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  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,889
    A potential opening for the BNP after UKIP accepts gay marriage? (Griffin remains as intolerant as ever and may try for some of the socially conservative vote). In reality though Farage really accepting reality, UKIP opposed gay marriage but have accepted they cannot reverse it now it is in law (though they will not allow gay weddings in church)
  • dugarbandierdugarbandier Posts: 2,596

    The British Indian Army was the largest volunteer army in history, and of course was a large part of the force fighting the INA in the Burmese war.

    I am not suggesting that the majority of Indian people were sympathetic to Bose and the INA (though a good number probably were and Bose is still regarded as a hero in some Indian quarters). It was not unreasonable though of the British Indian government to withdraw potential boats and supplies in front of the anticipated Japanese led Invasion.

    This was one of the factors in the famine, but there were many others, not least the disruption of Burmese rice exports to Bengal.



    The famine arose from a perfect storm of events, of which the British Indian governments actions were one, but the famine was as much the fault of the Japanese and Bose's INA as of British policy.



    AndyJS said:

    AndyJS said:
    Sean posted that here last night.

    I posted on here, in response:

    Do you admire Churchill?

    Was he responsible for 3 million deaths during the Bengal famine of 1943?



    - Antony Beevor, "The Second World War", Phoenix Books (2013).
    Thanks, interesting stuff.
    2.5 million Indians fought for the Allies, in Burma, the Middle East, East Africa, North Africa and Italy.

    In contrast INA - never had more than 40,000 men, mostly prisoners of war who probably didn't want to become Japanese bayonet practice
    Madras to the south was a net exporter of rice, so could have made up for shortages had the Govt. in New Delhi got their act together, which I have to point out did happen when Wavell became Viceroy.

    I'm being a little hyperbolic here, but I'm sure the Indian Army could have had not 2.5 million but 25 million volunteers had Hitler's opinions and plans for India he postulated in Mein Kampf had been more widely circulated among the population!

    Interesting discussion, and underlines to me just how partial and inadequate my history syllabus was in the 80s UK. (don't know how it is now, obv).

    focuses the mind- when all and sundry here and abroad are on at the Japanese govt. to have impartial history teaching, not omitting or obfuscating terrible behaviours of the past.

    meanwhile, my history syllabus to GCSE featured not a sniff of Ireland, and not a sniff of India to name just two..


    as for US teaching of US history....


  • foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    I agree that the British administration could have done better, but these things are easy in retrospect, particularly as the expected Japanese invasion did not appear.

    It is a bit simplistic to lay this at the door of Churchill alone though.

    The British Indian Army was the largest volunteer army in history, and of course was a large part of the force fighting the INA in the Burmese war.

    I am not suggesting that the majority of Indian people were sympathetic to Bose and the INA (though a good number probably were and Bose is still regarded as a hero in some Indian quarters). It was not unreasonable though of the British Indian government to withdraw potential boats and supplies in front of the anticipated Japanese led Invasion.

    This was one of the factors in the famine, but there were many others, not least the disruption of Burmese rice exports to Bengal.



    The famine arose from a perfect storm of events, of which the British Indian governments actions were one, but the famine was as much the fault of the Japanese and Bose's INA as of British policy.



    AndyJS said:

    AndyJS said:
    Sean posted that here last night.

    I posted on here, in response:

    Do you admire Churchill?

    Was he responsible for 3 million deaths during the Bengal famine of 1943?



    - Antony Beevor, "The Second World War", Phoenix Books (2013).
    Thanks, interesting stuff.
    2.5 million Indians fought for the Allies, in Burma, the Middle East, East Africa, North Africa and Italy.

    In contrast INA - never had more than 40,000 men, mostly prisoners of war who probably didn't want to become Japanese bayonet practice
    Madras to the south was a net exporter of rice, so could have made up for shortages had the Govt. in New Delhi got their act together, which I have to point out did happen when Wavell became Viceroy.

    I'm being a little hyperbolic here, but I'm sure the Indian Army could have had not 2.5 million but 25 million volunteers had Hitler's opinions and plans for India he postulated in Mein Kampf had been more widely circulated among the population!
  • NormNorm Posts: 1,251
    IOS said:

    Osborne must have some big news for tomorrow. The main reason why the budget went so wrong in 2012 was that all the good stuff was leaked and then on the day the press only had the bad stuff to talk about.

    If handing out taxpayer money to the already privileged Notting Hill set to pay for their childcare costs is deemed the good stuff then on that basis I am not looking forward to tomorrow that much.

  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    edited March 2014
    The discussion on PPRuNe is getting really interesting now (with 9 million views so far):

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost-297.html

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news-13/

    Someone like Rod Crosby may be needed to explain what rhumb lines / loxodromes are.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,121
    AndyJS said:

    The discussion on PPRuNe is getting really interesting now (with 9 million views so far):

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost-297.html

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news-13/

    Someone like Rod Crosby may be needed to explain what rhumb lines / loxodromes are.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumb_lines

    In navigation, a rhumb line (or loxodrome) is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing. That is, upon taking an initial bearing, one proceeds along the same bearing, without changing the direction as measured relative to true or magnetic north
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395

    AndyJS said:

    The discussion on PPRuNe is getting really interesting now (with 9 million views so far):

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/535538-malaysian-airlines-mh370-contact-lost-297.html

    http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news-13/

    Someone like Rod Crosby may be needed to explain what rhumb lines / loxodromes are.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhumb_lines

    In navigation, a rhumb line (or loxodrome) is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing. That is, upon taking an initial bearing, one proceeds along the same bearing, without changing the direction as measured relative to true or magnetic north
    Thnx. According to one of the posts on PPRuNe, if investigators have data on the hourly pings from 2:11 to 7:11 they ought to be able to work out where the plane is, theoretically.
  • john_zimsjohn_zims Posts: 3,399
    @compouter2

    'It's a present that just keeps giving:'

    'Most unsuitable characteristic in a leading politician'

    55% Never had a real job

    Poor old Ed.
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Clarissa Dickson Wright on Tony Blair:

    "There were several members of the future Labour Cabinet in my circle, including Tony Blair himself. We called him Miranda, not least because of his long hair and girlish looks. He was regarded as a poor, sad thing, and considered something of a fantasist."

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-476204/Clarissa-Dickson-Wright-Confessions-One-Fat-Lady.html
This discussion has been closed.