Patrick Moore: racist?

[Lozzer]

Eccentric astronomer told interviewer: 'The only good Kraut is a dead Kraut'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1tczMCOEv

[MrJonno]

His past explains his bigotry but doesnt justify it, he might better of sticking to astronomy and xylophones rather than foreign policy (same applies to Richard Dawkins as well)

[fretmeister]

We can't judge past generations by modern standards. Abraham Lincoln was radically advanced for his time, yet publically stated he thought that black people could never be the equal of whites.

My grandparents were terribly racist, and not surprisingly the aim of their views was germans and japanese. My grandad fought the germans, and my granny's brother died in a japanese camp. Yet they lived in Peckham and had local friends of all backgrounds.

So it really doesn't surprise me when an old celebrity says something a bit silly - in fact in a way I think it shows such thoughts are being left behind.

While I'm all in favour of pointing out unacceptable things I am also aware that I have not experienced war or any other extreme high pressure situation where I might percieve threat from what I think is an entire group. Of course not all german soldiers were Nazis, but they would have all killed my grandad.

Perhaps in 30 years time our kids and grand children will be pointing out that not all muslims are terrorists. They will be correct. But they still won't convince Ken Bigley's family.

[Clinton Huxley]

He has previously stated "Only the Germans could have committed the Holocaust and only the Germans could do it again..."

Can't teach an old astronomer new tricks.

[Rum]

FFS he can't even talk properly any more. Let the poor old bugger fade away gracefully I say after all he has done a lot more good than harm.

..and he may be right about the Germans.

[von Starnberg]

The only good critic of the German peoples is a dead critic of the German peoples. It is not so?

[fretmeister]

He has previously stated "Only the Germans could have committed the Holocaust and only the Germans could do it again..."

Can't teach an old astronomer new tricks.

| once read that a rather unfortunate quote had been attributed to Helmut Kohl - something on the lines of - "I'm in favour of the EU because I can't trust the german people to not have a 3rd attempt..."

I have no idea at all of the accuracy of it or even whether it was public or a private joke with "friends" in the same way that Woody Allen gets caught out with Holocaust jokes sometimes.

But even so....

[Clinton Huxley]

He has previously stated "Only the Germans could have committed the Holocaust and only the Germans could do it again..."

Can't teach an old astronomer new tricks.

| once read that a rather unfortunate quote had been attributed to Helmut Kohl - something on the lines of - "I'm in favour of the EU because I can't trust the german people to not have a 3rd attempt..."

I have no idea at all of the accuracy of it or even whether it was public or a private joke with "friends" in the same way that Woody Allen gets caught out with Holocaust jokes sometimes.

But even so....

Great Scott, Moore is on to something!

[Rum]

Its a law you know..

[Clinton Huxley]

Its a law you know..

Patrick's Law? Never heard such rubbish.

[Rum]

Its a law you know..

Patrick's Law? Never heard such rubbish.

http://celiasue.com/2011/04/05/patricks-lawmovement-who/

[klr]

He's the Winston Churchill of astronomy, in so many respects.

[Animavore]

The Gamesmaster racist! Say it ain't so.

[mistermack]

He did acknowledge that there might be some good germans. He was saying that he didn't like them, and many people who went through the war say the same thing, and are fully entitled to.

It's not racist. Germans are not a race. They're a bunch of people born within some lines on a map.
It is wrong to generalise about Germans, but I don't think he would, if there was any prospect of causing real harm.

The only generalisation I would personally make about Germans, is that they don't like it up em.
The cold steel, they just don't like it up em.
They don't like the feel of it.

[Seabass]

A British person who hates the Krauts instead of the Merkins? I think I love that guy!