h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Conservative MP Aidan Burley has been sacked as as a parliamentary private secretary at the Department of Transport. The reason given was he attended a stag party in which a friend of his dressed up as an SS Nazi officer http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16234529
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072639/Tory-MP-Aiden-Burley-Nazi-stag-night-French-ski-resort.html

A few years ago Prince Harry (third in line to the Royal throne) was criticised for wearing a Nazi swastika armband at a friends fancy dress party http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4170083.stm

Would you wear an SS Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party? If not would you still be concerned if the person sitting next to was dressed up in such an outfit? Is it really possible to infer anything about the mind set of someone willing to dress up as an SS Nazi officer or is this all political correctness gone mad?

Actors permanently dress up in Nazi uniforms. And I can't see why somebody should be responsible for offensive behaviour of somebody else?

I remember in the early days of h2g2, there were pictures of various researchers at a fancy dress party and some of them were in Nazi uniforms. Those pictures were later removed.

I'm not saying it's a tasteful thing to do, but if I went to a party and a friend of mine dressed as a Nazi, surely I wouldn't have to quit my job?

hmmm
well... if you read the second link in the original posting
i think it becomes clearer the atmosphere of that unfortunate party
it was public
it was in france
the mp in question is a public figure in england
and the activity at that party was extremely offensive

read the whole thing
you'll see

bottom line is... there is and never will be anything amusing or funny about the nazis

er sorry

there is NOT and never will be anything amusing or funny about the nazis

The BBC might beg to differ:

Dad's Army:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/15/article-1357224-002E1ED600000258-875_634x461.jpg

Allo Allo:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/06/27/article-1289826-0A386F65000005DC-447_468x497.jpg

My DVD of The Producers seeks to disagree with that opinion.

B

Some of the parties I used to go to often had rules about 'no nazi insignia'. Uniform okay, just take the badges off...

This post has been removed.

i just want to go on the record here that i yikesed posting 11 because i felt that it did what that fellow in the nazi uniform did at that party.... and that if i had not i would have had to "leave the party" of this thread... which i do not want to do as i still have things to say...

er and i guess i have to unsub until its gone

I wouldn't go as a Nazi but then I generally don't like fancy dress. I can't say I'd be that bothered if someone else was dressed as one as I don't think they're advocating fascism - I see people dressing up as Jedward, I don't think they're advocating rubbish music.

It's certainly a worrying development, I'm just glad no-one lost a real job over it. It's times like these, when the press decide to have a hissy fit over something that's none of their business, that an American-style absolute guarantee of freedom of expression and includes people being allowed to wear what they choose.

Am I alone in thinking there's a bridge somewhere that has goats going over it unmolested?

It's also worth noting that when a main cast member of Doctor Who recently got dressed up in Nazi gear, most of the audience went

In public? In a country she was a guest in?

We shouldn´t mix actors´ dressing with real life.

For an actor there´s a context: the film or the play. In that film nobody can say the actor is doing an apology of Nazism or any other similar issue.
My opinion is that for a party, where you are going to have fun, to see someone dressed like a Nazi or like a Falangista (Spanish fascists have their uniform too)wouldn´t be funny at my eyes.

I wouldn´t like even if person were ridiculing the Falangista. Spanish Civil war is too close still; the Nazis attrocities are also too close to the French I guess, so they find that attitude offensive.

However, I agree with Bel, I don´t see why that MP has to be responsible for the behaviour of someone else.

Isn't a person at a fancy dress party just acting with a small, informal audience?

actually, the mp is not responsible for the actions of someone else...
but
he is responsible for his own actions
including being a consenting laughing toasting member of a party
that loudly acted out naziism
harassed a waiter
in a public place
in a country where its illegal to do so

read the second url in the OP