White Cliffs of Dover to be sold to the French to help reduce Government's debt

[ensho]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249194/Dover-symbol-British-sovereignty-sold-French-help-reduce-debt.html


For generations Dover has stood as an indomitable symbol of Britain’s freedom and independence.
The town, with its white cliffs, port and sprawling castle stood at the very edge of the nation’s frontier with the Continent.

But now part of that proud history is up for sale and the leading bidder is revealed as the former age-old enemy – France.

-snip-

The proposal for the port has prompted outrage.

Prospective Tory MP for Dover Charles Elphicke said: ‘It’s clear Gordon Brown has no sense of the history of our nation or the pride of our town.

‘How dare he consider selling it all off to the French? Dover is the English border. The people of Dover have a clear message for him – hands off our port, hands off the English border.’

-snip-

The sale is expected to be rubber-stamped and the leading bidder has emerged as Nord-pas-de-Calais regional council, which also owns Calais.
-snip-
----------------------------

the men in suits are determined to crumble the world before climate change crumbles it.

life is not going to get better.

[derby378]

1. Just imagine the response (thanks, Colin)

"We will fight them on the beaches..."

"Sir, they own them."

"Oh. We will fight them in the fields..."

"Sorry, Sir, they own them too."

"Fine, fine. We will never surrender!"

"Sorry, Sir, we already have!"

"Bloody hell - right, last one out close the door, don't tell me they have sold that too!"

[ensho]

2. young DUers might not know the history of the cliffs

including WWII history.

people's mouths are hanging open in disbelief at the thought of selling the cliffs.

but the port is where the money is. so who will win the port?

[Brickbat]

3. The cliffs are not for sale; the port is.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Selling ANY part of England to the French

is the issue.
The POINT is that national identity and borders are being erased piece by piece.
Some would argue this is a good thing.
Some would point to the reasons it is not a good thing.

Sadly, selling off chunks of one's country is commonplace, even here.
Remember the howl of outrage when Bush proposed selling a port to Dubai?
( also a major union busting plan was buried in there)

[Brickbat]

8. Yes, I understand. I was taking issue with the headline (Daily Mail, so I know why it says what it

says.) There is a major difference between selling tracts of land that have a sentimental place in people's hearts, and a tract of land that includes a large moneymaking industrial area, and judging from some of the responses in this thread, people are not reading carefully and are assuming it's the cliffs themselves.

[mkultra]

4. I bet Eric Johnson will be pissed that the are selling his music

[asjr]

5. Those cliffs will never belong to the French.

Nor any other country. They are as English as the cliffs are white. Surely this must be a joke. The English and the Americans saved France through 2 wars. I am an Anglophile and am heartsick hearing this.

[enid602]

6. queen

Butler answering the door: "I'm sorry, but the Queen is not available now; she's off touring the empire. She should be back any minute now . . ."

[Mari333]

9. ooo the Brits I know arent going to like this very much

[enid602]

13. our fault

It's all the United States' fault you know.

[Mari333]

14. why? the brits have assholes like Tony Blair and they know it

[msanthrope]

15. The Brits you know are stupid enough to believe the Daily Mail?

Seriously---the Mail is a rightwing rag on the level of World Net Daily.

[msanthrope]

10. It's the frakin' Daily Mail--why not cite the Weekly World News

while yer at it? I hear Bat Boy's on the loose....

[fishbulb703]

11. Agreed! No wonder the first quote is from a Tory MP.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Stop linking to the Daily Mail!

It's not "the White Cliffs of Dover", and the Mail is ridiculously jingoistic about such things. It's the port that may be sold. But no DUer should touch the Daily Mail with a bargepole on any story that can have a nationalistic slant. It's a right-wing rag.

Local story - denies French are involved: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2010/february/dover_not_french.aspx

[arthritisR_US]

16. historically this would be a repulsive move, however I would caution one to withhold response

until a more reliable source is found. I only say that because good mates of mine treat the Daily as a right wing rag with an agenda to incite and espouse right wing garbage.

[Codeine]

17. The Daily Mail?

Jesus, let's just link to fucking Infowars and Drudge while we're at it.

[SidDithers]

18. Unrec...

Daily Mail :puke:

Sid