Just interrupted a song on the radio for a speech by Gordon Brown apologising for the deportation of loads of kids to Australia. Horrible as it was, why should Gordon Brown apologise? He had nothing to do with it. I just don't understand all this stuff about countries apologising for past behaviour.

He is the head of the government of the country that washed its hands of thousands of children. It isn't Gordon Brown apologising but rather the Prime Minister of the UK.

I just wonder when the towns of Lancashire will get their apology for being used as cannon fodder in the First World War.

I say get over it.

Sorry, don't buy it. They should make amends, but he can't apologise for someone else's actions.

Yes he can.

He's the elected head of government and therefore the chief representative of the country.

I can see we're not going to agree on this.

He may be the elected head of government and the chief representative of the country, but the country is not a person and has no will of its own. He is apologising for the actions of something he had nothing to do with on behalf of an entity that cannot have any opinion on anything, nor is responsible for any actions carried out in its name.

I'm with tombolt.

the thing is, the rubbish treatment the deportees suffered was at the hands of the Australian government, so I hope there'll be a similar apology from them too.

There has been.

If you start apologising then when do you stop, how far back in history do you go, can we expect an aology from the Italians for invading us over 2000 years ago?

That's where all our problems stem from TBH, so they should be apologising on our behalf anyway.

Sounds much like this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2553

You can apologise, but I don't think it means as much as it could. We don't deport people like that today, so its not as if the country (through Mr Brown) is saying "We're really sorry, what we did was wrong, we won't do it again".

*stands up*
"I feel I must apologise for the conduct of my nation during the war"

Mark

Ssshhh... Don't mention the war! </randon Fawlty Towers quote>

I see things like this as a way of moving on from the past, even if only slightly - everybody knows Gordon doesn't really give a fcuk (everybody knows they don't really give a fcuk ), but it costs nothing to do, and means the past has it's place without being unnecessarily dwelt on IMO.

Look at it as a cheap, quick way of shutting some people up when nobody else really cares maybe?

As stated earlier where do you stop? Normally for these things I think what’s the point especially where there is no one left alive who the “injustice” was done to

A classic example is apologizing for Slavery. In 1772 Practice of slavery declared illegal in England. I see no reason why in modern times we need to apologies for it. In this case there are still survivors and if it means something to them then I have no issues with it. However on Radio 4 this morning they were speaking to a guy who was sent to Auz and he said “Now that we have had the apology, where is the compensation”