Is the greening of Victoria Falls for St Patrick`s Day appropriate?

SeanW · 23-02-2019 12:45AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

I read today that there are plans afoot to illuminate the famed Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe with green light on St Patrick`s day. Is this in poor taste in the context of the times we are living in? The reason I ask is because I saw a very disturbing video on youtube recently of a starving and emaciated Polar bear in Alaska. Also, polar bears in Russia scavaging from a town`s rubbish dump because there was no sea ice which they need for hunting. If the Zimbabweans want to shine high powered lights on this natural wonder, I would prefer if this was not because of Ireland or our patron saint. Irish politicians should stop exploiting the patron saint who came to Ireland to spread Christianity.

St Patrick`s day is supposed to be a holy day dedicated to our patron saint and of course it has not been that for a long time. It is just an excuse to drink a lot of beer and for leprechaun politicians to go on junkets at our expense which is a bit cringeworthy. They are making us the laughing stock of the planet.

:eek::eek::eek::eek: So ... you don't want the Zimbabweans to shine a green light on the Victoria Falls ... because you saw a video of a polar bear that didn't catch much food. And some polar bears invaded a town in Russia to rummage through its garbage.

Polar bears, Russia, Ireland, Victoria Falls Zimbabwe ... I'm having some difficulty seeing the connection. Have you been drinking?

Franz Von Peppercorn · 23-02-2019 12:49AM

The statues in Paris are green all year round. Polar bears. Workhouses.

mzungu · 23-02-2019 12:55AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

I am not sure if this decision was exclusively made by the Zimbabweans with no external diplomatic input. This type of low level diplomacy usually has the fingerprints of politically appointed ambassadors all over it.

I still don't see the problem. It's happening in loads of places like The Colosseum, Niagara Falls, the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Sydney Opera House and Shizuoka Stadium. RTE will show them on the news and tourism might get an extra boost. Everybody wins.

Mosi-oa-Tunya reimagined...

Fr_Dougal · 23-02-2019 01:00AM

archer22 · 23-02-2019 01:07AM

So who pays for all this greening, the Irish tourist board?

I hope we don't expect the taxpayers of other countries, many of them impoverished to foot the bill for our green BS.

dxhound2005 · 23-02-2019 01:16AM

They can't be too impoverished if they can afford to build something like the Victoria Falls.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 23-02-2019 01:30AM

archer22 wrote: »

So who pays for all this greening, the Irish tourist board?

I hope we don't expect the taxpayers of other countries, many of them impoverished to foot the bill for our green BS.

We don’t expect anything.

archer22 · 23-02-2019 01:40AM

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

We don’t expect anything.

I just saw a post on another thread where the poster said it's all paid for by the Irish tourist board and is just a marketing thing.

Fine, the only problem with it is it gives all the delusional halfwits back home in Ireland the impression they are loved and admired around the globe :pac:

Ninthlife · 23-02-2019 08:36AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

Is this funny? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JhaVNJb3ag

Who ever said starving polar bears were funny.

That video is sad but the law of nature is survival of the fittest. I could have placed text over that footage claiming the Nurses strike caused it, doesnt make it true but some may believe it.

That polar bear could have been injured, diseased, old. This is what happens to apex predators when they can no longer hunt. They pretty much starve to death unless their ailment or another animal kills them first. Polar bears being the largest carnivourous land mammal doesnt really have any predators apart from man

Yes climate change will affect the animal kingdom. But climate change and natural disasters have been happening for millions of years and the beauty of mother nature is the ability to adapt and evolve and survive

realitykeeper · 23-02-2019 11:09AM

Ninthlife wrote: »

Who ever said starving polar bears were funny.

That video is sad but the law of nature is survival of the fittest. I could have placed text over that footage claiming the Nurses strike caused it, doesnt make it true but some may believe it.

That polar bear could have been injured, diseased, old. This is what happens to apex predators when they can no longer hunt. They pretty much starve to death unless their ailment or another animal kills them first. Polar bears being the largest carnivourous land mammal doesnt really have any predators apart from man

Yes climate change will affect the animal kingdom. But climate change and natural disasters have been happening for millions of years and the beauty of mother nature is the ability to adapt and evolve and survive

We are now living in a time of mass extinction and humanity is the cause. Yes the bear may have been injured, deseased or old but even if it was young and healthy it still needs the sea ice to hunt or it will go hungry. It would be unlikely that all the bears in the Russian dump were old/injured/diseased.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 23-02-2019 11:12AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

We are now living in a time of mass extinction and humanity is the cause. Yes the bear may have been injured, deseased or old but even if it was young and healthy it still needs the sea ice to hunt or it will go hungry. It would be unlikely that all the bears in the Russian dump were old/injured/diseased.

And there you are using the internet.

Gimme A Pound · 23-02-2019 01:05PM

archer22 wrote: »

the only problem with it is it gives all the delusional halfwits back home in Ireland the impression they are loved and admired around the globe :pac:

Comment after comment like this - what is actually the problem with self confidence among Irish people? Better than having an inferiority complex surely...

And it's folk abroad who love the "top o the mornin" stuff. And is there actually an issue with that? Look at it objectively - outside of the self flagellation... there isn't really a problem at all now.

lawred2 · 23-02-2019 01:08PM

I'm struggling to see the causality here.

Obviously a piss take

lawred2 · 23-02-2019 01:10PM

Asher Small Moose wrote: »

Comment after comment like this - what is actually the problem with self confidence among Irish people? Better than having an inferiority complex surely...

And it's folk abroad who love the "top o the mornin" stuff. And is there actually an issue with that? Look at it objectively - outside of the self flagellation... there isn't really a problem at all now.

There will always be the cap doffers amongst us afraid to raise their eyes off the floor. They can't be helped so I wouldn't bother trying.

realitykeeper · 23-02-2019 11:23PM

Asher Small Moose wrote: »

Comment after comment like this - what is actually the problem with self confidence among Irish people? Better than having an inferiority complex surely...

And it's folk abroad who love the "top o the mornin" stuff. And is there actually an issue with that? Look at it objectively - outside of the self flagellation... there isn't really a problem at all now.

The inferiority complex comes from not speaking our own language and no amount of green light will change that.

Allinall · 23-02-2019 11:44PM

realitykeeper wrote: »

The inferiority complex comes from not speaking our own language and no amount of green light will change that.

What inferior complex?

hotmail.com · 24-02-2019 12:26AM

What a waste of money. Does anyone think that seeing a tinge of green light on the Colessuem will make them want to visit Ireland?

24-02-2019 03:58AM

I absolutely love when you can spot who the OP is before you finish reading the post. Dude lives in la-la land.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 24-02-2019 04:31AM

Ourselves and our Polish brothers. Two strongest Catholic countries in Europe.

God bless Patrick and Stanislaus.

realitykeeper · 24-02-2019 08:24AM

Allinall wrote: »

What inferior complex?

The Irish one referred to by other posters.

realitykeeper · 24-02-2019 08:28AM

Deleted User wrote: »

I absolutely love when you can spot who the OP is before you finish reading the post. Dude lives in la-la land.

Then by implication, Ireland is la-la land.

Allinall · 24-02-2019 10:44AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

The Irish one referred to by other posters.

I don’t see it. Do you?

I think they’re making it up.

Satta Massagana · 24-02-2019 10:53AM

Pesky polar bears again.
Catch them all, spray their head green & their arse orange.
Problem solved!

Panthro · 24-02-2019 10:55AM

I once did a tandum bungee jump off Vic falls.
It was sweeeeeeeeeeeeet

Rigor Mortis · 24-02-2019 10:57AM

realitykeeper wrote: »

St Patrick`s day is supposed to be a holy day dedicated to our patron saint and of course it has not been that for a long time. It is just an excuse to drink a lot of beer and for leprechaun politicians to go on junkets at our expense which is a bit cringeworthy. They are making us the laughing stock of the planet.

Unquestionably this is what St. Patrick's Day was. But it is no longer that. It is a celebration of Ireland, our culture and our people. Some people will choose to continue to see it as a purely religious holiday, but like Christmas for many it is a holiday which has evolved for many, into something broader.

On the politicians going on junkets, the value of those trips is way in excess of the cost. Ireland is virtually unique in having a national day which is known throughout the world. This is an opportunity for the kind of diplomacy which delivers jobs and trade for our country. It has also delivered cultural opportunities for many thousands of people from this country who have been invited to parades around the world.

Sorry you find it all cringeworthy. Large chunks of the rest of the world are still very much on board with it.

Gimme A Pound · 24-02-2019 01:12PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Ourselves and our Polish brothers. Two strongest Catholic countries in Europe.

God bless Patrick and Stanislaus.

This guy's posts can also be pretty golden.

frosty123 · 24-02-2019 01:18PM

I havent read the full article but if they're dyeing the water green then its totally inappropriate.

looksee · 24-02-2019 01:25PM

Vita nova wrote: »

I couldn't give a rat's ass if they colour the waterfall green for 17/3. However, I wish they'd change the name from Victoria Falls -named after the British queen Victoria- to something more native, especially considering its two proprietors Zimbabwe and Zambia both changed their names from Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia respectively.

Mosi oa Tunya. Nobody is insisting you call it Victoria Falls.

Vita nova · 24-02-2019 02:27PM

looksee wrote: »

Mosi oa Tunya. Nobody is insisting you call it Victoria Falls.

Yes, but both Zimbabwe and Zambia seem to use Victoria Falls in English, for example, that's the term used by their tourist authorities.

It's not for me that I wish they'd change the name but for themselves, however, it is entirely their decision. After all, they changed their countries' names from Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia -named after arch colonialist Cecil Rhodes- to Zimbabwe and Zambia.

archer22 · 24-02-2019 02:32PM

They are also hiring local theatre groups to dress up in green at those places and hop and prance around the place.
Then there will be an interview with some them where they will say how much they love Irish culture.

And shur why wouldn't they with a wad of Euros in their fists heading home

PS the getting drunk puking and fighting part of St Patrick's day won't be included.

Is the greening of Victoria Falls for St Patrick`s Day appropriate?

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