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

Hoo,
your analithic mind misses that Nazi is synonym of attrocity while catholic does not.

I mean isn´t, not does not.

"If you're going to dress in Nazi regalia for fun (and it takes all sorts, I guess), then the context needs to be very clear"

Indeed. If you wear a Nazi uniform and you and five hundred of your friends march through Golders Green chanting, that's one thing. But that's not what we're talking about is it?

We're talking about, as far as I can make out, ONE MAN, in a group of twelve posh nobs, in a restaurant, in a ski resort. Not a march - a meal and a few beers with some friends, all of the rest of whom seem to be more practically dressed for the weather. And yes, he made some offensive sounding remarks in a speech given to his table, and insulted a waiter. He's a posh boy - what do you expect? You're absolutely right that context is everything, and in this context, the groom on a stag do wearing a Nazi uniform is pretty clearly the definition of "Mostly Harmless", other than the fact that he chose to do so in a country which, whether he realised it or not, makes such clothing illegal.

Thanks for that. Now - "analithic"??? In English, please? I've googled it but all I get is something about an archaeology package for Windows. I can't be certain, but I don't think that's what you meant.

And yes, obviously Stephen Fry's word is scripture.

Or, possibly, just a succinct summary of my feelings on the matter and something I can point someone to easily.

Can someone put me right on this...

I don't know French law specifically, but does it regard wearing Nazi uniforms in public as 'Mostly Harmless'?

(genuinely don't know. I know German and Austrian law don't)

so its okay for the ruling (posh?) class to break the law?

SoRB: Don't come the raw prawn. If I can recognise 'analithic' as 'analytic' then you can. Don't go off on one simply because someone dares to disagree with you.

>>so its okay for the ruling (posh?) class to break the law?

I didn't get that implication, FKF. Their poshness was mentioned en passant. Or possibly as mitigation - we regard posh people as having limited intelligence due to centuries of inbreeding.

>>your analithic mind misses that Nazi is synonym of attrocity while catholic does no<<

That depends on who you ask. For a lot of people Catholic is synonymous with abuse and atrocities.

It was a crime *in France* - fine, let him lose his French jobs. It's not common knowledge in the UK that wearing Nazi regalia in France is a crime: I certainly didn't know it and I've got quite a strong interest in the field. It's also worth noting the French couldn't seem to care less: even with all their disputes with the Tory party at the moment, the French establishment aren't making anything of this.

For those quoting the "it's a crime line" line, could they clarify what kind of crime? Civil or criminal. Could he serve jail time or just be liable to a fine?

and if its not okay for the ruling (posh?) class to break the law...
is it okay for them to change it to fit their purposes?

>>mean isn´t, not does not.<<

Well, I wouldn't say Catholics as such, but maybe the Catholic church should be? Think about it. They've committed atrocities. They still do.

I can recognise that it *could* have meant "analytic". I did wonder if the word Maria was failing to type correctly was "monolithic", which would also have made about as much sense as I've come to expect.

I do try, in these cases, not to assume anything about what people MEAN, and rather to react to what they SAY, and where what they say doesn't make any sense, to seek clarification. Time and again, "coming the raw prawn" has resulted in the clarification making clear that any assumption I could reasonably have made from what was posted was wrong. You know this happens.

Sorry, copied the wro0ng post. I refereed to:

>>your analithic mind misses that Nazi is synonym of attrocity while catholic does not.
<<

and if the posh are just village idiots due to inbreeding...
then who are the idiots that voted (?) them into power?

>>It's not common knowledge in the UK that wearing Nazi regalia in France is a crime: I certainly didn't know it and I've got quite a strong interest in the field.

Ah, come on HI. Knowing the law in German and Austria (we do, surely?) and knowing France's history...wouldn't you be the least trepidatious?

HI: "It was a crime *in France* - fine, let him lose his French jobs"

No, hang on, slow down.

It's a criminal offence in France to wear anything "reminiscent" of Nazi regalia, unless you're an actor or have similar excuse.

But the man wearing the uniform was NOT the man who has lost his (unpaid) job.

The man in the uniform was the stag on the stag do. The man who has lost his (unpaid) job was one of the guests.

Plus 'Ignorance of the law is no defence.'

"and if the posh are just village idiots due to inbreeding...
then who are the idiots that voted (?) them into power?"

A substantial majority of the population of England, at every election in my lifetime. Any other stupid questions?

"wouldn't you be the least trepidatious?"

Speaking purely personally, I wouldn't be trepidatious, I simply wouldn't do it... but then I wouldn't do it in England, either.

It's very easy, when in a ski resort, especially THAT ski resort, to forget briefly that you're in a foreign country with a different attitude to freedom of speech. I imagine it's even easier when you're the kind of entitled toff we're talking about here, who are probably ensconced in a catered chalet with a nice gel called Emma cooking most of their meals and generally cleaning up after them.

I'm not trying to defend the guy, here, I'm just saying - consider the context.

Then again, the git did say "We wanted to see how a Nazi outfit in the middle of France would go down. The answer is not that well at all", which rather demonstrates that he at least had an idea that what he was doing would offend. So, he's a tit - Oxbridge educated management consultant who invites a Tory MP to his stag do revealed as racist tit - this is news???

>> Knowing the law in German and Austria (we do, surely?) and knowing France's history...wouldn't you be the least trepidatious?<<

No, France is the country that gave us Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. It's the country that inspired some of the worlds greatest liberal thinkers. That would be foremost in my mind.

Germany and Austria are no-brainers, but France is normally a lot more protective of the rights of the individual.

A point I've just made on facebook is, given France's exceptionally strong privacy laws, the video that is being used as evidence is very probably illegal in France. Go to jail illegal, not slap on the wrist fine illegal.