IT may be a stag party too far. After a night of binge drinking and strippers, young Britons are being invited to work off their hangovers on a tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The trips are being offered for as little as £149 per person, plus flights, by two British companies, Last Night of Freedom and Chillisauce.
Holocaust groups are appalled, while one tour organiser admitted last week that it conjured up a horrible impression of lap dancers' at the Nazi death camp.
The stag packages include a crawl of the 300 bars and restaurants around the main square of Krakow in Poland, once overrun by Mongol hordes, followed by a visit to a strip club. Other activities can include paintballing, white-water rafting and firing a Kalashnikov on a shooting range. Auschwitz and its sister camp of Birkenau are a 45-minute coach ride away.
The authorities in Krakow have already banned stag parties in kilts because men were frequently exposing themselves. Now groups are turning up at the camps with T-shirts emblazoned with the names of their tours, such as Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz 2009'.
Paul Luke, content manager at Last Night of Freedom, which claims to be the world's biggest travel agency for stag and hen weekends, told a journalist posing as a customer: It is bizarre when you drop a visit to the most depressing place on Earth into a massively fun weekend, but it is life-affirming. People have told us they have had the best night out ever after they have been there, because it almost makes you think, To hell with that, we have seen the worst humanity had to show and then gone out on a major night on the tiles with strippers and booze'.
Although it makes some people cringe at the notion of these two things colliding, it is something that is very moving and extremely sobering. Then again, it does fuel a fabulous night out.'
David Stacey, a happy customer, said: A lady called Kate was our tour guide and she was excellent. She came out with us on the first and second night and organised white-water rafting and a trip to Auschwitz, which were both very good for different reasons.'
The invite to Auschwitz on the Chillisauce website says: Why not take a break from your stag weekend mayhem and immerse yourself in a little world-defining history before the 20-odd pints later in the evening.'
Some stag groups have posted photos of their visit on the firm's website. Snaps of them under the famous Arbeit Macht Frei' sign are livened up by the addition of Denzil, a cartoon stag mascot.
Karen Pollock, head of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: Over 1m people were systematically murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau. It seems entirely inappropriate to advertise a visit to the site for stag groups in this way, alongside nights of drinking and clubbing.'
James Baddiley, the managing director of Chillisauce, said: We have had no complaints. We get a lot of customers who think if they are in Krakow they would like to go along to Auschwitz to pay their respects. Obviously, they don't go along dressed up as if they are on a stag do.'
Izania Downie, the chief executive of Eventia, the trade body for event organisers, said: It appears that Chillisauce offer the Auschwitz tour as one of many cultural options available, but we have discussed this issue with them and they have reviewed the way in which they present this option to the public.'
Matt Mavir, who set up Last Night of Freedom in 1999, was unavailable for comment.
#1
In a non-decadent society there wouldn't be a need to discuss the issue with them.
I'm with Alfonzo Rachel's comments at the Dallas tea party. Ultimately the problem isn't our politicians, it's our culture. Europe's farther along the downward path than we are, but arguably not all that much. We might be able to pull back, with some strenuous and time urgent effort but I'm not sure the UK and the continent can.
#3
'To hell with that, we have seen the worst humanity had to show and then gone out on a major night on the tiles with strippers and booze'.
Although it makes some people cringe at the notion of these two things colliding, it is something that is very moving and extremely sobering. Then again, it does fuel a fabulous night out.
One might contend (and with apologies to any Holocaust survivors out there) that people like this might be worse.
Sir, The article by Ruth Gledhill and Jonathan Clayton (500 butchered in Nigeria killing fields', Mar 9) portrays vividly the horror suffered by innocent civilians in the most recent outbreak of violence in what is becoming a deeply disturbing sequence of massacres.
Your leading article also highlights the urgent need for the Nigerian Government to stabilise the country and to soothe ethnic' tensions. Having visited northern Nigeria and Plateau state many times in recent years, I fully endorse the urgent need for measures to curb violence, which could increase and has the potential to destabilise Nigeria.
However, your leading article reflects an inaccurate misrepresentation of the history of violence in referring to a Christian-on-Muslim attack in January'. There are always claims and counter-claims, but on that occasion, reports clearly indicated that the killings began when Muslim youths attacked Christians on a Sunday morning, on their way to church. Muslims were also killed as those under attack began to fight back.
In the violent attacks, not only in Plateau state, but also in neighbouring Bauchi and other northern states, a consistent pattern has emerged: they are initiated by well-armed Muslim extremists, chanting militant slogans, attacking and killing Christian and other non-Muslim citizens and destroying homes and places of worship.
In the early stages of the attack, the Muslim militants take corpses to mosques, where they are photographed and released to the media, creating the impression that these are Muslim victims. The security forces have reportedly been too slow to intervene to stop the massacres. Subsequent retaliation has led to the deaths of Muslims, some of whom also died when security forces eventually intervened.
During our last visit, I met Muslim and Christian leaders who are committed to trying to promote peace but their endeavours will not be helped by misunderstanding the reality of the situation. All the evidence on the ground indicates that these acts of violence are not primarily political or tribal. They are instigated by militant Islamist extremists.
Several years ago I had the privilege of co-founding the International Islamic Christian Organisation for Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Indonesia, after attacks by Islamist extremists on the Muslim and Christian communities in Maluku and Sulawesi. It was very successful in preventing recurrence of fighting. Perhaps a similar initiative might help those Christian and Muslim leaders in Nigeria now trying to stem the violence?
China's demand for oil jumped by an astonishing' 28% in January compared with the same month a year earlier, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.
Here is a quick run down on what China is doing in Iraq, and it is all about oil. I find it interesting that China is getting more involved with really risky resource ventures in places like Iraq or the Congo. And what that means to this industry, is that the Chinese will find a way to secure these ventures and investments. You will either see Chinese security folks, or they will use local nationals for the work. But like with most security work, they tend to go with the kind of security they can really trust and depend upon for the most sensitive projects. Especially to guard oil executives.
The other thing about this that is frustrating, is that information about Chinese private security companies is very thin. Maybe there is tons of stuff on Chinese servers?. Who knows, but it is an area that I would like to learn more about as the fight for resources increases in the coming future. Our industry will only see more involvement in that resource war, and it is important to track this stuff.
In Iraq, you could very well see a situation where you see Chinese security contractors rolling down the highway in SUVs, or posted at some gate of some oil facility. If any readers have any stories about bumping into Chinese military or contractors in Iraq, please feel free to post away in the comments. Like I said, there is nothing written about Chinese PMC's or PSC's, and I would like to see Feral Jundi's archives fill up with some more data about that. I will keep looking, and if anyone finds anything else, let me know. Especially for Africa, because China is really involved there.
it is all about oil No, Its all about control of global resources, means of production, and global financial influence... The Chinese are winning....
Posted by: Spater Scourge of the Infinitesmal1256 ||
03/14/2010 12:15 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Black Bart, posting here as Slater etc. - please stick to one 'nym right now.
Fred and the mods are dealing with a huge spam storm and other attacks. Your cooperation will be helpful as the sources of attacks are painstakingly tracked down and holes plugged.
#3
I still don't know why the Chinese haven't built a bunch of pebble bed nuclear reactors and moved away from oil. It's not as if they have to listen to environmentalists over there.
hat tip to Instapundit
No, you aren't imagining it. There was a time when the Scandinavian countries could reasonably boast that it was in the grim, cold north of Europe that the most liberal, socially tolerant societies were to be found. But something, it seems, is stirring; a disturbing acquiescence to the rising tide of religious fundamentalism. While criticism of the (American) Christian right are still regularly found in Stockholm and Oslo's "quality" dailies (most of it overdrawn, but often entirely justified), the increasing fundamentalism of their fellow citizens is either ignored or excused. Take this most recent example, detailed here by Norwegian journalist Rita Karlsen, of the "Role Model of the Year" gong, awarded by Norway's Ministry of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion. (And yes, having a ministry with such a silly title is itself a problem.)
According the government, Mahdi Hassan won plaudits for his tireless work on behalf on indigent local youths:
We know that good role models mean a lot when it comes to creating opportunities for children and teenagers. Mahdi Hassan is such a role model. He is visible, he has knowledge and a strong sense of commitment and makes use of these things to create a better day-to-day life for young people in Tynset. People like Mahdi Hassan make a difference and his award for "2009 Role Model of the Year" is highly deserved.
Well, huzzah for Hassan. The only problem, though, is that Hassan the Role Model has a wee problem with the gays; typically something that disqualifies one from being publicly celebrated in Scandinavia. According to Karlsen, "Hassan told the newspaper Arbeidets Rett that he wants a ban on homosexuality, based on the Koran." Does he support the death penalty for gays? That's "up to each individual country to decide." Wouldn't want to judge the wonderful diversity of Koranic interpretation, now would we?
Seems like a nice chap; the type of role model I'd expect in my local Big Brother program. Obviously, Hassan's tolerance (of capital punishment for homosexuals) has angered Norwegian gay rights groups. But Stein Petter Løkken, leader of the Socialist Left Party in Hassan's home kommune of Tynset, defended the choice: "There is freedom of speech in Norway and in the Tynset Socialist Left Party we consider it unproblematic that Mahdi is opposed in principle to homosexuality. It is in accordance with his religion."
#1
"... that Mahdi is opposed in principle ..."! I'm sorry, for folks of his ilk, principle is practice. And if you believe it is just principle, do I have a very nice bridge for you to buy.
#2
5 more years and it would be a fun. Where would they go? Sweden? Yea, same thing in yellow and blue. Finland? Not that far behind. Norwegian Gays for Palestine... Oh! I know, they will try to migrate to Israel!
[
Norge Gays: "But they are killing us!"
Social Inclusion Minister: "They are not beheading Me!"
]
#3
FTA: "There is freedom of speech in Norway and in the Tynset Socialist Left Party we consider it unproblematic that Mahdi is opposed in principle to homosexuality. It is in accordance with his religion."
So, does that now mean that Christians can object to homosexuality because of their faith? Or is that only for Muslims?
#4
So, does that now mean that Christians can object to homosexuality because of their faith? Or is that only for Muslims?
Sorry, moral equivalency really pisses me off. There's a huge difference between a a group that calls someone a sinner and prays for their soul, and a group that calls someone a sinner and wants to kill them.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
