Silly little men and their self-importance

The current Labour government of the United Kingdom is a pathetic excuse for a government. Labour is traditionally not supportive of the monarchy, but the latest flip of the bird to her Maj really takes the cake.

It appears that the government of France is planning a big ceremony to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by allied forces on June 6, 1944. This was the beginning of the liberation of France, and ultimately Europe, from the Nazis. When I say allied forces I am referring to Americans, the British and the Canadians. The Americans came ashore at beaches named Omaha and Utah. The British landed at Sword and Gold. The Canadians took Juno beach.

But, the President of France, who appears to be desperate to kiss Barack Obama’s ass, has only invited the Americans to the celebration. Now, Obama would be the first to fall all over himself to remind everybody that he wasn’t even born in 1944, so don’t blame him for American casualties on those beaches. Neither was French President Sarkozy.

In fact, the only head of state in this quartet that actually was alive in 1944 and participated in the relieve of bombing victims in London and worked on repairing military vehicles during the Second World War is Queen Elizabeth. She would like to attend but protocol requires that she be invited. She cannot ask, but she can indicate that if she were asked she would be happy to attend. The signals were given, but Sarkozy did not respond. He did however invite the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, when Brown said he would like to come.

I think I am fairly safe in saying that any surviving veterans who attend the occasion couldn’t give a rat’s ass if Gordon Brown showed up, but would be tickled pink to see the Queen. Brown should do the decent thing, if any Labour politician knows what those words mean, and press Sarkozy to invite the Queen, and, if he fails to do so, not attend himself.

The Queen represents a generation who understood noblesse oblige. We are now governed by lesser people whose grasp of history and ceremony is negligible.

Let us hope that Obama has passed the stage where he thinks DVDs and iPods make swell gifts to other heads of state. Let us also hope that Sarkozy can overcome his obvious inferiority complex in Obama’s presence.