PerthNorg

I normally err on the side of favoring Mel whenever he was in the spot light.

The troubling thing is, is that he was not that drunk when he said ‘Jews start all the wars” - I’m sorry - but that’s just not something lurking in all our subconscious - it is downright nasty - and I don’t care how friggin drunk you are.

Having said that - there is a context to this - and that is the good ol’ US of A. You have the KKK, - the eugenics movement in Virginia in the 20s (sterilising hill-billies) and just on an indicative scale - Richards (aka Kramer’s) rant recently, where he noted that 50 years ago they would have ’strung [a black american] up and stuck a fork in his ***’

Also - I was in the states when the ‘Passion’ came out - honestly - we never even got a whiff of the bile that was spewed out in Mel’s direction by Jewish lobbyists and secular hollywood. It was absolutely disgusting.

My point is, is that the States is obessed with race/religion etc. Everyone has as point of view. Now that’s pointless to me - and still does not excuse his behaviour one little bit.

Overall, if the academy overlooks him - then tough luck. Those who ignore histroy are doomed to repeat it and we must be vigilant. There is no margin for error when dealing with anti-semites.

Don’t forget - the gereration that gave us ‘E=MC squared’ also gave us Hitler.

Hmmm - as glorious winner of Peter’s undeclared competiton, I have come back to gloat on my victory.

I started by saying I gave Mel the benefit of the doubt most times (WHOOPS!).

Then I said his behaviour was not good enough. Then having said his behaviour was not good enough, I said we must still place it in context - which is a nation obsessed by religon/race etc.

Then I said overall, I wouldn’t care if he was overlooked by the Oscars becasue there is no margin for error with anti-semites, and that you must always be on your game.

My message of vigilance was rounded off by harking back to the fact that the generation that gave us E=Mc squared also gave us Hitler. I think that is pretty clear Peter.

Though by your reference to it in the post - it seems to have been the point you have missed the most. So I will type it out slowly for you.

The same generation and nation of people that gave us science’s most mind blowing theory, one that most people still don’t appreciate and one which most scientists are still grappling with today, was the very same generation and nationality that also gave the world one of the 20th Centuries biggest monsters (I woldn’t say the biggest). The point being that it doesn’t matter how advanced or clever a society is - it can still regress pretty damn quickly and that we can’t afford not to be vigilant.

Nothing inconsistent or illogical about that. In fact I think it all ties together quite well, even with my pre-existing preference to side with Mel.

And now, having ‘won’, and skipped my little victory dance, I bid you farewell!