Flag on Parliament flying at half mast...
 

... as 'sign of respect to Saudi king!!

I think the world's gone totally mad now - wtf were they thinking?

Why is he being respected for? It is his birthday today? :confused:
<goes to Google>

He kicked the bucket

Oh, shoot! he has actually died!

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/h...f-saudi-Arabia

That's why.

Well, yes, it makes you think why this country has to do that, I know.

Yeah, I found that on Google just before I made my second post in this thread.

Symbolism is important - not too sure what kind of symbol this is though?

The flag on the 'Mother of Parliaments' flying at half mast for a man who's never faced any kind of democratic challenge. A man who presided over a brutal backward regime, that ONLY LAST WEEK was publically flogging someone for daring to make moderate comments.

Get that bloody flag back up the flag pole!!:o

Yes.

I read on Wikipedia:


In the UK, the correct way to fly the flag at half-mast is two-thirds between the bottom and top of the flagstaff, with at least the width of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the pole according to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which decides the flying, on command of the Sovereign. The flag may be flown on a government building at half-mast on the following days:

1. From the announcement of the death up to the funeral of the Sovereign, except on Proclamation Day when flags are hoisted
to full-mast, from 11am until sunset;
2. The funerals of members of the royal family, upon command of the Sovereign;
3. The funerals of foreign rulers, upon command of the Sovereign;
4. The funerals of prime ministers and ex-prime ministers of the UK, upon command of the Sovereign;
5. Other occasions, by special command of the Sovereign.

Number 3 has been applied, and we know why the UK has to kiss Saudi's @rse. Fuel has has been even cheaper lately. We need to be grateful.

and I believe the Saudi's were represented at the Paris march in support of Charlie Hebdo and Press freedom

you really could not make it up

It's almost as if were are pandering to them due to the fact that they have a fvck load of oil and spend a lot of money buying our Arms

Maybe we should fly the St Georges flag with "ENGERLAND" emblazened on it instead! :D

Whilst your little rant is quite touching Martin, I'm sure you're not myopic to the point where the bigger picture eludes you. Governments care little for morality and equitable justice over interests. As Henry Kissinger said 'America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests'. The same mantra is being adopted in Europe now.

Fortunately I'm not even remotely myopic.

Ultimately most governments have to put their record on morality and justice to their electorates.

That's just made me think whether Spoon has done it with his flag. The Gov.uk website says that all flags should be half-mast today for the given time.

What happens if someone can't do it, because they're away etc.? Do they get fined or something? Is it like breaking the law? :confused:

Wishful thinking if anyone believes governments will allow the electorate to judge them on morality and justice. The Hutton report and the as yet unfinished Chilcot inquiry are two prime examples.

I can make a pretty good judgement on the morality and justice of this issue - it stinks!

'There's something rotten in the state of Denmark'.

What would you lot do, insult the House of Saud?

What would you do James?

https://www.scoobynet.com/non-scooby...ing-islam.html

Post 1, final paragraph.

Maybe it's punishable with a public flogging, a thousand lashes should about do it! At the end of the day it's a request, nothing more and certainly nothing enforcable.

I say why we shouldn't insult the House of Saud in my post 7. In my previous post 4, 'you' means Martin. Martin already knows why, but he doesn't agree with it on moral grounds, and that's where he's coming from. Maz explains again in his post 10 with Kissinger's quote the 'why'.

Got you. :thumb: Thank you, Jon. It's the wordings like 'command' and stuff that can make it sound like a lawful order than a humble request. Even just a request, even if it's not really 'humble' humble, I mean.

Sitting on the fence. So whilst you can buy your petrol cheaply you're okay with the status quo?

Is that what you comprehended from my post, that I'm "okay with the status quo"?

Yes, but most governments don't have Miliband as their main rival :lol1:

I'm asking. Okay is perhaps open to individual interpretation.

Well according to the OED's definition of the word okay:

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ok

no, I'm not 'okay' with the status quo. Surely that was explicit in my post!

Don't forget Leveson :thumb:

Nah, that's just a conspiracy theory :idea:

:)

Makes me smile what that mp has said,telling Cameron and the queen to f off

Only because I think she's rather good looking :-)