London Bombs - Part 2

[boudicca]

Well, I'm used to that.

I just think that giving it such importance as to compare it to 9/11 is counterproductive.

I would say the importance given to 9/11 in itself is...

Yes. It looked great on the telly. Now can we please move on and get a proper body-count from bloody Iraq?

[Rosalie]

Heh, true that.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

...like this one?
previously posted by ocean moves

[Johnny M]

Possibly not appropriate but there does seem to be something in the air here at Heartland....I cast my caution aside as I entered the room.



Be aware that the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from RUN to HIDE.

The only two higher levels in France are Surrender and Collaborate.

The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing their military capability.

It's not only the French that are on a heightened level of alert,

The Italians have increased their alert level from "shout loudly and excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels remain, "ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform and sing marching songs". They have two higher levels, "invade a neighbour" and "lose".

Seeing this reaction in continental Europe the Americans have gone from "isolationism" to "find somewhere else in the middle east ripe for regime change". Their remaining higher alert states are "take on the world" and "ask the British for help".

Finally here in GB we've gone from "pretend nothing's happening" to "make another cup of tea". Our higher levels are "remain resolutely cheerful" and "win".

I'm old so I'm slow. Very un-PC but worth a few

[boudicca]

Yes, just like that.

Lest we bloody forget.

[Johnny M]

Well, I'm used to that.

I just think that giving it such importance as to compare it to 9/11 is counterproductive.

It's just giving it a date. I work in London. What do I call it ... the 15th thursday just gone a week ago .. I think? Tread carefully lady.

PS: I did resist the f*ck you bitch explosion at the start of this conversation if that helps.

We are London.

Don't.

[Rosalie]

I still think the post I posted earlier summed it up.

It was bad, but the world isn't in a terrible state. It's not an event we should have a day dedicated to in 50 years time. I'm sure it was horrible, but we have to keep our minds on track or more horrible things will happen.

[boudicca]

f*ck you bitch explosion

That's not very Johnny M!

Are you "changing" again?

[eastmidswhizzkid]

I still think the post I posted earlier summed it up.

It was bad, but the world isn't in a terrible state. It's not an event we should have a day dedicated to in 50 years time. I'm sure it was horrible, but we have to keep our minds on track or more horrible things will happen.

i disagree,the world could hardly be said to be in a good way.yeah,things could be worse;but you can't tell the mother of a victim that.not today or 50 years from now.

and more horrible things will happen whatever you think.here,there,all around the world and back again.if you want to make any difference,look forwards,but never forget.

[Obviousman]

Possibly not appropriate but there does seem to be something in the air here at Heartland....I cast my caution aside as I entered the room.



Be aware that the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from RUN to HIDE.

The only two higher levels in France are Surrender and Collaborate.

The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing their military capability.

It's not only the French that are on a heightened level of alert,

The Italians have increased their alert level from "shout loudly and excitedly" to "elaborate military posturing". Two more levels remain, "ineffective combat operations" and "change sides".

The Germans also increased their alert state from "disdainful arrogance" to "dress in uniform and sing marching songs". They have two higher levels, "invade a neighbour" and "lose".

Seeing this reaction in continental Europe the Americans have gone from "isolationism" to "find somewhere else in the middle east ripe for regime change". Their remaining higher alert states are "take on the world" and "ask the British for help".

Finally here in GB we've gone from "pretend nothing's happening" to "make another cup of tea". Our higher levels are "remain resolutely cheerful" and "win".

This is about the best

[lazarus corporation]

Well, I'm used to that.

I just think that giving it such importance as to compare it to 9/11 is counterproductive.

It's just giving it a date. I work in London. What do I call it ... the 15th thursday just gone a week ago .. I think? Tread carefully lady.

PS: I did resist the f*ck you bitch explosion at the start of this conversation if that helps.

We are London.

Don't.

Yes, it's just a date but I have a very strong feeling that the media are trying to mythologise that date, and they are definitely using the implicit comparison to "9/11". How can I be so sure? Well, for a start, no English person refers to the 7th of July as "seven seven". Not one. Ever. The 7th of July is the 7th of July. Or maybe July the 7th.

The only reason why the English media would suddenly forget their own language and start using an American date structure when refering to an event in London is to deliberately attempt to link in our minds the London attacks on 7th of July to the attacks on the US on September 11th 2001, by mimicing the accepted phraseology of "9/11".

And I find this deliberate manipulation of emotion by the media to be disturbing (and offensive to the people who have died). I'm sure we can all come up with ideas as to why the media would want to do this, but that's probably for another thread.

Let's remember this bit:

Finally here in GB we've gone from "pretend nothing's happening" to "make another cup of tea". Our higher levels are "remain resolutely cheerful" and "win".

It's good that (apart from some of the media) the UK's attitude doesn't start at "Sensationalise" and rise to "Threaten anyone who doesn't repeat the approved phrases with sufficient entusiasm". That's far too close to McCarthyism and "You're either with us or against us" empty-headed sloganism for my liking. My way we can all have a cup of tea and carry on, and if necessary then we'll "remain resolutely cheerful" and finally "win".

And we don't need to worry to "Tread carefully" because once we have to worry about what we say then, although the terrorists won't have won, we will have certainly lost.

Just my Saturday morning thoughts, and probably not worth too much analysis.

[Quiff Boy]

i'd agree with laz on that. and debaser's post was not that far from the truth (the bit about the uk anyway - i have no idea if the other national stereotypes are anything like true)

i'm reminded of an email from pete french on dominion a couple of days after the original bombings were he said something to the effect that most londoners had put it behind them and were going about their business as usual, even as quickly as a day or so later.

i'm paraphrasing there, so i might be doing pete an injustice - his post didnt sound heartless at all, more like resolute and optimistic.

and i think it would happen like that in any uk city - leeds, manchester, liverpool, brum, newcastle, etc etc - its one of those things that the british (and not just us i might add) just "do". we get on with it. its part of out mindset. and i like that

and yeah, "seven seven" sounds so obviously americanised and overly sentimental.

anyone know the death tolls of other uk bombings? what about brighton in the 80s? anyone die there? no one even dreamt of making that date into a national obsession...

lets not kow-tow to american media on this one. lets handle it in our own way, a way that makes me proud to be british

the best thing we can do is just get on with it. we know how serious it was, and we know it could have been much worse. but life goes on for the rest of us, so with all due respect to the friends and families of those killed or otherwise affected by it, lets not allow it to become a national obsession, or change how we live or think. if we are to believe what we are told, that is exactly what the "terrorists" want: to change our way of life and to hurt us deeply.

dwelling too much on the 7th july bombings is validating their efforts. its like saying "yeah, ok, you won that one" and we dont want to do that.

not at all.

so the best thing we can do is get on with doing what the british public do best, and that is carrying on as normal.







and for the record, that probably about the 3rd time i've ever considered being proud to be british.

[Obviousman]

and for the record, that probably about the 3rd time i've ever considered being proud to be british.

The other times being?

[Quiff Boy]

and for the record, that probably about the 3rd time i've ever considered being proud to be british.

The other times being?

i forget. it could quite easily easily have been the 1st time to be honest, but i though that might have sounded harsh

[Dark]

@Debaser - This woman is a genius. Another coffee-covered keyboard bites the dust.

[Debaser]

<<<<< is DEAD good at the art of cut and paste

Remember folks, I've never had an independent thought in mi life

[boudicca]

and for the record, that probably about the 3rd time i've ever considered being proud to be british.

I alarmed myself with that as well.

The first few days after the attacks, before all the crap started towards the "Islamic Community", I thought people were dealing with it really sensibly. "Just getting on with it" and all that. Which I really believe is the best defence against terrorism, not friggin' ID cards.

Started irritating my family by humming "Land Of Hope And Glory" when watching the news.

Well that moment has well and truly passed!

[smiscandlon]

I think I forgot to give a to Laz's last post.

[canon docre]

oh - oh, just heard in the news, that the guy shoot by the police had nothing to do with it.

[Johnny M]

I've really been struggling with the concept of state execution all day. If there's hard evidence to implicate the victim, at best, I would try not to think about it and move on. If as CD has just posted is true ...it's another can of worms. And a bad one at that.

[boudicca]

oh - oh, just heard in the news, that the guy shoot by the police had nothing to do with it.

Holy crap!

That is NOT good.

Where would you be without Reuters eh?

[FiveLeavesLeft]

I like the way a lot of English people have reacted to this – I'm quite sure that had it happened in the States, there would have been more attacks against Arabs and some Asians.

[Rosalie]

And another war.

[boudicca]

And another war.

There's still time.

Behind the scenes with Pearl, Rumsfeld et al...

"Who shall we go for next folks? Syria?
"Hmmm, Pakistan's looking pretty tasty now..."

*shudder*

[Obviousman]