RNLI

And women choosing to cover up is freedom, is it not?

WTF would they want that if not brainwashed or subjugated ?

This is quite literally very foreign territory to the RNLI - and my serving life on the line chums know, I wish I could be with them in the pub now as they'll be crying with laughter and sadness - the ' management ' has already p'd off the real front line people, now they're turning it into a comedy - I saw clueless accountants with no idea or experience whatsoever do exactly the same to destroy our aircraft manufacturing industry, now it's the RNLI...
 
And women choosing to cover up is freedom, is it not?

Not if the other choice is ( and it usually is) savage beatings, ostracism, acid in the eyes, public floggings, stoning to death.. or long terms of imprisonment, as happened to an Iranian lady a few days ago for the crime of not wearing her scarf properly. Freedom to cover up? The phrase is a sick joke.
The RNLI are well out of their depth on this one, a double figure % drop in tin collections is inevitable, big big mistake.
 
Last edited:
As I wrote, I think it is quite OK to think that the RNLI should not spend money abroad. I just think that objecting to them spending money on Muslims is a bit ... iffy.

I don't think the objection is because they are muslims. The objection is that it is not UK, CI and ROI.

I observed that, of all the possibilities in the world for saving lives, it was perhaps odd that both that were publicised are benefitting muslims.

That is not the same as objecting to muslim lives being saved - it is an observation that there is an unequal distribution of aid.
 
Not if the other choice is ( and it usually is) savage beatings, ostracism, acid in the eyes, public floggings, stoning to death.. or long terms of imprisonment, as happened to an Iranian lady a few days ago for the crime of not wearing her scarf properly. Freedom to cover up? The phrase is a sick joke.
The RNLI are well out of their depth on this one, a double figure % drop in tin collections is inevitable, big big mistake.

+1 Good Post, as we on the better much friendlier side would put it ! :encouragement:
 
The trouble is aid runs the risk of corrupting its recipients, stifling indigenous progress, and aggrandising its providers. Aid can contribute to conflicts, the mistreatment of women, and even the exploitation of children. The RNLI needs to do much more research before heading down this route; both with respect to its backers and recipients.

Wandering into this burkini debate was IMHO a grave error of judgement, as I believe was the RNLI's press announcement yesterday, describing the burkini project as:

“a way of enabling girls in strict Muslim countries to get into the water without compromising their cultural and religious beliefs
..."The RNLI has been involved in the Panje Project, with the majority of the RNLI’s involvement funded by a donor who specifically wanted the money to go towards this project,”​

Fair enough re the second point. Nevertheless, "their", (the girls') "cultural and religious beliefs", really? If this sounds the slightest racist, my grandfather was a Muslim.

That said I love the RNLI, and intend to remain a member for the time being. The obvious next step would be for new CEO Mark Dowie to resign with immediate effect.

If he doesn't, and I doubt he will, the RNLI is right to downsize to a level commensurate with its new self-inflicted lower funding horizon.

Edit: interestingly the negative stories appear to have activated an unquantified spike in new donations. If these stick the problem could theoretically be resolved if more traditional donors are replaced by this new constituency. Time will tell:
https://www.theguardian.com/society...tory-criticism-work-overseas-lifeboat-charity
 
Last edited:
Agreed, also (from experience) the actual lifeboat crews themselves don't consider anyone's 'membership', it doesn't cross their minds.
I've been on boats which have been towed in by the RNLI, as decided by HMCG after pan-pans, and they just want to help anyone who needs it.

Don't know much about this but a friend - once a coastguard - says RNLI are tow trucks. Anyone in real danger gets a helicopter. How true would that be?
 
Not if the other choice is ( and it usually is) savage beatings, ostracism, acid in the eyes, public floggings, stoning to death.. or long terms of imprisonment, as happened to an Iranian lady a few days ago for the crime of not wearing her scarf properly. Freedom to cover up? The phrase is a sick joke.
The RNLI are well out of their depth on this one, a double figure % drop in tin collections is inevitable, big big mistake.

Yeah, apparently the wider public ain’t as selfish folks around here..

https://www.theguardian.com/society...tory-criticism-work-overseas-lifeboat-charity
 
Ahh.. The Guardian, whose readers only start donating to the RNLI, when they read that the money goes to paying for the subjugation of girls and women in distant theocracies. Fascinating.

It wasn’t the guardian who published the story.... it was the times and the daily mail.

Maybe your reactionary thinking is not as prevelant as you believe??

Either way, your wrong.
 
It is not racist or sexist to question overseas expenditures or the sacking of volunteers for a naughty mug in a cupboard. I suspect that most donations come from people who would ask such questions.

As I mentioned on here last year when the story originally broke, no one got sacked for having a naughty mug in a cupboard, or for any other minor transgression. The tabloid press portrayed them as such, as it made a better story.

This is what the RNLI said at the time:

"We do not stand volunteers down lightly. We recognise the years of dedication and the skill involved in becoming a crew member, helm or Coxswain. We fully understand and respect the close bond and camaraderie of our crew and other volunteers. We know that friendly banter is a key part of this.

But to be clear – we simply will not tolerate lifeboats being taken for joyrides in rough weather without full crew. We don’t accept that hard core, graphic pornography has any place at a lifeboat station. We will not tolerate threats of violence towards our volunteers or staff. We will not stand for bullying or aggressive behaviour."


And as a long-serving crew member, I have to agree.
 
It wasn’t the guardian who published the story.... it was the times and the daily mail.

Maybe your reactionary thinking is not as prevelant as you believe??

Either way, your wrong.
So objecting to charity donations being spent on the cruel enforcement of sharia is now 'reactionary thinking'? What a time to be alive.
 
Don't know much about this but a friend - once a coastguard - says RNLI are tow trucks. Anyone in real danger gets a helicopter. How true would that be?

A lot of the calls are indeed to broken down pleasure boats. But on many occasions I have pulled people out of the water who probably wouldn't have survived another minute.
And sadly in a few cases, didn't.
 
As I mentioned on here last year when the story originally broke, no one got sacked for having a naughty mug in a cupboard, or for any other minor transgression. The tabloid press portrayed them as such, as it made a better story.

This is what the RNLI said at the time:

"We do not stand volunteers down lightly. We recognise the years of dedication and the skill involved in becoming a crew member, helm or Coxswain. We fully understand and respect the close bond and camaraderie of our crew and other volunteers. We know that friendly banter is a key part of this.

But to be clear – we simply will not tolerate lifeboats being taken for joyrides in rough weather without full crew. We don’t accept that hard core, graphic pornography has any place at a lifeboat station. We will not tolerate threats of violence towards our volunteers or staff. We will not stand for bullying or aggressive behaviour."


And as a long-serving crew member, I have to agree.
It's the public's impression of the RNLI that matters when volunteers are shaking the tins, and millions now believe, rightly or wrongly, that the charity has taken a wrong turning, or several. For this reason alone, they ought to admit a mistake, stop sending money to distant lands for dubious projects ( money which risks being diverted by local gangsters anyway) and assure the public that all donations are spent in UK waters. There are already numerous other ways of giving foreign aid.
 
As I mentioned on here last year when the story originally broke, no one got sacked for having a naughty mug in a cupboard, or for any other minor transgression. The tabloid press portrayed them as such, as it made a better story.

This is what the RNLI said at the time:

"We do not stand volunteers down lightly. We recognise the years of dedication and the skill involved in becoming a crew member, helm or Coxswain. We fully understand and respect the close bond and camaraderie of our crew and other volunteers. We know that friendly banter is a key part of this.

But to be clear – we simply will not tolerate lifeboats being taken for joyrides in rough weather without full crew. We don’t accept that hard core, graphic pornography has any place at a lifeboat station. We will not tolerate threats of violence towards our volunteers or staff. We will not stand for bullying or aggressive behaviour."


And as a long-serving crew member, I have to agree.

Thank you for that. You have shone a light on the background to the story and I now understand it and support the RNLI position.
 
On the mugs and Jersey issues, I 100% supported the RNLI. I nevertheless believe that wading into the Muslim women and other foreign matters to be quite wrong.

The RNLI volunteers are beacons to humanity; their management increasingly prone to chronic missteps; missteps which increasingly endanger their hitherto sticky funding base. Not good.
 
On the mugs and Jersey issues, I 100% supported the RNLI. I nevertheless believe that wading into the Muslim women and other foreign matters to be quite wrong.

The RNLI volunteers are beacons to humanity; their management increasingly prone to chronic missteps; missteps which increasingly endanger their hitherto sticky funding base. Not good.

I think I detect the "advice" of HMG behind these foreign adventures of the RNLI.
 
Top