OT: Something odd about that queue?

[Rod Speed]

You lot have always had freaks like that.

[zall]

Fact actually.

And enslaved lots of them.

[zall]

And deliberately addicted lots of them to opium and went to war with their country when their country tried to stop that.

[Jeff Gaines]

Do you have any citations for that?

Do you have any citations for that?

Do you have any citations for that?

Obviously your are welcome to your opinions but please don't present them as facts.

[Jeff Gaines]

What a load of socialist tosh, both sides became wealthy because of trade.

[Tim Streater]

Why should there be any reparations now, or ever? Britain spent a *lot* of money during most of the 19thC, combatting slavery and chasing and capturing slaving ships. That was probably the main activity of the Royal Navy during that period. Further, many of the slaves taken from West African shores were already slaves, having been captured in wars between neighbouring groups and tribes in the area and made into slaves. These slaves were then sold to slavers taking them across the Atlantic, in exchange for goods. I don't see the countries of that area today taking any responsibility for their ancestors' slaving activities.

Neither do I see Arab countries of the Middle East or the Barbary Coast of North AFrica ever being asked for reparations. The ME arabs were at it for

1000 years or so, down the east coaast of Africa, and the slavers of present-day Tunisia, Algeria, etc, took slaves from most countries bordering the Med and even got as far as Ireland and the south of England at times.

So, knickers to you, Sunshine.

[Jeff Gaines]

But no evidence.

On the contrary we have an excellent record for stopping slavery.

[Brian Gaff]

Maybe its a cultural thing. Some people wish to grieve in other ways. I have to say that I do not see the point in queuing for hours to see the shell of somebody we can remember when alive. You can easily make an entry into a book both online and in person at sites around the country. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I would not really worry about how one dresses. After all if you are going to have to hang about for hours, you want to be comfortable not dressed up for a formal dinner. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I understand the queue is visible from space. Has anyone seen this picture? Brian

[Rod Speed]

Yep, sales of those.

You will see that with the general public on funeral day.

Hardly anyone looking at the coffin have done that.

Go and f*ck yourself, again.

[SteveW]

The post I was replying to specifically referred to "compensation", hence my using the term.

As did every other country in one way or another. Many of the countries that the UK conquered had internal divisions (tribal, religious, etc.) who did exactly the same things to their rivals.

We can't fund our health service, social care, build new power stations fast enough. Our Roads are collapsing, with some not scheduled for relaying for 150 years! We can't afford to pay decent pensions so that retirees can enjoy their final years or pay decent benefits to those in need. Our sewerage systems are largely Victorian and crumbling, as are parts of our railway network.

Where is this money, that none of us alive today took, to come from?

The past is the past and we should not be held responsible for actions at a time when our own ancestors were treated little better than slaves.

What of the benefits that the UK bought - railways, roads, industry, legal systems, eventually even democracy? Did none of that have value?

[Rod Speed]

Like hell those exploited in Kenya, Malaya, India etc did.

[zall]

And looted India and made them pay for those doing the looting.

That is pig ignorant bullshit.

[Rod Speed]

Bullshit with the looting of Indian and the Opium Wars.

After enslaving lots of them before that.

[Jeff Gaines]

Indeed.

[Andrew]

Some of the 'disabled' are interesting.

One chap interviewed by BBC news was asked what his disability was and the reply was "I've got ADHD and Autism". His mother next to him was a ten-tonne tessie.

Another shot showed a woman walking past the coffin with a toy poodle trotting along beside her, looking like it was dyed pink.

At least Becks joined the proper queue and waited for 13 hours.

I see plenty of people of Afro-Carib, Indian and South Asian origin in the queues.

[JNugent]

They've probably slept in those clothes during their wait and/or during their journey to get there.

[Dave Plowman (News]

It could be that most black folk are at work, and can't skive off?

[Custos Custodum]

The sort of people who can afford a gym subscription will most likely have well stocked wardrobes. Ordinary working people, especially those in minimum wage, zero hours jobs, not so much. Me, I could manage a black tie and a pair of black shoes (standard funeral wear to go with my grey, all-purpose suit).

Agreed.