PC - FO

I want to talk a little about the insidious spread of political correctness that is threatening to turn us all into bland Mr Smiths, all thinking the same thing, dressing the same, looking the same, happy because we are told we're happy.

Political correctness destroys individualism and rewrites our linguistic heritage.

In recent years political correctness had resulted in certain councils renaming Christmas the Winter Celebrations, the famous gollywog emblem being removed from Jam jars, cartoon characters being removed from children's breakfast cerials, the cigarette in Paul McCartney's hand on the Abbey Road album being airbrushed over.

At the end of the day political correctness is social tyranny and censorship dressed up under a new name.

The following quote comes from The Political correctness website

Why do the PC Brigade seem obsessed with rewriting our history and not teaching it to our schoolchildren? Schoolchildren leaving school are now almost completely ignorant of British history. Is it in a mistaken attempt to portray a harmonious Europe or as a way of forgetting our colonial past? Is it in a misguided attempt not to offend the losers? Changing history is a dangerous thing to do as it is only by learning the lessons of history that we may manage not to repeat them!

In the pages of a history book, however, most of us would expect Britain’s role in the years 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 to at least warrant a mention. But in a work for schools produced by Brussels, there is no reference to World War I or World War II in the section on Britain. The glaring omission consigns key events such as the Battle of Britain, the Blitz, Dunkirk and D-Day to the dustbin. And, in a move seen as rewriting history for the sake of Euro-friendliness, it erases the pivotal role Britain played in shaping the future of Europe. Nothing of note is recorded as happening in Britain early in the 20th century, with the Great War conspicuous by its absence. Again, nothing significant is marked between 1931, when the author notes the Commonwealth was created, and 1947, when Britain pulled out of India. World War II is not mentioned – although it does feature in sections on many other countries in the book. In the section on Germany, meanwhile, the word Nazi is not mentioned. Instead, it is merely noted that 1929 saw ‘a surge in extremist movements’ and that in 1933 Hitler became chancellor. The book Histoires de l’Europe Volume 1 was produced by the European parliament’s Office of Information. About 10,000 copies have been distributed to Belgian children aged 16 to 18.

There was incredulity at its omissions. Historian Dr David Starkey said: ‘The jaw drops. Only one country resisted Germany in 1939-40 and it is important that country is mentioned. And World War I is one of the central events in British domestic history.‘What this must seem to suggest is that Britain decided not to take part in either of the two European conflicts of the 20th century, in which case the outcome of those conflicts would have been somewhat different, to put it mildly.’ The book allocates four pages to each of the 28 members and prospective members of the EU. But Dr Starkey said: ‘It’s ludicrous that we should get the same as somewhere like Estonia. The whole history of Scotland warrants only one and-a-half lines.‘This tidying up of history is an indication of a move towards greater European unity. It’s airbrushing.’

Chris Heaton-Harris, Tory MEP for the East Midlands, said: ‘For World War I and II not to get a mention is bizarre. I think it’s part of an agenda within Belgian society nowadays to have as little as possible to do with the Brits or the Americans. It’s sad, because if it were not for those two groups of people it would have been a very different picture on the Continent for the last 60 years.’ Robert Whelan, of think tank Civitas, said omitting World War I made any claim that the book is a history of Britain ‘ridiculous’. A spokesman for the Belgian section of the European parliament’s Office of Information, said: ‘Everyone knows about World War II so we didn’t think it was necessary to put it in.’

There can be little doubt that if you were German you’d want to rewrite your history. After all, the responsibility for two world wars, the murder of six million people in concentration camps and another 15 million outside them — all within living memory — are acts with which only a masochist or a psychopath would want to associate himself. However that was then and does not reflect on Germans of today. In recent days, though, the campaign to airbrush the evil out of the Teutonic past has assumed a new vitality. Last week Joschka Fischer, the Fourth Reich’s foreign minister, complained on a visit here that the British view of Germany was an obsession with ‘goose-stepping Prussians’, whereas his country was now peopled by ‘real democrats’. Then it was revealed that a new European Union-sponsored history makes no mention of the apparently minor events of both world wars, or of Winston Churchill and Britain’s heroic, lone resistance to Fascism in 1940. Brief mention is made of Hitler, none at all of the Nazis. Yesterday, it was reported that a group of British history teachers are spending their half-term in Germany, being persuaded (at the German taxpayers’ expense) to take a more benign view of the country and its past.

The organisers of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson’s triumph and heroic death at the Battle of Trafalgar have been told that the celebrations must not offend the French. Instead, they must focus on the hardships of ordinary seamen on both sides. The aim is not to celebrate his victory over the French. Portsmouth, home to Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory is preparing politically correct education packs for schools. They will include information about the diets of 19th Century sailors and recipes for ships’ biscuits but there are likely to be few mentions of the glory of the 1805 victory off the coast of Spain.

END QUOTE

History is history -only from the study of it, warts and all, can we learn of our mistakes and try not to make then again. And make no bones about PC is one big mistake and enough is enough for tomorrow will be too late.........

Declaration of War

It's been a busy week over here in Archive land - I've been out filming scenes set in high summer all week - all location work and just to make things interesting we've had to contend with fierce storms and temperatures that make one wish they were wearing thermals.

However things will be picking up around here this weekend - I've posted a scan from the November issue of Writer's News which features an article from Nik Morton, Black Horse Western writer and part of the editing team at Solstice Westerns - click on the image for a larger readable version. The magazine's on sale in British shops now.

And very soon we will be giving you all the details on the next Edge eBook, a double edged volume that will contain two excellent westerns from the legendary George G. Gilman. Also keep an eye on the online eZine, A Twist of Noir which will very soon publish a new short story from myself, a blackly comedic noir piece called, The Man with The Sun in his Eyes.

Free fiction to read in one sitting - can't be bad.

This weekend The Archive will also have a shocking report on the movement to have movies that feature tobacco use reclassified with an 18 certificate - this madness means that Bridget Jones' Diary and The Lord of the Rings are just two of the titles on the BBFC's list for possible  reclassification as adult movies because of tobacco use. Makes me want a pipe to calm my nerves - the over the top treatment of tobacco use has recently seen the BBC series Sherlock feature a modern day Sherlock Holmes who doesn't smoke his beloved pipe. And a photograph at a London Museum's Winston Churchill Exhibition caused fury when  the great leader's cigar was airbrushed out of history. We all know smoking is a dangerous habit but these health Nazis are a bunch of crack pots.

Political correctness has made common sense a thing of the past. If you catch a burglar in your house then it's probably best to help the poor soul by carrying your possessions to the front door lest he should trip up and hurt himself and it's you that end up in court! And the impact of the movement on popular culture is truly terrifying - It's getting beyond a joke, a film is made, upsets some group or individual, and the next thing is it's being pulled from release, re-dited, or hopefully at the very least, delayed until it all blows over. It seems you just have to complain about a film upsetting someone and the rest of the audience suffer. When the minority can dictate what the majority can and can't see, read and not read, hear and not hear even think and not think, what's the right in that?

The Archive has now officially declared war on political correctness and we will fight them on the blogs, on the websites -  we will never surrender and join them in their moronic, insufferable ways.

And so, "there's this Paddy, this Taffy and this Jock, all smoking a huge ciggie and...."

THE HEALTH NAZI'S ARE AT IT AGAIN

How dare these infuriating, small minded, dullards - these imbecilic, moronic...God, these guys make me angry.

In the well-known original image, Churchill makes a "V" shaped symbol with his fingers – while gripping a cigar in the corner of his mouth.

But in a reproduction of the picture, hanging over the main entrance to a London museum celebrating the wartime leader, he has been made into a non-smoker through the use of image-altering techniques.

It is unclear who is responsible for doctoring the photograph, with the museum – The Winston Churchill's Britain at War Experience – claiming not to have noticed the cigar was missing.

John Welsh, manager of the museum, admitted he was shocked to learn of the alteration, but declined to reveal who was responsible for the display and for enlarging the image.

Advice for these health nuts - communist tyrants airbrushed history.

WHAT DID I SAY

Radio Four raised the bar today with their afternoon play. What did I say by Mark Lawson starred Neil Pearson as a man suspended from work after making some offensive remarks. The problem is that he has no idea what it is he has said, not to whom he said it.

'Do we really want to live in a world where jokes are dangerous?' Max Coleman (Pearson) asks his wife, only to be told that we already do.

It's pretty powerful stuff and looks at this modern politically correct age with a slicing satirical edge - the play can be listened to HERE for the next seven days.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS - THE MADNESS CONTINUES

Dr Nathan Grills, a fellow at Monash University’s Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine yesterday accused Santa of promoting obesity, smoking, drink-driving and other dangerous activities, and said his increasing popularity should be used to encourage healthy living instead.

After conducting a literature review of Santa’s links to public health, Dr Grills said Santa often appeared fat, sedentary, drunk and smoking a pipe when more responsible imagery would depict him running on a treadmill with a badge proudly declaring he had quit smoking.

Writing in a special Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal, Dr Grills said that among other things, traditional images of Santa sent a message that obesity was synonymous with cheerfulness and joviality… Dr Grills said he was also concerned about Santa’s “roof surfing”, “chimney jumping”, disregard for road rules and tendency to drink-drive and speed. “Despite the risks of high-speed air travel, Santa is never depicted wearing a seat belt or helmet,” he said…

THE ARCHIVE SAYS - BOLLOCKS!

BANNED BOOK WEEK IS HERE

If you or your children or grandchildren have read any of the books pictured, you have read a banned book. Your mid has been corrupted, or at least is has according to the political correct brigade.

Today begins National Banned

Book Week. It is a celebration of going into a library and picking up books off the shelves and reading them. Books that bland uninteresting middle class wankers think are too much for your sensibilities.

These people would rather you and other people in the world didn’t have the opportunity to read some of these books.

These people who seek to ban books from libraries are the PC brigade. They usually challenge books or ask the library to ban them with the best intentions in mind: to protect others, especially children, from difficult ideas and information. I'd much rather they piss off and protect us from their puerile nonsense. The world has gone PC crazy - recently I was served Spotted Richard because a European Directive says we can't call it, "spotted dick anymore" -The effort to remove books from libraries — public and school libraries — is wrong.

No person or group of people who have personal problems with a set of ideas should tell other people what they can or cannot read. Or eat or watch or anything else these dangerous lunatics who have seized control of political power feel is unsuitable.

As the linguist Noam Chomsky has said, “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”