/ ... 99/8496412

Yes, I get it, he was fairly unwell in recent times. But considering how long the British Royals have lived for without passing away is shocking.

The guy was 99, he could die at any moment

[Fartsniffage]

Didn't expect this shit to happen. Unexpected considering how long both the Queen and Phillip lived for

God bless him, and may he rest in peace

https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/ ... 5323212800
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-09/ ... 99/8496412

Yes, I get it, he was fairly unwell in recent times. But considering how long the British Royals have lived for without passing away is shocking.

The guy was 99, he could die at any moment

Not going to speak for any of the other Brits here but it wasn't like that for me. Intellectually I knew he was old and I knew he had just come out of hospital so his death was likely.

But emotionally he's been around my entire life. He was a constant. And the news hit like a punch in the gut.

[Ariddia]

Mandela is no Ghandi

Mostly because Mandela actually liked black South Africans.

Contrary to the nonsense propagated these days by ignorant wokists, Gandhi expressed his support for black South Africans, and tended to injured Zulu soldiers during the Bambatha Uprising in 1906. He was also an inspiration to African liberation struggles across the continent. There's a good reason why icons of black Africa from Kwame Nkrumah to Nelson Mandela drew inspiration from him and respected him.

Could we perhaps stop crying "racism!" where there is none? It diminishes and trivialises the brutal reality of racism where it does in fact exist.

[Ethel mermania]

The dyslexic in me thinks of phillip riding a bmx bike.

The guy has had my dream job for longer than I have been alive. I always wanted to be known as the queen's plaything.

May he rest in peace.

I don’t think Mrs Mermania would be happy with that

The sacrifices we make for God and country.

[Ethel mermania]

Nah I'm intentional

Up the RA

Up the Royal Academy? Up the Rental Agreement? Up the Republic of Armenia? Up the Resident's Association? Up the Rainforest Alliance? Up the Rebel Alliance? Up the Rambler's Association? Up the Radiocommunication Assembly? Up the Registered Aromatherapist? Up the Roundhead Association? Up the Research Assistant?

Wouldn't that last one get you in trouble with your professional society?

Just sayin.

[Vassenor]

Mostly because Mandela actually liked black South Africans.

Contrary to the nonsense propagated these days by ignorant wokists, Gandhi expressed his support for black South Africans, and tended to injured Zulu soldiers during the Bambatha Uprising in 1906. He was also an inspiration to African liberation struggles across the continent. There's a good reason why icons of black Africa from Kwame Nkrumah to Nelson Mandela drew inspiration from him and respected him.

Could we perhaps stop crying "racism!" where there is none? It diminishes and trivialises the brutal reality of racism where it does in fact exist.

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

[Thermodolia]

Up the Royal Academy? Up the Rental Agreement? Up the Republic of Armenia? Up the Resident's Association? Up the Rainforest Alliance? Up the Rebel Alliance? Up the Rambler's Association? Up the Radiocommunication Assembly? Up the Registered Aromatherapist? Up the Roundhead Association? Up the Research Assistant?

Wouldn't that last one get you in trouble with your professional society?

Just sayin.

It was consensual

[Thermodolia]

Contrary to the nonsense propagated these days by ignorant wokists, Gandhi expressed his support for black South Africans, and tended to injured Zulu soldiers during the Bambatha Uprising in 1906. He was also an inspiration to African liberation struggles across the continent. There's a good reason why icons of black Africa from Kwame Nkrumah to Nelson Mandela drew inspiration from him and respected him.

Could we perhaps stop crying "racism!" where there is none? It diminishes and trivialises the brutal reality of racism where it does in fact exist.

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

And I’m sure you have a source for that

[Ariddia]

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

Funnily enough, I've never seen anyone indicate where that quote supposedly comes from. Until I do, I'll take it with a pinch of salt. (Pun intended.)

But even if he did say it, the key point is that he later realised his initial assumptions about black South Africans were wrong, and he supported their struggles for human dignity.

Any reasonable person would respect him for the views he ended up holding, rather than demonise him for the ignorance of his youth which he realised was wrong.

But then, it's become fashionable for the simple-minded to do the latter. No-one was absolutely above reproach, and therefore everyone must be torn down.

[The Archregimancy]

American speaking, have no care for the British monarchy in both current and historical context, as such have no care for Mr. Philip's titles or blood.

Seeing an American refer to the Duke of Edinburgh as 'Mr Philip' reminds me of a slightly amusing family Prince Philip anecdote....

Back in the 1970s, my father was made a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics & its Applications; Prince Philip was president and/or patron at the time, and a reception was held for all of the Fellows, which is how my father met him.

Fast forward a few years to 1980/81, and my family moved to the United States (my parents and brother in 1980; I followed from my school in Edinburgh in '81). My father was taking a job as a safety inspector for civilian nuclear power plants, and the US immigration authorities - not unreasonably - wanted to see his proof of qualifications; we wouldn't want to have unqualified nuclear power plant inspectors, after all.

One of my father's qualifications was his signed IMA fellowship certificate. He handed it over to the immigration official, who looked it up and down suspiciously and asked "Who's this 'Philip', and why doesn't he have a surname?".

[Vassenor]

Funnily enough, I've never seen anyone indicate where that quote supposedly comes from. Until I do, I'll take it with a pinch of salt. (Pun intended.)

But even if he did say it, the key point is that he later realised his initial assumptions about black South Africans were wrong, and he supported their struggles for human dignity.

Any reasonable person would respect him for the views he ended up holding, rather than demonise him for the ignorance of his youth which he realised was wrong.

But then, it's become fashionable for the simple-minded to do the latter. No-one was absolutely above reproach, and therefore everyone must be torn down.

Or we need to stop sanitising history for the sake of comfort.

[The Archregimancy]

Up the Royal Academy? Up the Rental Agreement? Up the Republic of Armenia? Up the Resident's Association? Up the Rainforest Alliance? Up the Rebel Alliance? Up the Rambler's Association? Up the Radiocommunication Assembly? Up the Registered Aromatherapist? Up the Roundhead Association? Up the Research Assistant?

Wouldn't that last one get you in trouble with your professional society?

Just sayin.

No worse than anything I did with Marion Ravenwood.

[The Blaatschapen]

American speaking, have no care for the British monarchy in both current and historical context, as such have no care for Mr. Philip's titles or blood.

Seeing an American refer to the Duke of Edinburgh as 'Mr Philip' reminds me of a slightly amusing family Prince Philip anecdote....

Back in the 1970s, my father was made a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics & its Applications; Prince Philip was president and/or patron at the time, and a reception was held for all of the Fellows, which is how my father met him.

Fast forward a few years to 1980/81, and my family moved to the United States (my parents and brother in 1980; I followed from my school in Edinburgh in '81). My father was taking a job as a safety inspector for civilian nuclear power plants, and the US immigration authorities - not unreasonably - wanted to see his proof of qualifications; we wouldn't want to have unqualified nuclear power plant inspectors, after all.

The position of unqualified nuclear power plant inspector is already taken by Homer Simpson.

[Fartsniffage]

Perfect photo for today.

[Kowani]

And I’m sure you have a source for that

Funnily enough, I've never seen anyone indicate where that quote supposedly comes from. Until I do, I'll take it with a pinch of salt. (Pun intended.)

Not what I expected to do today, but here we are

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

There's no way around it: Gandhi was a racist early in his life, says his biographer Ramachandra Guha. "Gandhi as a young man went with the ideas of his culture and his time. He thought in his 20s that Europeans are the most civilized. Indians were almost as civilized, and Africans were uncivilized," Guha, 61, told NPR in an interview in May at his home in Bengaluru, India.

[Ariddia]

Or we need to stop sanitising history for the sake of comfort.

Either that's an extraordinarily dishonest statement on your part, or you simply haven't understood what I wrote. In either case, I'm not going to bother re-explaining the blindingly obvious. This is a thread paying tribute to Prince Philip, a remarkable man. Let's leave Gandhi, an even more remarkable man respected and admired by every intellectually honest person, out of it.

[The Novakian Empire]

Former President of Botswana Ian Khama has expressed his expressed his views in the following words:

"When people talk about the royals, I don’t think they quite understand what it takes, what it means to be able to carry out that role and the duties that come with it. For me that’s what I admire so much about him and the Queen. [...] He was one of a kind, he had a mind of his own and he spoke it. I admired him and the Queen and the way they carried out their duty."

Well said, Mr President. Many people don't seem to realise that it's really no fun being an active member of the British royal family, having most of your life dictated to you. Prince Philip carried out his duties, supported the Queen through all these years, and deserves respect. For that as well as for his war-time service in the armed forces.

My thoughts are with his grieving family, particularly his widow and children.

Indeed. I think Mr. Khama's perspective is very much a valid one on this subject; People don't really take note of it much, but Ian's father, the first President, actually would have been the king of Botswana if South Africa hadn't objected due to his interracial marriage.
Would that he had.

[Thermodolia]

And I’m sure you have a source for that

Funnily enough, I've never seen anyone indicate where that quote supposedly comes from. Until I do, I'll take it with a pinch of salt. (Pun intended.)

Not what I expected to do today, but here we are

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

There's no way around it: Gandhi was a racist early in his life, says his biographer Ramachandra Guha. "Gandhi as a young man went with the ideas of his culture and his time. He thought in his 20s that Europeans are the most civilized. Indians were almost as civilized, and Africans were uncivilized," Guha, 61, told NPR in an interview in May at his home in Bengaluru, India.

Interesting. Thanks for the source. I do wonder if he changed as he got older

[Daom]

He lived what he had to live.

[Salus Maior]

Not what I expected to do today, but here we are

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

There's no way around it: Gandhi was a racist early in his life, says his biographer Ramachandra Guha. "Gandhi as a young man went with the ideas of his culture and his time. He thought in his 20s that Europeans are the most civilized. Indians were almost as civilized, and Africans were uncivilized," Guha, 61, told NPR in an interview in May at his home in Bengaluru, India.

Interesting. Thanks for the source. I do wonder if he changed as he got older

Most people do.

[Kowani]

Not what I expected to do today, but here we are

In 1903, when Gandhi was in South Africa, he wrote that white people there should be "the predominating race." He also said black people "are troublesome, very dirty and live like animals."

There's no way around it: Gandhi was a racist early in his life, says his biographer Ramachandra Guha. "Gandhi as a young man went with the ideas of his culture and his time. He thought in his 20s that Europeans are the most civilized. Indians were almost as civilized, and Africans were uncivilized," Guha, 61, told NPR in an interview in May at his home in Bengaluru, India.

Interesting. Thanks for the source. I do wonder if he changed as he got older

He did, according to that same biographer: ""However, he outgrew his racism quite decisively, and for most of his life as a public figure, he was an anti-racist, talking for an end to discrimination of all kinds," he said."

[Thermodolia]

Interesting. Thanks for the source. I do wonder if he changed as he got older

He did, according to that same biographer: ""However, he outgrew his racism quite decisively, and for most of his life as a public figure, he was an anti-racist, talking for an end to discrimination of all kinds," he said."

Good. Well then we don’t need to be claiming that Gandhi was a racist until the day he died, just that he said some racist things in the ignorance of youth

[Salus Maior]

He did, according to that same biographer: ""However, he outgrew his racism quite decisively, and for most of his life as a public figure, he was an anti-racist, talking for an end to discrimination of all kinds," he said."

Good. Well then we don’t need to be claiming that Gandhi was a racist until the day he died, just that he said some racist things in the ignorance of youth

People do the same with Lincoln.

He changed a lot through the Civil War from when he was originally campaigning. In the end, he died because he said he wanted to give Black veterans the vote.

[Shrillland]

The guy was 99, he could die at any moment

Not going to speak for any of the other Brits here but it wasn't like that for me. Intellectually I knew he was old and I knew he had just come out of hospital so his death was likely.

But emotionally he's been around my entire life. He was a constant. And the news hit like a punch in the gut.

That's how I felt when I woke up and got the news. I actually went to bed just before the news broke, and was just as surprised and shocked as anyone else.

Prince Phillip was, in many ways, the archetype of the Cantankerous Old SOB, and I mean that in a positive way. Yes, he could put his foot in his mouth quite often, but more often than not, he was a good Prince Consort who knew the importance of his duties. He was a direct man who didn't like to dance around anything, and it served him as well as it could. No matter what NSG may think of the monarchy, it can't deny that Phillip Mountbatten-Windsor was a fine example of all it represents for good or ill. RIP.