Rigpig wrote:
Two years ago this government sent our troops (me included

) off to fight a war that was supposed to be about abating the threat to our safety from terrorists. I didn't believe it then and don't believe it now.
Are you suggesting this war didn't work!!
Quote:
I believe that the biggest threat to my own personal safety and that of my family does not lie not with some hate crazed terrorist hell bent on making a martyr out of himself in one of our highstreets. Instead, I am far more concerned about becoming another headline victim of some unstable, warped yob who wants to get his/her kicks by attacking some complete stranger for no reason. Furthermore, I don't believe I am alone in this respect.
In our firearms training we have recently been given almost as much training input on how to deal with a suicide bomber as we have had on dealing with the nutter with a knife

. This is because it has now been included in national police firearms policy documents.
Now you tell me who I'm more likely to deal with on Bowness Prom!

I recall hearing that globally, terrorism has in recent history been responsible for 500 deaths per annum. Is there a political gain to be made from raising the
fear of terrorism from where it should be, i.e. non existent?
Quote:
And the sooner that the foul and dishonourable indvidual running this trainwreck of a country wipes that shit-eating grin off his stupid face and gets it through his thick skull that people like myself want some real action on this issue the better, for him and all of us.
I, like many others voted labour in 1997. My own views tend towards left of centre, and I spent some time socially with Gordon Brown as a 'stoodent' in the 70s, so I felt I had a bit of an obligation. There was a sense of real optimism that social justice, and politics with conscience would take over from the grey man presiding over a sleaze ridden party. Allied to a more laisser faire attitude to the economy, I thought we were on a winner!
Could I have been more wrong?!
But where are the convincing alternatives?
Quote:
And sticking poisoned little men in vans to point cameras at my car or bike as I'm passing by a couple of MPH over the posted limit is not doing much to secure my support at the next election either.
Ouch!
No-one wants to see speeders flying through villages and motorways at illegal inappropriate speed, indeed if the camera prosecuting profile was set to 95th percentile and above, there'd probably not be too many complaints.
The problem is that the 70th to 85th percentile drivers are the ones who will keep the cameras operating cost effectively. (opinion - not inside knowledge

)
Quote:
Ummm...rant over BTW

I see you, Rigpig as more open minded than most and tolerant of that which may inconvenience you, because you see the greater need for it.
Hence the rant is one to sit up and listen to.
I am impressed by the strength of intellectual argument on this forum, and routinely compare that to the counter argument and justification for cameras. It is largely indicative of the way the political scene is now, which is that policy, whether right morally, or right for the country (in a benign dictatorial way), or simply wrong on both counts, is propped up by facile argument, flawed statistical analyses, and misinterpreted expert opinion.
Every political party does it, but it's become very, very obvious with the current incumbents.