slawek Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 7 hours ago, North London Rent Girl said: Yes, access to justice is under threat, that's just the danger I had in mind. I don't think it's just the demolition of legal aid, tho that is central, there's a bunch of other factors that mean people aren't in a position to enforce their rights. V bad news. Political influence - the judiciary is part of the establishment and the system isn't perfect but it really is relatively very independent. The only other judicial system I know a lot about is the Russian one, which barely pretends to independence, and there's certainly less political influence here than in the US, where the appointment of senior judges is a very politicised process. I don't know enough about the recent case you mention to argue about it but mental illness can be a defence here, even against murder. It's not very long ago that the courts found the government to be imprisoning people illegally and the government had to come up with a - dodgy - system of home arrest and were really very angry indeed. I don't think judges are cowed by the government, they're not frightened of a scrap, I think they've actually been very brave in some of their judgements in the last 15 years or so. I apologise for my fellow countryperson who said why don't you go home, am sure you're well aware - these people pop up from time to time but most of us aren't like that. Thank you for your kindness. I don't think you should apologise, being born in the same country as this person shouldn't be a reason to feel responsible for his/her behaviour. It is a strange idea to attribute blame based on nationality, I would be in the same camp as he/she if I had done this myself. What he/she implied about me may not even be true. This is an internet forum, things are not always as they look like. What matters he/she is not alone, this nastiness and aggression is spreading and getting louder in Europe and the US. There must be a way to stop it otherwise I am not optimistic about our future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knock out johnny Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 On 3/29/2017 at 10:30 PM, ccc said: I doubt many who join up have that in the forefront of their mind. It's a possibility that could happen some point in the future. I'm sure I've read that tube drivers after a certain number of years driving are very likely to have a jumper. They still apply for these jobs and do them day to day - full well in the knowledge that one day they are likely to see someone's brain splattered over their window. Different situation of course. But they don't do that job thinking about one day probably killing someone either. WE've been on active operations for 15+ years, so it's not as if many have joined in peacetime not expecting a war - volunteering paradoxically goes up when there is some shootey stabby action The tube driver analogy is too silly to comment on, but at least you realise it's a different situation. That's why analogies are for children and idiots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 On 30/03/2017 at 7:20 PM, thehowler said: I'd say war is always about land. It doesn't rely on divisions, these are subordinate and can be manufactured to suit the military agenda. It's about survival and expansion via territorial control - through the Age of conquest, sail and industrialization - and then retention and retaliation in the modern age. Just my tuppence. And soldiers enlist to serve, or to escape, or because they're seduced by the man-of-the-world hokum, or for family tradition, or for many other reasons but not because they want to kill people, this is an abstract and unknown for most 18 year olds. Army commanders hold their breath at the moment when a new generation of soldiers are first expected to kill, they can't be sure they'll go through with it. This is when the reality dislocation, propaganda alluded to above, and above all the loyalty to your friends who are in the mire alongside you kicks in. I have profound respect for the British military ethos, despite all its flaws, and for the soldiers that we send into battle. War is not a science, it relies on us soft organics. Well ..... you join the army to shoot at stuff. At some point shooting at targets becomes a bit dull. My cousins, whose 15 years older was a Para at Goose Green. After he got over the initial shock that the Falklands was not very like Rio/Brazil - the only South American country he knew about at the time, he got stuck into what he liked - causing physical injury + death. He does admit that he did get the waking up screaming thing for a bit for a couple of years after. That was all to do with being shot at. He was not too fussed about the hand-to-hand killing stuff. Now, my brother is another case. Army -> Military contractor. His first 5 years up to Iraq 1 was boring - sat around in a tank division. Iraq 1 kicked off, he ran to it. Then prompty fell off a building a broke his leg, getting airlifted back to the UK and missing it all. He was recalled from his contracting in some sh1tty African country to go and fight in Iraq 2. He was really fcked off to go from ~5k/month tax free to 800/month. The Iraqis he met really got it from that. Then he went to Syria on a secondment, strictly hands off. But he did have to deal with bulldozzering bodies to burn them when thy got too stinkey. He's a long way from a pysco - hes a quiet chap. More of a everyday state sponsored killer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-percent Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 15 minutes ago, spyguy said: Well ..... you join the army to shoot at stuff. At some point shooting at targets becomes a bit dull. My cousins, whose 15 years older was a Para at Goose Green. After he got over the initial shock that the Falklands was not very like Rio/Brazil - the only South American country he knew about at the time, he got stuck into what he liked - causing physical injury + death. He does admit that he did get the waking up screaming thing for a bit for a couple of years after. That was all to do with being shot at. He was not too fussed about the hand-to-hand killing stuff. Now, my brother is another case. Army -> Military contractor. His first 5 years up to Iraq 1 was boring - sat around in a tank division. Iraq 1 kicked off, he ran to it. Then prompty fell off a building a broke his leg, getting airlifted back to the UK and missing it all. He was recalled from his contracting in some sh1tty African country to go and fight in Iraq 2. He was really fcked off to go from ~5k/month tax free to 800/month. The Iraqis he met really got it from that. Then he went to Syria on a secondment, strictly hands off. But he did have to deal with bulldozzering bodies to burn them when thy got too stinkey. He's a long way from a pysco - hes a quiet chap. More of a everyday state sponsored killer. A bit OT but when the Argentinians first invaded the Falkland Islands, my first thought was what the hell are they doing invading an island off Scotland? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Just now, One-percent said: A bit OT but when the Argentinians first invaded the Falkland Islands, my first thought was what the hell are they doing invading an island off Scotland? Cousin was bif Leed suporter. He was expecting something like Brazil - he took his silk football shorts, expecting a kick around on the beach after the shooting was over ... 'There were fkcing penguins on the beach' was all he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-percent Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 3 minutes ago, spyguy said: Cousin was bif Leed suporter. He was expecting something like Brazil - he took his silk football shorts, expecting a kick around on the beach after the shooting was over ... 'There were fkcing penguins on the beach' was all he said. at least he was in the right hemisphere. Mind, on the telly it did look like Scotland so I suppose I can be forgiven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 2 minutes ago, One-percent said: at least he was in the right hemisphere. Mind, on the telly it did look like Scotland so I suppose I can be forgiven. I was well prepared. Whitby twinned with Port Stanley in 1981: http://chrisabbott1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/i-voted-against-rex-hunts-request-for_13.html 'The twinning arrangement went ahead and a ceremony took place in the Pannett Art Gallery in Whitby in August 1981. I am pretty sure that Rex Hunt himself actually attended this. Whitby Town Council could always do a good ceremony and the food was always nice.' We tried to look up the Falklands on the primary's globe, It was not on it. ~ 6 months later .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One-percent Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 4 minutes ago, spyguy said: I was well prepared. Whitby twinned with Port Stanley in 1981: http://chrisabbott1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/i-voted-against-rex-hunts-request-for_13.html 'The twinning arrangement went ahead and a ceremony took place in the Pannett Art Gallery in Whitby in August 1981. I am pretty sure that Rex Hunt himself actually attended this. Whitby Town Council could always do a good ceremony and the food was always nice.' We tried to look up the Falklands on the primary's globe, It was not on it. ~ 6 months later .... Only in Whitby... I must have been away in either algerino or smoggy land that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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