National Lottery TV ad, Far East war veteran

We had a Lotto ad a few years back with the same theme of a veteran spending his winnings to return to his WWII Italian battlefield, but with a nice twist at the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOKNQNsj6Xk

Many asylum seekers come here rather than France for the very simple reason that other than their own language, they are taught to speak English.
If you look at any news report where people are being interviewed in war zones, many seem to be able to speak quite good English.

Most of the information that I’ve read on the subject, would strongly indicate that these so-called ‘asylum seekers’ are in fact just economic migrants, lured to Britain by the prospect by our stupidly generous benefits system. Is this what our young servicemen, who suffered so terribly at the hands of the ***removed***, died for ?

John Green

I must admit I am rather taken with Tony T’s no nonsense aproach to the problem!:D

Agreed, if you have come across the channel, you have came from France and as such you are not fleeing anything… The Swiss deport any that do not come into the country direct from the country of persecution, if you arrive from France etc you go straight back… Even the European law states you are supposed to claim Asylum in the first country you arrive in.

Those that destroy their documentation to avoid deportation I would simply give them them a couple of sheep some basic bits and bobs, then repopulate some of the crofts on the islands off the top of Scotland where you couldn’t get to the mainland, that way they get their dream of staying in the UK and we save on having to house them in secure accommodation.

Again re #17 Charity begins at home. Sorry for asylum seekers but they get a damn good deal here otherwise we would not have them travelling across continents to reach us rather than the nearest “safe” country.

Does it really matter how much the lottery gives to asylum seekers? No one is forced to play it – if you don’t like who the money goes to, find some other (almost certainly more profitable) use for your money.

The Lottery do list all of the organisations that it gives money to on its website – glancing through the list for my area I can’t find any asylum seeker type groups getting any funding. The first two pages do include over £30,000 to the local British Legion, £4,500 to the air cadets and approx £14,500 on several ‘heroes return’ awards though.

Regarding the awards mentioned in the article linked to from an earlier post, ignoring the implied homophobia, ‘something called Helpage International’ receive more funding from Age UK (23%) than the lottery (6%) -so perhaps some of the unamed author’s venom should be targetted towards that organisation – and presumably the Leeds Wounded Warriors Welfare Committee’s application for lottery funding wasn’t helped by it losing its charitable status in 1999.

And as what claims to be a civilised country, I would hope that we would be willing to offer help and support to asylum seekers that need it. If we are not, I think that is a very sad reflection of what this country has become.

With respect, John, I would argue that charity begins everywhere.
Whether we are talking about war veterans to whom we owe a huge collective debt or asylum seekers who escape conditions in their home countries so terrible we can barely imagine, I think we have an obligation to help where we can.

Re 14

Kev, many thanks for that reading list. I am a naturally cheerful person but, the events described, cause me much grief and a feeling of violent anger.

What I find hard to believe and almost impossible to accept is the way that our people – and I include Aussies and Americans – upon gaining their freedom did not immediately turn upon their former captors and butcher them out of hand.

I’m aware that some degree of revenge was inflicted by some and we are discussing men who were starved and ill treated to the point of death but, it seems to be generally agreed that very little retribution was exacted and that, frankly, amazes me. I’m also aware that Christianity teaches us to “turn the other cheek”‘ but, the forbearence is humbling, admirable and puzzling by turn.

Re 17
mrtotty

Charity begins at home.

John Green

The Colonel of Tamarkan – Summers.
The Railway Man – Lomax.
A Guest of Nippon – Hunn.
Sweet Kwai Run Softly – Alexander.
The Hard Way (Surviving Shamshuipo) – Ebbage.
Women Behind the Wire – Warner and Sandilands.
The Real Tenko – Felton.
Children of the Camps – Felton.
The Coolie Generals – Felton.
Japan’s Gestapo – Felton.
When you go Home – Lane.
War Diary and sermons of Rupert Godfrey.
The Knights of Bushido – Lord Russell.
Tattered Remnants – Eric Burgoyne.
Hidden Horrors – Tanaka.
Tears of a teenage Comfort Woman – Swee Lian.
Rainbow through the Rain – Mowat.
Notify Alec Rattray – Parkes.
Eric Duncan is OK – Parkes.
By Hellship to Hiroshima – Kelly.
Ghost Soldiers – Hampton Sides.
Healing in Hell – Adams.
Miracle on the River Kwai – Gordon.

kev35

Also:
Parade of the Dead, Bumgarner
Prisoners of the Japanese, Gavan daws

I wouldn’t begrudge the asylum causes. Living in a democracy is a distant luxury for many people and my heart goes out to them.

Read how much they actually gave to the services charities, £1 million in total,

last year they gave £75 million to asylum causes.. Near enough 1 2 a mil to Improve the status of OAP’s in central and south America

http://www.derbygripe.co.uk/lotto.htm

Agreed that the National Lottery ad is an inspiring piece of television. Yes, it has been produced for commercial gain, but there can be no doubting its poignancy.

Hi John.

I alluded to Changi being the lesser of very many evils. I have read Surviving the Sword and, if you have an interest in the subject, I can reccommend all of the following.

The Colonel of Tamarkan – Summers.
The Railway Man – Lomax.
A Guest of Nippon – Hunn.
Sweet Kwai Run Softly – Alexander.
The Hard Way (Surviving Shamshuipo) – Ebbage.
Women Behind the Wire – Warner and Sandilands.
The Real Tenko – Felton.
Children of the Camps – Felton.
The Coolie Generals – Felton.
Japan’s Gestapo – Felton.
When you go Home – Lane.
War Diary and sermons of Rupert Godfrey.
The Knights of Bushido – Lord Russell.
Tattered Remnants – Eric Burgoyne.
Hidden Horrors – Tanaka.
Tears of a teenage Comfort Woman – Swee Lian.
Rainbow through the Rain – Mowat.
Notify Alec Rattray – Parkes.
Eric Duncan is OK – Parkes.
By Hellship to Hiroshima – Kelly.
Ghost Soldiers – Hampton Sides.
Healing in Hell – Adams.
Miracle on the River Kwai – Gordon.

I also consider the Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East to be essential reading. It is available on the internet.

All of the above are hard reads, and all will stir emotions of bitterness, anger and sorrow. Without question though they all also demonstrate the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity.

Regards,

kev35

#3

Although Changi was certainly no ‘holiday camp’, it was by comparison with some of the hell holes that the ***removed*** had created.

Read this and weep: “Surviving the Sword.” Brian MacArthur. Abacus. ISBN:978-0-349-11937-3.

John Green

Maybe, by better men than I, some things can be forgiven, but equally, they should never be forgotten.

Regards,

kev35

Nicely put……..

Dr Strangelove, Do the Japanese make anything much anymore or is it all outsourced to China or UK(Nissan,Honda etc.)?

Probably is I’d imagine, but not so much back then (1981)

A superb ad, but basically the Nat./ Lottery is cashing in on the “Help for Heroes” image that is already in everybodies hearts. They want to sell more lottery tickets, whoever they actually help is the secondary aim.

As for the Japan problem, when one reads of the attrocities carried out by them, one realises that the Nukes were not soon enough nor big enough.
And, no there are not many Japanese products anymore, even they have had to offload to cheaper nations. Not necessarily China as there is an in-built hatred between them, like Arab/Jew.

Dr Strangelove, Do the Japanese make anything much anymore or is it all outsourced to China or UK(Nissan,Honda etc.)?

Maybe, by better men than I, some things can be forgiven, but equally, they should never be forgotten.

Regards,

kev35

Maybe because of political expediency or the pursuit of money some things would be best swept under the carpet in this world today. While I live I will never forget and I think the generations that follow me would do well to reflect on the lessons of the past. Perhaps,just perhaps one day far in the future we may have a better world.

I fear that is just an old mans dream though!