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Aug. 10th, 2006 02:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hathycolI've been formulating this post in my head for a bit, and it sort of fits in with today's news.
Firstly; of course Britain is under a terrorism threat. Look at the news, people. Hundreds of men, women and children dying in the Middle East - mostly Muslim - and thr West's reaction is seemingly to sit down and talk about it, or indeed give implicit or tacit support to the aggression of Israel. Angry young Muslim men, who probably grew up in some nasty parts of Britain because their parents were shunted there, and most of society pushes them out. No jobs, no qualifcations, no chance. Every day, they see these dying children and Westerners doing nothing and suddenly, one day they will snap.
Terrorism is a horrible and terrible and awful thing, but Israel is demonstrating exactly what the war of terror means - fight terror with more terror. See who can frighten each other the most into submission. What Israel is doing to Beirut is what we did to Baghdad.
I'm not sure who I disapprove of most. I'm mostly pissed off at my own government, at the moment, for the damned stupid way they're exploiting this. Bravo to the police for stopping this plot, and to the government for taking it seriously; better being stuck in an airport than being blown up. Less bravo for fucking stupid terrorism threat scale. There is no damned need. It is there simply to say "LOOK HOW WE PROTECT YOU". The way it was presented to the pres as well; the warning changed at 2am, they didn't tell anyone until 6am then the breakfast news shows were kicking into gear.
This Cabinet, at the moment, is screwed. Tony Blair is off on holiday, John Prescott is a laughing stock, the Home Office is in array... but now we're being told by David Cameron that they are shining and wonderful and KEEPING US SAFE FROM THE THREAT. Which is what they're meant to do, but this little scare is going to result in less civil liberties. And then there willbe more scares, and more liberties scraped away.
I did that speech at work this morning when people were moaning about the terror threat. I think I scared them, but unfortunately, you either have to risk terrorism for freedom, or have no freedom and no terrorism. I genuinely believe that. And it scares me more than the terrorism threat itself.
This is my only V for Vendetta icon, but it seemed a bit appropriate.
Firstly; of course Britain is under a terrorism threat. Look at the news, people. Hundreds of men, women and children dying in the Middle East - mostly Muslim - and thr West's reaction is seemingly to sit down and talk about it, or indeed give implicit or tacit support to the aggression of Israel. Angry young Muslim men, who probably grew up in some nasty parts of Britain because their parents were shunted there, and most of society pushes them out. No jobs, no qualifcations, no chance. Every day, they see these dying children and Westerners doing nothing and suddenly, one day they will snap.
Terrorism is a horrible and terrible and awful thing, but Israel is demonstrating exactly what the war of terror means - fight terror with more terror. See who can frighten each other the most into submission. What Israel is doing to Beirut is what we did to Baghdad.
I'm not sure who I disapprove of most. I'm mostly pissed off at my own government, at the moment, for the damned stupid way they're exploiting this. Bravo to the police for stopping this plot, and to the government for taking it seriously; better being stuck in an airport than being blown up. Less bravo for fucking stupid terrorism threat scale. There is no damned need. It is there simply to say "LOOK HOW WE PROTECT YOU". The way it was presented to the pres as well; the warning changed at 2am, they didn't tell anyone until 6am then the breakfast news shows were kicking into gear.
This Cabinet, at the moment, is screwed. Tony Blair is off on holiday, John Prescott is a laughing stock, the Home Office is in array... but now we're being told by David Cameron that they are shining and wonderful and KEEPING US SAFE FROM THE THREAT. Which is what they're meant to do, but this little scare is going to result in less civil liberties. And then there willbe more scares, and more liberties scraped away.
I did that speech at work this morning when people were moaning about the terror threat. I think I scared them, but unfortunately, you either have to risk terrorism for freedom, or have no freedom and no terrorism. I genuinely believe that. And it scares me more than the terrorism threat itself.
This is my only V for Vendetta icon, but it seemed a bit appropriate.
