Roger Waters: Not proud of our colonial past

Revolver


Joined: 29/07/2010
Posts: 212

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 15:41

From BBC/Sky News



Former Pink Floyd bass player Roger Waters has reportedly told Chilean TV that the Falklands "belong to Argentina".



A journalist at Chile's TVN state channel said: "Roger Waters was categorical; Las Malvinas (the Argentinian name for the islands) belong to Argentina.



Mr Waters is reported to have said: "I am as ashamed as I possibly could be of our colonial past"

newscoop


Joined: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2197

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 15:52

Great musician



Total Dick***!

imposoliedus


Joined: 16/01/2012
Posts: 18

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 16:03

im still ashamed of our colonialism present, libya iraq afghanistan ,shortly syria ,no wonder we are hated by most countries around the world

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 16:57

Every Brit should be very proud of their colonial past, because of that the UK thrived and many millions in third world countries were lifted out of poverty, educated, and housed.

Once educated they of ourse wanted independance, and were given it if they asked nicely..

Geoff

slatnumber7


Joined: 25/08/2010
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 17:29

Geoff Msg 4



Permit me, I believe your message could finish ..... whereas other, seized independance by acts of violence and were regarded by their nation as patriots but regarded by the British as terrorists.



Then finally regarded by the world as statemen and everyone lived happily ever after, except one island that we know of!

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 19:51

It would appear that Roger Waters knows as much as Sean Penn does about the British Empire and the Falkland Islands, which as it happens, doesn’t appear to be a great deal! Or maybe they’re just addled after years of substance abuse?



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9103223/Sean-Penn-Britain-must-negotiate-with-Argentina-over-Falklands.html



Had it not been for the wealth and strength of the British Empire and her Commonwealth allies at the outset of WW2, there wouldn’t have been a Battle for the Atlantic, and I seriously doubt the war would have lasted until the Battle of Britain in 1940, so yes, Europe and the wider free world would be a lot different today had it not been for the wealth and strength of the British Empire.



The Falkland Islands have NEVER been administered, neither have they ever been a sovereign dependency of Argentina, at best, they attempted to turn it into a penal colony in 1832, that lasted four days.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkland_Island

setpot


Joined: 20/02/2012
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 20:01

Baffling isn't it that the Falklands have never belonged to Argentina.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 21:01

There is not one reason why 2012-people should be proud of a or any colonial past. They don't belong to that past, it's not "their colonial past". A colonial past belongs to our forefathers and is there to study and understand the pros and cons, the good and bad things - as we look at them now. It'called the study of history and for cool students it has nothing to do with pride.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 21:22

Dillon,The Falklands as far as Britain is concerned is nothing to do with Colonialism, it's to do with OIL..As DC says ,try to move into the modern day way of thinking instead of OUR some say, great colonial PAST...

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 21:51

@ MartinD41, Well Martin I’m not under the impression that the issue with the Falkland Islands today, is about Colonialism, it is my opinion that in the early 19th Century, it was, when it was last settled by the British, it has remained as a British dependency since, Oil and Gas deposits are a recent late 20th century development and were, I believe, the reason behind the Argentinean invasion of the Falklands in 1982, and their more recent sabre rattling with the UN.

My earlier post was in two parts, the first in response to the thread title and that there are some positive aspects of a colonial past people should be proud of and the second was a factual item regarding Argentina’s claim to Sovereignty over the Falklands, I’m sure that if DC’s comments were aimed directly at me he would have addressed them accordingly.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 22:11

@ msg 10, Dillon: My post was definitely not personal, nor aimed at anyone else. My native country Holland has a colonial past also - and İ'm not proud of it. Why would İ? İt has nothing to do with me, İ'm not even co-responsible for this past. But İ find it an extremely interesting past, trying to look at and understanding this past through the eyes of my forefathers.

teatime


Joined: 20/10/2008
Posts: 852

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 22:29

Have to agree with DC on this, our generation have no reason to be "proud of our colonial past". That said we also have no reason to apologise for what our forefathers did, i.e. The slave trade, why a recent government felt they had to appologise for this does not make sense to me. It was nothing to do with this generation, although there is a lot which we could appologise for now!!

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 22:33

@ Message 11; Proud of something, ashamed of something, finding something extremely interesting? Semantics DC, you don’t need to be physically part of something to be proud of it, I’m STILL proud of England’s Rugby Union performance in 2007, but I wasn’t part of it! I’m ashamed of the fact that it was a British officer who ‘invented’ the ‘Concentration Camp’ and a ‘Scorched Earth’ policy during the second Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, and surprisingly I wasn’t part of that either, LOL.



Looking at the past through the eyes of your forefathers though, may give you a totally different perspective on what you may see yourself today, with the benefit of hindsight?

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 22:43

Message 4 I don't think we had much choice to 'give' independence. We had neither the power or numbers to refuse one of the largest populations in the world!



Pride or Shame. Some take this to ridiculous lengths. A sweet friend of mine with the surname Campbell

remarked to me as we passed through Glencoe (site of the infamous massacre in the 17th cent.) that this

was where she felt "guilty". Why on earth..?

newscoop


Joined: 23/12/2007
Posts: 2197

Message Posted:
02/03/2012 23:53

That would be the same slave trade that Britain ended. (Wilberforce)



As to the Falklands, as long as the inhabitants wish to remain British, then fair play.



slatnumber 7; how goes it with the ex colonies? havens of peace and tranquility are they?

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 01:22

We had neighbours who emigrated to the Falklands many years ago when we lived in Sussex.

I read in the Express that the man was landlord of the Upland Goose where many of the victorious

soldiers were celebrating. The population of the Falklands are our people, salt of the earth, including

crofting folk. Argentina was not that much interested in it until recently, why?

laptajack


Joined: 04/10/2008
Posts: 95

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 02:43

Waters last album with Pink Floyd was called the Final cut. (1983)

He wrote every track.

Strange that there is reference to the Falkland Islands campaign on that album.

Perhaps he should hand his royalties back..He has made money from his music, singing about that particular campaign.



And i fully agree about the oil and Gas issue, as i have friends that have worked down there drilling...

slatnumber7


Joined: 25/08/2010
Posts: 299

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 08:53

newscoop Msg 15 Thanks for the mention, no complaints about my part of the ex colony, truely, I regard my self as fortunate, I live in a peaceful TC village where I am treated with kindness and respect which I seek to reciprocate. The sun shines (most days) and the pension arrives on time.



That aside, independance was taken in Cyprus and not given and as a result the island is as we know it today, in my view.



The question I ask my self is; how would Cyprus be today had the British granted independance way before 1960. As I understand things Britain clung on to her national pride in maintaining an Empire and pooh poohed civilized Cypriot requests to be annexed and as direct result the blood shed ensued.



So terrorists/patriots eventually became regarded as statesmen of an independant country in the eyes of the world.



However, we know that not to be the truth. So would Cyprus be divided today if independance was given and not taken?

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 12:00

Getting back to the Falklands conflict..Millions of £s spent..



255 British Dead.



655 Argentinian Dead.



3 Local inhabitants Dead...All Women, All killed by "Friendly Fire" ........

Ed1957


Joined: 03/09/2011
Posts: 377

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 12:08

Roger who? Why should we care what he thinks?

Jonesy299


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 367

Message Posted:
03/03/2012 12:35

I'm glad we had a colonial past - it makes driving easier for us Brits and I would have to change all my 3 pin plugs!!



Lighten up guys and gals! Read about it.. debate pros and cons.. but don't get personally aggrieved for goodness sake.