Yes Minister: Sir Humphrey explains Foreign Policy

[jradetzky]

Very relevant in these times when the EU is about to collapse

[swimmerdavid40]

Although this series was written over twenty years ago, it is still relevant to this day!!

[Professor6871]

I've entire seriess of these brillant stuff. 'The Thick of It is not as half as good as this.

[jmbrosendo]

As aplicable today as it was back then, haha. Best intelligent comedy ever made.

[snipermagoo]

Wisdom dictates that I don't read the comments.

They will be dumb.

[ebyard]

I love Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. I watched the entire series in 2 days last week. It's amazing just how pertinent the material is today - the economy, health, education, defence, peerages............

It could well have been written and screened yesterday, save for the decor and haircuts!

[dorisig]

Interesting UK idea about the Europian Union

[gamewizard]

5 people are pro Europe. 

[dunedain101]

@gamewizard

Lol, no. This TV Show is a genuine satire. Not anti EU at all.

Quite the contrary actually, It shows what are England's true intention toward the EU and how they acted like rats all their history.. 5 Britfags, with a very narrow and romantic view of the Uk's history, are butthurt that's all.

[AlanWattParrot]

if only his shpeel were true!

[gamewizard]

@AlanWattParrot

How do you know it isn't true? Why do you think the UK kept the Pound and wanted nothing to do with the Euro? It's a damn good thing they did, too, or they'd have to help bail out the countries that cooked their books along with France and Germany.

[AlanWattParrot]

@gw Answer to yr 1st question: Lisbon Treaty & those treaties illegal under Common Law that preceded it. As to the rest of yr comm, retaining the £ is jut a sop to the general public who live in a world consisting entirely of shiny reflective surfaces -who CONTROLS our currency? As Mayer Amschel Rothschild is oft-quoted as saying: give me control over a nation's currency & i care not who makes it laws

I'm totally opposed to our surrendering our national sovereignty to the EUSSR, the FCO aren't

[thatsniperisaspy]

@AlanWattParrot I was about to make a snarky comment regarding your intelligence, but then I read your channel and laughed.

Good show sir.

[dallasjock999]

well said....this is the best sitcom I have ever seen, and I have seen alot of sitcom....

[PJL1973]

Just realsied that Humphrey mixes his metaphors here, it should either be a dog's breakfast or pig's ear of it.

[cent0grassi]

@PJL1973 well spotted. But, i don't think it is an inadvertent mistake on the part of the script writers. They must have have put it in there for the more discerning viewers like yourself to spot it. That's what makes Messrs Lynn and Jay so great.

[cityviagranville]

@PJL1973 Yeah - and Bernard should have picked up on it and corrected him!

[SIngli6]

Superbly acted and written with mordant sagacity, Yes, Minister/Prime Minister is the greatest sitcom of all time... sans none!

[grumpytosnowwhite]

Great, great show!

[rigstula]

'Yes Minister' is a fantastic and brilliant political satire. It is also really impressive how it very often reflects upon reality. For example, it was recently revealed that some Norwegian ministers received personal gifts of great value (which they kept for themselves) while they were visiting other countries as a part of their job. That reminds me of the episode where they visit Qumran and the incident with the rosewater jar.

[johngal56]

It's amazing that this show and its follow up YES PRIM MINISTER was admired and loved by so many MPs of all political persuasions. Why? Because it was so close to how government works (or dosen't) as to be indistinguishable from it. It therefore gave the public a unique insight into the workings of high office....however corrupt and/ior inept those who control it are.

[BayouPerspective]

Brilliant, Humphrey explains and embodies the action and example of politics. It's all a game of divide and conquer and at the end of the day never really getting anything of real value accomplished. Hilarious how scarily this reflects the real politics of our day.

[Taenyr]

The thing is, from a geopolitical perspective, Sir Humphrey is absolutely right.

[svartekaptenen]

The thing is that it is probably quite accurate, and he forget to mention

several more wars, I hope that they succeed because I despise EU.

[chocobxl]

@svartekaptenen

the reason why he cannot mention any more wars, is called the EU. longest uninterrupted peacetime on the (western) European continent since the beginnings of the EU, the union for coal and steel in the early fifties. even if that's the only thing the EU does, it's a lot.

[svartekaptenen]

@chocobxl You are quite right ofcourse, look at my countrys

history we have fought the Poles, Danish, British, Dutch, Russians

Germans, Austrians, French, Spanish and so on, rather improductive

I think, after all we are all Europeans.

[gamewizard]

@svartekaptenen

Just because you live in close geographic proximity does not mean you are all the same people. The EU is a farce, throwing people who don't normally get along together and telling them that they have to. Look at how Yugoslavia turned out. The EU is Yugoslavia on a much larger scale and when it comes crashing down a lot more people will be hurt.

[8DX]

@chocobxl I think NATO and WW2 had a lot of influence on why there wasn't a third world war. Trade is also a great help nowadays (interdependence), but I think the main reason the major European countries are at peace in these last decades is because there is absolutely no public support of local wars and no totalitarian regime with the muscle to push a war through. But there have been conflicts - bosna hercegovina, kosovo.. remember. All you need is the public will to fight.

[CurtHowland]

Divide and rule. Split India up, and Palestine, they fight each other rather than the Brits. Same as what the French did in Indochina, making 4 countries out of one so that they'd bicker amongst themselves instead of attacking the French.

[calvinhobbesliker2]

@CurtHowland

India split themselves up because the 2 religions were not able to find common ground. The UK had no choice but to partition it. Also, French did not make 4 countries; each of them wanted to be separate.

[gamewizard]

@calvinhobbesliker2

And they ended up destroying the land of a third religion when they did it. Pakistan and Punjab used to be the same country run by the Sikhs. Lahore was their capitol.

[CurtHowland]

@mrsotter19 "Politics hasn't changed one bit."

Human nature doesn't change.

[jackal59]

"What appalling cynicism."

"Yes. We call it diplomacy."

[rude1987]

I think I know who is behind the current EU crisis...British civil servants :)

[fieldofhatsify]

@rude1987 bilderbergers

[surfer53]

Turns out this whole idea of a "united Europe" has led to bankruptcy and collapse. If one falls, they all fall.

[dharmaseed]

Geez, with private secretaries like this, it's no wonder the Ministers were confused.

[BeatriceBlake]

Spot on about the Brits loving a disunited Europe. I did Tudor history and we spent all our time sucking up to the Spanish and courting the French or vice versa. Except for a few dicey moments when we were in danger of pissing them all off and Lizzy I had to pretend she was interested in marrying one of them.

[DaniMajor]

@BeatriceBlake Of course but back then there was the Empire (which was a big fish) and France, England´s eternal enemy....actually I do think that turning point is the WWII that when Britain finally distances itself from Europe since you´ve realised that you´re better off without it :D

[ho0tdiggity]

good old humpy and jumbo

[Ko0lMoeDee]

Good old intelligent comedy. Modern American comedy has become so unintellectual that we may as well have something called 'the idiot demographic'. US comedy went downhill shortly after Seinfeld ended, even The Simpsons from seasons 7+ is too dumb to compare with this.

[Rogli]

@Ko0lMoeDee There are exceptions though, like Curb Your Enthusiasm and the absolutely brilliant Arrested Development.

[LordSpectreXII]

@Ko0lMoeDee Agreed. Though I'll think you'll find that South Park is a very intelligent cartoon. More than people give it credit for.

[Ko0lMoeDee]

@LordSpectreXII South Park, in my opinion is a show that's not really geared towards everyone. I like the show but a handful of episodes deal with issues and conclude them with beliefs that not everyone can agree with. What makes Yes Minister and other classics awesome is that they're not trying to prove a point and try to get people to be conservative or liberal or whatever.

[dasgdasg]

Offshore Balancing

[DerPortugiese15]

It's wonderful to see how some things never change :'D But he's right about the point wih the increasing membership states: We can actually observe it right now: There is a now a completely pig's breakfast in the EU ;)

[kjckjckjckjc]

He speaks the truth

[theBritzed]

This would be funny if it wasn't TRUE!

[jlim2397]

With the Dutch against the Spanish = War of the Spanish Succession 1701-1714

With the Germans against the French = Seven Years' War 1756-1763

With the French and Italians against the Germans = World War One

With the French against the Italians and Germans = World War Two

[AMRPK]

@jlim2397 you're forgeting the 3 wars against the dutch in the mid - late 1600s

[Karackal]

"We call it diplomacy" Zu geil (-:

[ShaddowSwordX]

I think this series reflects the suspicion of how all western governments work, that's why it's universal.

I remember watching this series as a small kid in the early 80's in Sweden. I thought it was funny even though i was very young.

On the other hand there was only 2 channels on the TV back then :(

[wackypack09]

I love this series, it is my favorite of all time. And yes I'm an American;)

[jferkfjkj]

"we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing"

funny as hell

[Agrippa4]

That´s how it is! And you all know it´s right

[Clairski3]

Hahahaha. Oh, the woes of nationalism.

[gamewizard]

Sir Humphrey is one of the greatest characters in the history of television. I like the times when he talks for a full five minutes without breathing and brings the conversation right back to where it started without actually saying anything which usually leaves everyone so confused they have no choice but to agree with him. The one character I wish we saw more of, though, was Sir Arnold Robinson, Humphrey's mentor and boss. You get the feeling that Humphrey is an amateur next to him.

[stikitupurcndyass]

sir frank is no slouch to, he can talk while keeping a cheeky smile.back and fought between those 2 were epic.you can find that the civil servants were great actors. but what made sir humphrey great is when he got was put in a tight spot,like "the key" or "the question of loyalty". he could make you feel the pain he was going through

[tnakai1971jp]

@gamewizard

The very best of the British sense of humour, I agree.

[SIngli6]

@gamewizard

Robinson would have to be blasted Machiavelli!

[cent0grassi]

@gamewizard i agree.. Sir Arnold looks almost regal next to Humphrey. Especially, the one time he says, 'how gratifying', I try to use that in conversations.

[lettucegod]

@gamewizard The reason you feel Humphrey is an amateur (and he is supposed to be in comparison) I think is due to the lack of flooding from Sir Arnold Robinson, by that I mean he always seems manipulative by way of implied humour and circumstance, which to be honest would be lessened should he had appeared more.

[WhtRabbit76]

@gamewizard I agree one gets the feeling with Sir Arnold that one is dealing with a true professional operator.

[HereticPriest]

congenial

[goodolerupert]

rofl! das´s echte comedy, weil knallhart vonner realität überholt!

[Kailaner]

woa wie geil :)

[james8789]

Having read Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister I must say that had Hacker been a real British politican and hence Minister for Administrive Affairs and later Prime Minister and I had read his diaries I would not of voted for him to become the next Prime Minister at the next General Election in which , most likely he would of contested.

[oldstuff]

Possibly the most well-written, intelligent (and accurate!) comedy show ever

[svartekaptenen]

@oldstuff indeed and as a non British I must say

that the language are wonderful, pure class!

[SIngli6]

@oldstuff

Unsurpassed in wit and brilliance to this day!

[vibinjk]

@oldstuff Yes, the most intelligent show ever written!

[Soliloquy657]

I LOVE this video, what scary is i wouldnt be suprised if a very simlar conver happened decades ago!hah

EU for Life!! :)

[Mullahgrrl]

Awesome laughter at 1:17

[XAIOU12345]

As an European, I find this very funny.

Downright hilarious, in fact.

[SLC2283]

Ah, nothing like an explanation from Sir Humphrey to demonstrate the lunacy of politics. Great clip.