Friday, June 22, 2007

Don't mention the war!

Don't mention the war, I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it. A classic comedy phrase from Basil Fawlty in a series which I suppose, if it was shown now, would probably draw tonnes of complaints about racism, sexism, political incorrectness whilst remaining hilarious funny of course.

"The Germans" is a classic episode where Basil, having concussion, starts saying the wrong things to his German hotel guests and proceeds to goose-step around his dining room whilst doing Hitler impressions and talking about piano wire whilst equaling reminding his staff that they must not "mention the war". The entire thing culminates, if I remember correctly, like this,
German: Will you please stop talking about the war?
Basil: Why? You started it?
German: No we didn't.
Basil: Yes you did you invaded Poland.
It seems though that someone forgot to tell the Polish Prime Minister at the EU Summit that he probably shouldn't mention the war (even though they were invaded of course). According to the Mail during discussion on the whole "Poland voting rights issue which Germany says should be based on country size the following was said,
"It was the Germans who inflicted unimaginable injury, terrible harm, on Poles - incomprehensible crimes - and Poles like Germans, while Germans do not like Poles."

"We are only demanding one thing, that we get back what was taken from us. If Poland had not had to live through the years of 1939-45, Poland would be today looking at the demographics of a country of 66 million."
God I love the Poles! What with their irritating ability to be drawn in the same group as England at football, their willingness to speak so plainly is diplomatically refreshing. Plus of course we can have German war complex problem together!

5 comments:

Alan Douglas said...

My Polish plumber friend says that they are much happier in England than Germany - where they are referred to as "Polish Pigs". And he is such a nice and gentle man.

SoI would agree with the comment you report.

Alan Douglas

Anonymous said...

Mark Mardell of the the BBC was talking about this yesterday and in true Basil Fawlty style said that some felt that the Poles had broken an unspoken rule in the EU, "What ever you do, Don't mention the war".

Sir-C4' said...

I love the Poles!

haddock said...

Here it would be written
"It was the Nazis who inflicted unimaginable injury, terrible harm, on Poles - incomprehensible crimes"... if it were written at all.

Anonymous said...

c4.

Me too!