Harry of Khartoum, He's Not

 

The thumb is an evolutionary triumph.
Because of his thumbs, man can use tools;
because he can use tools he can extend his senses,
control his environment and increase in sophistication and power.
The thumb is the cornerstone of civilization! 
--Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Tom Robbins 

thumb pushing down follower still deep in breech 
bolt sshhOCK! whacks thumb oh shit yes it hurts
and good-by to another unbeatable and legendary thumb 
--Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon 

Blessed are they who expect nothing,
for they shall not be disappointed 
--The Trouble with Harry (1955)
______________________

Britain's Royal family has suffered a relentless comedown these last few decades.

Prince Harry, who's been deployed to Afghanistan for the past 20 weeks serving as a co-pilot and gunner in a heavily-armed Apache attack helicopter, said some boorish and foolish things in recent interviews released after his departure from country, proving the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

When asked if he'd killed, Harry said, "Yeah, so, lots of people have" (Prince Harry's Killer Quotes.) So have thugs, Harry, and putting yourself in that category neither makes you cool nor exonerates you. 

The Prince showed exuberance when reflecting on his most excellent thumbs:

"It’s a joy for me because I’m one of those people who loves playing PlayStation and Xbox, so with my thumbs I like to think I’m probably quite useful" (The Taliban Says Prince Harry Is a Crazy 'Coward').

Playing tiddlywinks with Hadji is not exactly Gordon of Khartoum, and flying about in the armored Apache picking off "militants" is not exactly the Battle of Bosworth Field. An anonymous Taliban spokesman ventured to the AFP that Harry "has probably developed a mental problem" (Taliban responds to Prince .)

But Harry is just the latest incarnation of the supremely dysfunctional and feeble-minded house of Windsor (actually the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Hanover who renamed themselves "Windsor" as it sounds so cottage-like and British.) How can one expect more of the son of the exceedingly dull adulterer Prince Charles and his equally adulterous nursery assistant wife (daughter of an adulterous mother and a drunkard father who inherited his title in 1975)?  It's not a great root stock.

It would be nice if Royals and other titular leaders comported themselves with some dignity and politesse, and led the way by expressing true humility while conducting such actions, but we are in an age of false bravado.