The Political Thread

[Goaty]

[Dandontdare]

Forgetting which government was in power at the time was the very LEAST of the Mail's hypocrisy - as these Daily Mail headlines show:

[Dandontdare]

furthermore...

Is it any surprise that after being kidnapped, tortured, and imprisoned without trial for years that you may be a little but hostile?

It may be counter-intiuitive but often measures to "crack down on terrorism" only serve to drive people to extremism, just as "banning" abortion usually leads to a rise in abortions, not to mention maternal death and infanticide.

[Tjm86]

You'd think after nearly centuries of trying to crack down on terrorism (Peoples Front of Judea!) that someone with half a brain cell might have finally twigged that it works the way you suggest.  Unfortunately you don't tend to find that type of person in government.   

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Has someone here already pointed out that Wikipedia no longer accepts the Daily Mail as a ligitimate source?

[The Legendary Shark]

Governments love terrorism; it keeps us divided and at one another's throats, gives them an excuse to implement legislation that benefits the status quo and, perhaps most importantly, distracts us from watching what they're up to. Divide and rule. Oldest tactic in the book.

[Tjm86]

Has someone here already pointed out that Wikipedia no longer accepts the Daily Mail as a ligitimate source?

Unfortunately way too many people in this country do!  Yet they still deny Climate Change.  Go figure.

[Mikey]

Governments love terrorism; it keeps us divided and at one another's throats, gives them an excuse to implement legislation that benefits the status quo and, perhaps most importantly, distracts us from watching what they're up to. Divide and rule. Oldest tactic in the book.

Did you get many bombings and murders round your from the late sixties to late nineties? Or was the bomb yesterday on your street? How about friends and family members killed or injured?

Fuck sake.

[The Legendary Shark]

If you believe that, Mikey, I have a magic rock here that keeps tigers away. Want to buy it?

Fuck's sake.

[Frank]

That's a completely meaningless, antagonistic post. You're headed for another ban.

[The Legendary Shark]

No, it's a perfectly valid example of the same Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc fallacy that Mikey used.

[Hawkmumbler]

No, it's a perfectly valid example of the same Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc fallacy that Mikey used.

Wasn't that the last Michael Moorcock novel?

[The Legendary Shark]

No, it's a perfectly valid example of the same Cum Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc fallacy that Mikey used.

Wasn't that the last Michael Moorcock novel?

I think that was The Corum Hoc, Elric Propter Hockers at the End of the Fireclown's Runestaff Time...

[Mikey]

Yeah, fold your arms and shake your head sure.  After all if it's your opinion it's the same as knowledge or direct experience isn't it?

[The Legendary Shark]

Mikey, I get that you have suffered terrible things in your country. I'm not insensitive to that and in no way wish to belittle, marginalise or ignore the damage done and the lives lost.

My position is that governments of all stripes thrive on such horrors, bend them to their advantage and use them to justify their own existence. Governments cannot exist without violence, either threatened or applied. This is my contention and I have seen no argument to disabuse me of what, to me, is a solid fact.

I understand and accept that most people see government as a good thing, a civilised thing, but I do not. I see inter-human cooperation as a good thing and personal responsibility as the height of civilisation. Government must impose itself on the population, whether the population wants that imposition or not, whether that imposition will damage the population or not. The current debacles of Brexit and Trump only reinforce my view - the people have spoken and subsequently regret the words they have spoken. It's okay to have a small group of people force their will upon the masses but, just at the moment, we find ourselves labouring under the wrong small group of people.

To believe that government brings peace and order is wrong. Just because government and peace (or at least a lack of violence) exist side by side does not indicate that one is responsible for the other. I could just as easily say that no city has been destroyed by an asteroid since governments have existed, therefore governments prevent asteroids falling on cities.