Saturday, April 28, 2007
Harry farce highlights British inequality
I must say I have found the talk of whether or not Britain's Prince Harry should serve in Iraq to be a pathetic matter of concern indeed.In my mind the very fact that this is seen as an issue right now in Britain is indicative of the "They matter more" attitude so prevalent in British society.
There is absolutely NO good reason why Harry should be made exempt from serving in Iraq. He is a soldier and it is his job. End of story.
What message would it send out to the rest of the British troops in Iraq if this guy was allowed to avoid serving on the front line? Is royal blood more important than the blood of other Britons?
Christina Scott, whose son is serving in the RAF, made the same point:
"It's part and parcel of the job so why should he be any different?"
Exactly. If it's not acceptable for him to be there then it's not acceptable for any of them to be there. The arguments in favour of allowing Harry to avoid serving in Iraq have been weak. Take this one from Michael Portillo, former Conservative defence secretary:
"It's clear that he could be a target, either for murder or kidnapping and if that occurred it would be a disaster for Britain."
Newsflash Michael: All British troops are targets for murder or kidnapping. I repeat the point - why is his life deemed more valuable than that of his comrades?
In my opinion, this sorry mess highlights why it is far better to live in a republican society, as I do, than some Animal Farm-like system of equality where all are equal, but some are more equal than others...
# posted by United Irelander @ 9:27 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
