My Hat's off to Prince Harry

[mb7588a]

The honorable chap is being sent to Iraq next year. He's a real man, willing to do his duty, not run off to Alabama and be a cheerleader. I say this despite his sounding a bit like a freeper.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/01/nharry01.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/01/ixnewstop.html

snip
As a troop commander in the Blues and Royals, the prince will have the rank of cornet, equivalent to a second lieutenant, in charge of 11 men and four light tanks.

snip

Although the mission will be hazardous, the prince is keen that his royal position will not disqualify him.

"There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country," he has said.

Instructors at Sandhurst have been impressed by Prince Harry's approach. "He is going to be a real asset to the Army," a senior officer said. "It would be a real shame if the Palace or MoD did not allow him to go on operations because he is a cracking officer."

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. You may sound a bit like a freeper, but...

I'm going to sound a bit like Mrs. Robinson. I saw another picture of Harry during military training and, well, yowza. ;)

[FreedomAngel82]

8. I've always liked military men

What is William doing now days?

[CottonBear]

10. He just enrolled at Sandhurst. He will go into the army as well. n/t

[nickinSTL]

12. Prince William just entered Sandhurst earlier this month

He's undergoing 44 weeks of training to become an Army officer as well.

[Warpy]

29. The heir won't be risked in a war zone

although the spare will be. That's just the way it is.

I admire Prince Harry's "in for a penny, in for a pound, I'm going" attitude, but suspect it's more than a little youthful bravado finding potential glory in war.

In any case, it's far better than having them be the sort of chickenhawks the US is cursed with, no experience of war but all too willing to send other people's children to die in one.

[mb7588a]

35. There is also a great tradition of military service

in their family, especially the current royals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4248712.stm

[mb7588a]

17. lol, Mrs. R...

[MadHound]

2. Cracking officer indeed

Which means that, especially being in line for the throne, he will be exposed as little as possible to any sort of danger over there. Desk job hundred of miles from the front is my guess.

[mb7588a]

7. Article says he'll be patrolling the border with Iran. nt.

[nickinSTL]

9. and if he is, you'll read about it

Harry, like William, is not happy with the constraints of royalty, and if he is (as the British seem to say) mollycoddled, and not allowed to be out serving in an active role, he'll complain about it, and loudly, I think.

[Cleita]

14. Not necessarily. Prince Andrew was right up there with the

action in the Falklands. He was in the British Navy then.

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. He was flying helicopters in and out of there, wasn't he?

[Cleita]

45. Yes, he was. n/t

[Inland]

3. It's a credit to him and his essentially expendable nature as Prince #2

Not being a royalist, I tend to see them as basically having a job that requires this sort of thing. It also requires being killed should the Jacobins have a successful revolution and not being divorced without an act of Parliament.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. The "war effort" must be in trouble in the UK.

This publicity stunt speaks more to British unhappiness with the war than with Prince Harry's own fortitude.

They're not gonna let the Queen's grandson anywhere near the big danger zones or the deionized uranium. Probably will get imported food too.

[FreedomAngel82]

13. How do you know that?

He might actually want to and mean it. Did you read his quote of why he's joining? Sounds like some of the soldiers here who are going to Iraq to help their friends. So are they just doing it for fortitude? You don't know Harry do you? Neither do I but I'm not the one going around making claims about him that could be false.

[Nikki Stone 1]

34. Amazing how monarchy still appeals

Maybe Junior is on the right track wanting to be king.

[nickinSTL]

19. you could stand to do a little research...

Harry and his brother William are very into making their own way.

What the article says is absolutely Harry's intent.

Now, Buckingham Palace and Grandmum may pull strings to prevent him from being in harms way, but it won't be due to his own desires.

[AspenRose]

30. Sounds like they took after their mom in that regard.

eom

[Nikki Stone 1]

37. Their mother's life was entirely orchestrated until the divorce

I think Diana had a lot of great things to offer, but her life was cut short before she could really sink her teeth into them.

[Nikki Stone 1]

33. Before you flame, think it out

...

[nickinSTL]

41. think what out?

Sorry if you thought I was flaming, not my intent.

Just pointing out that William and Harry might be kept safe by the powers that be, but it won't be what they want.

[Inland]

24. w/o commenting on Harry's bona fides, there is no war effort in the UK

The UK has already largely bugged out. More than two thirds of the original 30,000 involved have left, and straw is hinting at a complete bugging out by year end.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4669046.stm

[Nikki Stone 1]

36. Exactly. Harry going there is a way to try and drum up support

Diana's sons are popular and might lend their star power to a problematic cause. I wonder if it is being done for the benefit of Americans who still seem starstruck by the monarchy.

[SmokingJacket]

5. Well, someone has a sense of honor and duty.

Unlike some people who have everything handed to him on a plate, he seems to realize where it's coming from.

Though of course, it sure would be nice if he became a full-time peace activist....

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Maybe he'll do like John Kerry

;) He could be their version.

[mb7588a]

22. That would be fantastic. nt.

[FreedomAngel82]

6. What a brave boy

He's grown up a lot. I'm glad because, for whatever reason, he's the one I've had high hopes for. :loveya:

[CJCRANE]

11. I think he's brave but misguided.

The Iraq War has made his family and Britain much less safe but good luck to him if he believes in what's he's fighting for.

[zbdent]

16. That damn elitist!

Running off to war to pad his resume!

:evilgrin:

[FreedomAngel82]

18. LOL

Damn. Is he going to run for PM next? :9

[northzax]

21. I grow tired

of comparisons between Harry and the Bush Twins. They really aren't the same thing at all, Harry is the second son of the heir to the throne, he has nothing to do in his life except represent the United Kingdom, that's his job. the Twins are simply citizens who have a father in government, it's not their job to represent the US, like it is Harry's job to represent the UK.

unless, of course, we want to establish an hereditary monarchy and cede the head of state role to the Bush Twins now?

[FreedomAngel82]

25. Right

Plus, Harry actually does stuff. He doesn't just drink booze, smoke crack and have sex. At least it's not reported anyways.

[northzax]

40. well, except for the Crack

that I don't know anything about, but his sowing of the wild oats was well reported by the Brit Tabloids.

[mb7588a]

27. I wasn't comparing to the Bush twins,

and I agree with you. So I hope you weren't addressing me, but those who do actually make that comparison. I WAS comparing him to George W. Bush who had a duty, and didn't do it.

I also wanted to say that Harry is an honorable man for voluntarily doing this service. He doesn't need to. He could sit on the beach of his own island somewhere and sip martinis, or he could be a real and contributing member of his society. He and his brother have long shunned the norms that come with the blood running through them, and this is one of their ways of getting away from that.

[northzax]

44. this is the norm for their blood

Every male Windsor has done military service, Prince Charles earned his wings in the RAF and was an active Lt. in the Royal Navy (69-76, although the UK was not involved in a military conflict at the time) His Uncle, Prince Edward (Duke of Wessex) served in the Marines, his Grandfather, Philip, served in the Royal Navy during WWII, William is at Sandhurst, and his Uncle Andrew (Duke of York) served in the Marines and saw action in the Falklands. It's expected.

[OzarkDem]

23. What would his mother say?

Something tells me she wouldn't be happy with this.

[CJCRANE]

28. Kinda interesting to wonder

what would've happened if she'd married Dodi and had muslim kids...
Maybe Harry wouldn't have been so keen to rush off to war in an arab country...

[AspenRose]

32. Something tells me she'd be standing with Cindy Sheehan.

eom

[soothsayer]

46. It's such a deeply rooted British tradition, she might actually be

ok with it.

[Inland]

26. He'd better hurry over. UK bugging out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4669046.stm

Straw hinting at Iraq withdrawal

"Active discussions" were being held about troop deployments
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said he expects "good news" in the next 12 months about withdrawing British troops from Iraq.
He said a timescale was not yet available, but "active discussions" about withdrawal were being held.

His comments come a day after British forces suffered their 100th death in Iraq since the invasion began in 2003.

[cliss]

31. OK: here's my take on the whole situation:

(you knew this was coming, didn't you?)

I have absolutely zero respect for a country which is trying to bring back its previous Glory as World Empire. England is finished as a world empire. Now, it's been reduced to a pitiful sycophant to its former colony, The United States, which is on shaky ground as well.

Blair waits for direction from Bush, and then does his best for the Master.

So instead they send out members of their monarchy, another example of an ossified, hardened institution that has long since outlived its usefulness. The only thing the Royal Family is good for now is to provide fuel for the Gossip Tabloids, and postcards at the corner store. The tourists grab a handful before they fly home.

And of course, we all know the U.S. is in trouble financially. As bush pointed out today, we are "oil addicts". England, of course, is in it for the oil. Without that precious Black Gold, both our economies are finished and we go back to the Stone Age. You think England would have learned from its last failure in Iraq, when they threw in the towel and went home. So England is trying for Empire once again, this time as Follower.

Maybe there's still hope for the Monarchy! They can always take over if we go back to Medieval Times.

I would have had more respect for Harry if he had gone into some type of program which helps local farmers, or maybe some type of volunteer work overseas. **just my opinion**

[Nikki Stone 1]

38. Interesting take

Although I think the orders go the other way across the Atlantic

[nickinSTL]

42. He's done a fair amount of volunteer work in Africa

William has in Africa and other places (South America, I believe)

But, the Royal Family has a tradition of military service that I think William and Harry are intent on continuing.

For William, at least, he'll spend a few years in the military and then go into the 'family business' of representing the UK - giving speeches, making appearances, being patron to charities, etc.

Harry could stay in the military longer (Prince Andrew retired in his early 40s) - and will likely then go on into the family business after his military career.

[Inland]

43. That's pretty complicated.

Fact is, the royal family trades tons of money for being under the thumb of the government and undertaking support of the state which they personify. Military service is the latter, if not also pressed by the government. He's got to go. Moreover, he's got to WANT to go. He has no other function. It's his job.

[mrfrapp]

39. Respect

I'm pleased that Harry has found something he wants to do and I'm sure he'll do it to the best of his ability but as a British "subject" he'll only gain my respect if he renounces his title. I'm not doffing my hat to a member of the aristocracy.

47. that takes courage and honesty

I bet the royal family will be extremely nervous at him being exposed to danger. Mayor Daley of Chicago - his son also volunteered to go to Iraq.

[muriel_volestrangler]

48. MoD dismisses Harry Iraq reports

The Ministry of Defence has dismissed media reports saying Prince Harry will be sent to Iraq next year.

The London Evening Standard quoted defence sources as saying he would serve there as a troop commander in the Blues and Royals regiment.

But the MoD said the report was "complete speculation" as no Iraq deployments had been set beyond 1 May.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4670172.stm

I doubt they have planned which regiments to send in 16 months time, when they are also talking about withdrawing troops at some time, very likely before then. I think the report of him going to Iraq is just a PR piece without substance.