Is Our Foreign Secretary Just Making It Up As He Goes Along?

[Ellipsis]

Is our Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, fit for purpose when he knows so little about "taking the knee" that he thinks it's to do with Game of Thrones, which features an unrelated concept called "bending the knee"? Bear in mind that he is the Foreign Secretary, the USA is one of our biggest allies and this is a key issue in the USA right now as well as here.

To quote Raab: "I don't know, maybe it's got a broader history, but it seems to be taken from the Game of Thrones. It feels to me like a symbol of subjugation and subordination rather than one of liberation and emancipation."

"I don't know", "it seems", "it feels to me" ... how can he be so clueless?

* https://talkradio.co.uk/news/dominic-raab-responds-criticism-over-game-thrones-comment-20061833449
* https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53093244

[dannyk13]

He is right, watching Aston Villa players kneeling last night I don't see how anyone could see this as a representation of anything other than subjugation.It certainly did not convey a message of freedom to me.

[dannyk13]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/17/aston-villa-sheffield-united-players-take-knee-premier-league-black-lives-matter

[iluvmargie]

So, in your opinion because he knows 'so little' about taking the knee, he is not for purpose?! I've heard it all now!!

[naomi24]

I expect he’s got better things to think about. I haven’t a clue about it either - and I’m happy with that. Right now it’s a load of virtue signalling nonsense.

[dannyk13]

Some people take every opportunity to slate the government, no matter how petty they are.

[Mamyalynne]

Whether it affects how he does his job, I don't know - he would have been better to have said straight out he didn't understand what it meant and decline comment.

[dannyk13]

Lynne, if he had admitted that he didn't know what it is about I think he would have had more people having a go at him.

[david small]

I know where I’d put my knee......ouch.

[Mamyalynne]

More than he has for getting it wrong?

I'm not sure about that Danny.

[iluvmargie]

I agree with you danny.

[cassa333]

He is talking about the concept of subjugation. Bending the knee, taking a knee bowing dow, it’s all the same.

In this case bowing to pressure because they think they should.

By admitting their racism with ‘taking the knee’ they think they can placate the mob and get away out the back door.

But it doesn’t work that way.

The only time I will ‘take a knee’ is on three occasions that I can think of. 1. If I’m being paid to do it 2. If I am forced to do it or 3. When I get a knighthood or something.

And I can tell you for nothing I would never do it for a openly Marxist group who’s aims are to radically reform the country for the worse.

[ToraToraTora]

what a load of old pony!

[royfromaus]

He could of course be more like Pep.





Apologise for slavery white people...says Pep who wages are paid by.............

[ichkeria]

In general, he does appear to be a minister seriously out of his depth.
But he’s far from the only one.

[dannyk13]

ich, absolute rubbish.

[jno]

If he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he might be better keeping his mouth shut and letting people think he’s a fool, rather than opening it and removing all doubt, as the adage goes.

[iluvmargie]

Couldn't hear that Pep very well, but if he wants ME to apologise for slavery, he can take a running jump.

[jim360]

It's a shame that Raab either didn't trouble himself to understand the origins of the gesture at all, or decided that only the most superficial research was enough to comment on it. Better had he stayed silent.

I do agree that in one sense it's neither here nor there. No amount of politicians taking the knee makes the blindest bit of difference if it isn't backed up by action that actually will change things. If Raab took the knee this evening, or at some point in the next few days, which wouldn't surprise me, then it would be little more than an attempt to deflect criticism rather than an attempt to address it.

[jno]

Dannyk, are you suggesting that a Brexit secretary who didn’t know there was a lot of cross-channel trade is somehow fit for purpose? Surely that’s the sort of basic knowledge of his brief that anyone in cabinet should have before even sitting down?

Or perhaps an Oxford education isn’t what it was.

[bednobs]

it's just a load of trivia IMO