NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/14/britain.security/index.html

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain is to ramp up security at air and rail terminals as part of sweeping new anti-terror measures that will see buildings bomb-proofed and citizens placed under more surveillance, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday.

Brown told parliament the measures were a response to the attempted terrorist attacks in June in which a group of al Qaeda-linked foreign-born doctors launched unsuccessful attacks in the UK.

In London a car bomb was found parked near a crowded London nightclub while in Glasgow an explosives-laden vehicle was driven into an airport terminal.

They "will require not just military and security resources, but more policing, more intelligence, and an enhanced effort to win hearts and minds," Brown said.

Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/14/britain.security/index.html



Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

Score another victory for the terrorists. :(

Score another victory for the terrorists. :(

Well at least its a victory for the terrorists that doesn't result in mass murder on British streets.

Yay! more feel-good security which will last until someone has the guts to just bring a damn bomb through the security that will, always, be inadequate.

What a fucking moron.

Well at least its a victory for the terrorists that doesn't result in mass murder on British streets.

Until the consilidated power of the government comes under the influence of someone who decides he knows best.

At least the article had the good sense to call Brown "Prime Minister Gordon Brown." Prime Minister Brown sounds awful...

Well at least its a victory for the terrorists that doesn't result in mass murder on British streets.
On the other hand, it's a complete kick in the knackers to the general public.

Until the consilidated power of the government comes under the influence of someone who decides he knows best.

And that would be different to other politicians... how?

On the other hand, it's a complete kick in the knackers to the general public.

Yeah i know, but we've had worse, remember what the government was like with the IRA around?

What's he going to do, encase every public building in concrete, or just stick more of those stupid barriers around.

The idiotic plan for a British motto I found amusing

This I just find depressing and annoying

What are your thoughts on all of this?
My thoughts are that it's just more empty rhetoric... a few meaningless soundbites.

I'm a little confused as to just how they think that they can ramp up security further whilst accomplishing anything other than more inconvenience for the public, though. We're already the most surveilled (is that a word? If it isn't, it should be) society on the planet, and yet we can't even manage to keep illegal substances out of prisons. Prisons, for fucks sake... you know, those places where people are locked up and nobody gets in or out without passing through security 'checks'. Anyone who believes that they can create a 100% bomb-proof environment at all points of ingress and egress is delusional.

What's he going to do, encase every public building in concrete, or just stick more of those stupid barriers around.
Our public buildings already are encased in concrete, and more stupid barriers only leads to smarter baddies.
Yeah i know, but we've had worse, remember what the government was like with the IRA around?
About the same, and at least they don't have to legislate on the Taliban being overdubbed, since they're not speaking English anyway, eh?

What's he going to do, encase every public building in concrete, or just stick more of those stupid barriers around.

Sounds like it. Have you seen the state of Parliament these days?

And that would be different to other politicians... how?



Yeah i know, but we've had worse, remember what the government was like with the IRA around?

I'm just pointing out that historically speaking, legitimate government is far more likely to engage in mass murder of it's own citizens than any terrorist organization. *nod*

Number of terrorist attacks in UK since 2001: <10
Number of terrorist attacks in UK 1970-2001: hundreds, if not thousands

Wow, that's just what I wanted for Christmas.

I wish we had the real James Brown as PM. That would be so cool. Who's your leader - the godfather of soul!

Number of terrorist attacks in UK since 2001: <10
Number of terrorist attacks in UK 1970-2001: hundreds, if not thousandsIs that a little bit of NI patriotism I detect? :p

Sounds like it. Have you seen the state of Parliament these days?With just a tiny bit more concrete and it'll be like the concrete sarcophagus around Chernobyl. Here's to hoping the politicians get REALLY paranoid and brick themselves in the damned place.

... I'm sure there's a soviet russia joke in their somewhere, I just can't find it.

... I'm sure there's a soviet russia joke in their somewhere, I just can't find it.
and I'm sure that someone will be along shortly to let you know that in Soviet Russia, it finds you

Wow, that's just what I wanted for Christmas.

I wish we had the real James Brown as PM. That would be so cool. Who's your leader - the godfather of soul!

This would be all kinds of awesome.

But yeah - bomb proofing England? That's rhetoric.

This would be all kinds of awesome.

But yeah - bomb proofing England? That's rhetoric.
I try not to rise to this sort of thing, but I'm assuming that he will be applying his super-duper new measures to the whole of the UK, rather than just that crowded area down South ;)

I try not to rise to this sort of thing, but I'm assuming that he will be applying his super-duper new measures to the whole of the UK, rather than just that crowded area down South ;)

Touche.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

That hes far less of an improvement on Blair than he might have been.



Yeah i know, but we've had worse, remember what the government was like with the IRA around?

yes, quite well. There was none of this ultra-paranoid crap. I believe the numbers given in msg 16 get the point across better though -

Number of terrorist attacks in UK since 2001: <10
Number of terrorist attacks in UK 1970-2001: hundreds, if not thousands

You'd be lucky to get through christmas without at least that number of bombscares, just to fuck up the shopping. So far the Brits have seen nada but haphazard loosely organised cells, operating from "inspiration" rather than any central command, and they're running around like a country thats never seen a man in a balaclava. Considering they've been dealing with "terrorism" for far longer than the yanks- back to the 1860's, I find the hysteria hard to understand.

Is that a little bit of NI patriotism I detect? :p

Nope, I think we need to bring a little bit of reality back to the mainstream discussion on terrorism.

Britain managed to survive the Blitz and the IRA in a relatively good shape, I believe. These procedures are utterly pointless, costly, and...

They "will require not just military and security resources, but more policing, more intelligence, and an enhanced effort to win hearts and minds," Brown said.

...certainly won't win any hearts and minds when you're crawling all over the place like its a prison. And certainly it will just force the terrorists to use things such as nerve gas (like on the Tokyo subway years ago). What would Brown require then, everyone to start wearing biohazard suits and gas masks?

Just keep things the way they are. If anything, the terrorists have proven to be quite incompetent with blowing anything other than themselves up.

Number of terrorist attacks in UK since 2001: <10
Number of terrorist attacks in UK 1970-2001: hundreds, if not thousands

That doesn't really mean anything. Terrorism from the IRA stopped, for ages. Now the threat is up again. Unless you are saying that Brown would not have bothered to do anything about Irish terrorism (I highly doubt he was any sort of closet Irish nationalist), then I don't see the point of this post.

That doesn't really mean anything. Terrorism from the IRA stopped, for ages. Now the threat is up again. Unless you are saying that Brown would not have bothered to do anything about Irish terrorism (I highly doubt he was any sort of closet Irish nationalist), then I don't see the point of this post.

Nope, I think we need to bring a little bit of reality back to the mainstream discussion on terrorism.

I'm fairly confident, due to the respective times involved, that you saw this post.

Do try and keep up

With just a tiny bit more concrete and it'll be like the concrete sarcophagus around Chernobyl. Here's to hoping the politicians get REALLY paranoid and brick themselves in the damned place.

... I'm sure there's a soviet russia joke in their somewhere, I just can't find it.

and I'm sure that someone will be along shortly to let you know that in Soviet Russia, it finds you

Yep, you're absolutely right, and here it is!:

In Soviet Russia, Soviet Russia jokes find YOU!

Here's another one:

In Soviet Russia, structures encase YOU in concrete!

(*walks away LMAO*)

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/14/britain.security/index.html



Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

I find it ironic that the country that made Tallboys and the Grand Slam bombs wants to make things bomb proof.

I find it ironic that the country that made Tallboys and the Grand Slam bombs wants to make things bomb proof.

Especially an entire nation :D

Although I realize the 'terrorist' threat is all but non-existent, I support this because it will mean more state power and a limiting of liberal ideas such as privacy and legal/arrest laws.

I think Mr Brown is being rather silly in this approach. However, I do support a safer Britain.

Sigh...we really need a head smacking smilie. It would fit perfectly here.

Although I realize the 'terrorist' threat is all but non-existent, I support this because it will mean more state power and a limiting of liberal ideas such as privacy and legal/arrest laws.

Just like Stalin's USSR.

Sigh...we really need a head smacking smilie. It would fit perfectly here.

The headbanging smilie works well :D

Actually this would combined well with the whole "national motto" idea:

"Building a Better Bomb-Proof Britain!"

Stupid idea. Better to stop bombs going off in the first place, and that ins't down to having tanks at H'row or any such crap. It needs a decent intelligence agency that is busier keeping an eye on things than it is in "sexing up" it's reports and running around after anyone with a beard, or once had a beard, or is considering growing one...

Considering they’ve been dealing with “terrorism” for far longer than the yanks- back to the 1860’s, I find the hysteria hard to understand.
The phobia of Islamic terrorism (and I do mean phobia; an irrational fear) has been whipped up by the government’s incessant talk about terrorism ever since September 11th, combined with the fourth estate’s glee in reporting such ‘news’.

You’re quite right in saying that as a country, Britain has dealt with terrorism for a long time. The only reason that the hype is so large is for political purposes. It’s the only way two successive PM’s, both supposedly supporters of the liberal protection of individuals’ rights, have gotten away with imposing such illiberal security measures on the British public.

Yep, you're absolutely right, and here it is!:

In Soviet Russia, Soviet Russia jokes find YOU!

Here's another one:

In Soviet Russia, structures encase YOU in concrete!

(*walks away LMAO*)

Britian! What a country! In Britian, your government wants to keep you safe from bombs. In Soviet Russia we need bombs to keep safe from the government!



Inaccurate, but I don't care.

I think Mr Brown is being rather silly in this approach. However, I do support a safer Britain.


Then from tommorrow, people will be wrapped up in thick fluffydom, which will protect them from harm, and will be required to keep 300 yards distant from any other person, lest they go "boom". Saying "I thought it was metres" will earn you even more automatic decades inside (1 judge, no jury and you arent allowed hear the charges )if you fuck up the measurements.

Just like Stalin's USSR.

Exactly right, and that's a good thing.

but we already have bomb proof building don't we?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Cwmbran_tower_block.jpg/450px-Cwmbran_tower_block.jpg

Then from tommorrow, people will be wrapped up in thick fluffydom, which will protect them from harm

your plan intrigues me, will this fluff be pink and able to transport people using strong gusts of wind?

When will people learn the only way to fight terrorism is to ignore it?

When will people learn the only way to fight terrorism is to ignore it?

Terrorism is like trolling you see. Everyone knows that if you don't feed trolls, they die either of starvation of hypothermia. But if NSG is any example, people just can't ignore trolls. They either feed them to amuse themselves or because they can't help it.

In either case, people won't ignore them.

Will they bomb-proof the bombs?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/14/britain.security/index.html



Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

Brown? I thought defeating the Board of Education was enough.

"
Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

THERE YOU GO YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE!

your plan intrigues me, will this fluff be pink and able to transport people using strong gusts of wind?

Under the Tories yes. A private company called "Fluffers" will dispense said fluff and people will be able to float freely at an affordable rate. Those unable to afford their own fluff will be provided a similar (though non-flying) fluff by the state.

Labour believe this may cause inequality. Therefore they have proposed a radical public-private partnership where a company not under Government control called "Fluffers" will dispense said fluff and people will be able to float freely at an affordable rate. Those unable to afford their own fluff will be provided a similar fluff by the state, which could fly, if it was upgraded to the good stuff the private lads fluff out.

Both parties have said that in no way or under any circumstances will they bail out the company should the project fail miserably costing billions, which has caused riots in the rush to invest in the private/not owned by the Government initiative company "Fluffers".

Under the Tories yes. A private company called "Fluffers" will dispense said fluff and people will be able to float freely at an affordable rate. Those unable to afford their own fluff will be provided a similar (though non-flying) fluff by the state.

Labour believe this may cause inequality. Therefore they have proposed a radical public-private partnership where a company not under Government control called "Fluffers" will dispense said fluff and people will be able to float freely at an affordable rate. Those unable to afford their own fluff will be provided a similar fluff by the state, which could fly, if it was upgraded to the good stuff the private lads fluff out.

Both parties have said that in no way or under any circumstances will they bail out the company should the project fail miserably costing billions, which has caused riots in the rush to invest in the private/not owned by the Government initiative company "Fluffers".
And after five years, "Fluffers" goes bankrupt after failing to dispense enough fluff, which is also of substandard quality. The company gets billions in a bailout, despite earlier promises, before finally going into administration. The CEO is appointed to the House of Lords, as Lord Fluff of Royal Leamington Spa.

And after five years, "Fluffers" goes bankrupt after failing to dispense enough fluff, which is also of substandard quality. The company gets billions in a bailout, despite earlier promises, before finally going into administration. The CEO is appointed to the House of Lords, as Lord Fluff of Royal Leamington Spa.

Indeed, and the nay-sayers who said that this would happen all along will be ignored, just like the "usual suspects" who had the mad notion there was no real basis for a war against Iraq. Meanwhile, Lord Fluffs speaking tour of the US is expected to generate income in the millions, which will fluff up the previous large down-payment on his book "Thatchers Cuckoo".

Anyone who believes that they can create a 100% bomb-proof environment at all points of ingress and egress is delusional.

He's a politician, of course he's delusional!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/14/britain.security/index.html



Ok! For starters, nothing can be made 100% bomb-proof. Except a bunker and even then, that is sketchy depending on the warhead used to penetrate it.

What are your thoughts on all of this?

No nothing can be made bomb-proof, but there is a certain good sense in designing a replacement for the twin towers with the idea that it should not collapse if a plane is crashed into it. Beneath the Daily Mail style headline that is more the essence of what Gordon Brown is suggesting.

Number of terrorist attacks in UK since 2001: <2
Number of terrorist attacks in UK 1970-2001: hundreds, if not thousands
Fixed.

When will people learn the only way to fight terrorism is to ignore it?
We did... see how the IRA petered out after a) we overdubbed everything they said, just for the grins, and b) stopped caring.