Explosion at MEN Arena/Victoria Station

Our foreign policy developers need to get their heads straight. I cannot understand how the UK Governments continue to see our role as one of the "World's Policemen". We are one of the smaller developed countries, what was the Empire is now largely independent and our influence around the world is small and will become smaller still after Brexit. Our standing armed forces are at a level that has not been as small since the 1930s and we rely on the USA for much of our advanced weaponry. Yet our government can be among the first to comment on grievances anywhere in the world and to promise military support despite countries closer in culture, historic relationships etc keeping quiet and having nothing to do with issues much closer to their home. Its time the UK woke up to the fact that we are not one of the world's superpowers anymore, concentrated on our own traditional political relationships and learned from past actions where the 'helped' frequently do not respect us for the help provided once they are bailed out.
 
Police and Army responding to a call at a college in Trafford (on BBC news now)

I'm guessing some streets might be closed if you live or work in the area...
 
shemnel said:
i'm worried that, here in the UK with our supposedly open attitude to speech, if anyone dares to say that the US/UK involvement in the Middle East could be in any way a contributing factor to radicalisation, you get silenced, bullied and called all sorts of things.

I happen to think that US/UK involvement was a contributing factor (contributing, mind) to a lot of this madness. And for the record I do not and never will condone the bombing innocents. Why people have to tell me i'm sympathising scum because i do is a bit upsetting/worrying.
Click to expand...
And you could even say that we set the scene for this as far back as 1917 when between us and the French we carved up the Middle East in our assumed role as imperial powers while paying little regard to tribal or religious issues. We created completely artificial countries and rewarded those who we saw as our lapdogs by allowing them to run those countries.
 
Ancient Citizen said:
IS doesn't have 'Army members,' (Apart from some original Syrian/Iraqi army officers) it is filled with the likes of this murderer, many of whom have travelled from here to join.
I don't think there are cells awaiting instructions from Raqqa, Damocles has eloquently explained that these are unable to
coalesce into anything so sophisticated. The problem we have is the thousands who sympathise with IS, of which this character did.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected, by army I did not mean to give it legitimacy but simply to point out that they are located currently in Syria carrying out operations either alone or in groups that appear to be able to frustrate the best attempts of another group composed mainly of armies and special forces from different countries.

They appear to be able to control by takeover geographical areas which they manage to hold by stubborn defence.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
And you could even say that we set the scene for this as far back as 1917 when between us and the French we carved up the Middle East in our assumed role as imperial powers while paying little regard to tribal or religious issues. We created completely artificial countries and rewarded those who we saw as our lapdogs by allowing them to run those countries.
Click to expand...

Creating Pakistan from the original India was not entirely blood free as well.
 
Skynews now showing us his apartment where he spent his last evening , a normal flat - what is the purpose.

Same for atricles of him as a kid, his upbringing and interviews with his siblings that 'he was a loving guy'

we have his name and picture splashed across all media outlets now

.. how about we give these c*nts ZERO media attention - instead we are making them celebrity martyrs which they know full well will entice more people after there death
 
Blue Llama said:
It wasn't but the alternative of Hindus and Muslims continuing with a civil war would have been far worse.
Click to expand...

Our experience in India seemed to matter little when the chance to carve up Iraq into different Muslim areas happened. Possibly a Yugoslavia style breakup would have been superior to trying to impose democracy on different Muslim factions who had been fighting for generations.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
And you could even say that we set the scene for this as far back as 1917 when between us and the French we carved up the Middle East in our assumed role as imperial powers while paying little regard to tribal or religious issues. We created completely artificial countries and rewarded those who we saw as our lapdogs by allowing them to run those countries.
Click to expand...

You could keep going backwards ad infinitum. Should we blame the ottomans? Birth of Islam or Christianity? The Greeks?
 
SilverFox2 said:
Our experience in India seemed to matter little when the chance to carve up Iraq into different Muslim areas happened. Possibly a Yugoslavia style breakup would have been superior to trying to impose democracy on different Muslim factions who had been fighting for generations.
Click to expand...

Exactly my point in an earlier post. Very rarely has our intervention been 100% appreciated so why do we continue to bother. We learn nothing from history, Afghanistan being a good case. The French and Russians learnt to their cost. we even have previous but did this history inform our decision to go in again? No it didn't and not even the guy we helped stabilise for several years has much to say in our favour. We helped protect Muslims in at least 2 of the Yugoslavian states, doesn't seem to have banked us much credit with the nutters.
 
Queen now visiting Manchester Children's Hospital apparently. Not a Royalist myself but at her age fair play to her.
 
At least Tommy Robinson is getting his facts right, hes tweeted a list of Asian staff who were on duty on Monday, with a licence number that is nothing to do with SIA or showsec, wanker
 
Gelsons Dad said:
You could keep going backwards ad infinitum. Should we blame the ottomans? Birth of Islam or Christianity? The Greeks?
Click to expand...

yeah i have to agree, of course there is always context and recent history might still be important but going back and back and back seems a little pointless. You could even argue the one reason Islam was founded was to stop the spread of Christianity east, and we're just getting into pointless territory really, serves no purpose for the here and now.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
Skynews now showing us his apartment where he spent his last evening , a normal flat - what is the purpose.

Same for atricles of him as a kid, his upbringing and interviews with his siblings that 'he was a loving guy'

we have his name and picture splashed across all media outlets now

.. how about we give these c*nts ZERO media attention - instead we are making them celebrity martyrs which they know full well will entice more people after there death
Click to expand...

For starters how about refusing to bury his remains or include them with the ashes of another child mass murderer Peter Brady.
 
Gelsons Dad said:
It was a bomb scare but declared safe now. Welcome to the new normal.
Click to expand...

It's all a bit retro if anything. Takes me back to the 1970 's and being evacuated from primary school because of bomb scares. Can imagine there will be plenty of similar bomb scares for the foreseeable as people will be naturally more edgy and feel inclined to report stuff that turns out to be innocuous.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top