I noticed a headline on the BBC website today that read "Saudi flag removed from pubs' World Cup bunting", hurrah I thought, there's a landlord (or Lady) with principals! They're not going to display the flag of a nation with such a terrible record of human-rights abuse, religious fundamentalism, funding of terrorism or state-sponsored misogyny, or downright religious stupidity (see cartoon above) good for them!
Unfortunately my congratulations were premature, having read through the story a bit more, I quickly realised that the reason the flags were removed wasn't some stand against bigotry but a kowtowing to religious sensibilities. Apparently someone complained that it was "inappropriate" to display the Saudi flag in an establishment that sells alcohol and the brewery that owns the pub (Green King) decided to take them all down, wouldn't want to "offend" anyone now would we. Staff are now wasting their lives (and money) cutting out the Saudi flags from bunting at their 3000 odd pubs, restaurants and hotels.
I have a suggestion, why not cut out the middle man and simply ban the flying of the Saudi flag anywhere in the UK, clearly our morality and culture are completely incompatible with theirs, and to put it mildly, we should all be thankful for that!
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