Bongobongo land

And where is that, exactly?

I love it j08 in particular the part where he offers to apologize to "their" ambassador.

I find myself agreeing with most some of it.

Nah. He sounds like a narrow minded bigot. Most of the aid we give does us good as well. It's all carefully worked out.

Did he really not know he would be ridiculed for using that phrase?!

I like the offer to apologise as well. Classic!

Daft man.

Fine for him to be ridiculed; not fine for offence to be manufactured the way it is.

Is he offended at being ridiculed? Nope. He throws it back with a laugh.

Which does not mean I agree with his other views.

Daft man indeed, but he has a sense of humour.

I bet he feels bad on the quiet.

Doubt it.

Do you after you've said ridiculous things that people laugh at?

Wonder what the response would have been if he'd referred to 'Never never land'?

Yeah. To cover up his embarrassment.

Bet he wishes he'd never said it.

galen

Oh we'll back to DLA Rribunal!

Why are you defending him Bags? What's your problem?

If people choose to laugh at any of my comments, that's ok with me. So long as I believe in what I'm saying. (and I wouldn't say it if I didn't)

Galen it wouldn't really have been relevant would it?

I'll defend him - on the grounds that I think that we should value free speech.

I might be alone in this, but I am getting tired of the mass hysteria that follows any comment that is not considered PC.
People regularly make statements / claims that I totally disagree with or find distasteful, but that is the price you pay for a free society. Obviously, there are limits (personal threats, for example), but personally I don't think that the comments in question come near those.

That said, I'm willing to bet that he knew exactly the reaction his words would cause, and is relishing the publicity!

I do think it was funny. Even though I don't go along with his politics.

Doesn't he just conform to one's idea of a UKIP MP? Priceless.

I'm defending his right to say silly stuff and to refer to Bongo-bongoland, or the other non-existent place he mentioned, or NeverNeverLand without people "talking offence". That's all, jings. Same as MamaCaz.

Nothing to do with his politics.

So, I'm agreeing with you that it's funny. What's your problem?

I think its a shame that everyone is concentrating on the "bongo bongo land" comment instead of there being a debate about the issues raised. I also would like to know why we are sending aid to countries which have their own space programme and who are spending vast sums on guns and planes.

I'm not saying we should not send aid but there should be more accountability and safeguards to ensure the money is being spent where it should.

A little while back UK sent a specific sum of money to vaccinate children against malaria (I think), and that was what the money was spent on. If people could be reassured that this was happening with all the aid money then I don't think there would be so many saying it should be stopped.

I think Bloom is being disingenuous. The term 'bongo-bongo land' was used frequently a couple of decades or more ago, and referred to certain African countries. Boris Johnson defended a columnist on the Spectator, who used it to refer to Kenya, along with other racial stereotypes like 'spic' for Hispanic people. Wasn't it used in comics like the Beano in the 60s and 70s? I remember the cartoon strips of Abbot and Costello characters being boiled in massive drums over fire by straw skirt wearing natives with bones in their noses in 'Bongo-Bongo Land.' The connection is plain to see.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (19 ed.)
Edited by Susie Dent
Publisher: Chambers Harrap Publishers Print Publication Date: 2012 Published to Oxford Reference: 2013 Current Online Version: 2013

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Bongo Bongo Land

A term notoriously applied to the Third World collectively by the laid-back Lothario of the Conservative Party, Alan Clark

Is that spoken comment, connecting 'bongo-bongo land' to horrible racist images, more worthy of condemnation than Pakistani muslims actually raping and abusing young white girls?

I seem to remember you producing lots of information proving those awful crimes were actually not racist, but opportunist, which somehow seemed to make the crime less terrible.