Jeremy Corbyn.

[Xtractorfan]

You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

 

[AMGeed]

And most of them now the Queens friends....

Care to expand on your theory? Like...........name one or two?

 

[davemercedes]

One day - to your horror you find yourself agreeing (or very nearly) with someone you never thought possible...

So years ago I heard a radio panel program and the question asked was "Should we talk to the IRA?"

- The answers from 3/4 of the panel was an emphatic "no" with various reasons and then it was Red Ken (Livingstone's) turn.

He talked about the ultimate conclusion of compromise and one by one he listed the people who had - as he said - had tea at the palace"... I remember him mentioning Kenneth Kuanda - at one time regarded as a Mau Mau terrorist and five minutes later as a saviour...

He named names going back years - from Ghandi through Makarios and onwards and rammed them down the audience's ears with comments "he had tea at the palace 3 months ago"; "he had tea at the palace a year ago" etc.

And so it was that I realised that one day, most of the people we dislike immensely will become "statesmen".

 

[Xtractorfan]

Exactly Dave, these former terrorists usually have a crisis of consciense in later life and become extremely democratic, usually helped by a large donation of cash from unknown sources, and end up getting an invite to the Palace.. and woe betide any one who would ever describe our reigning Monarch as a lover of terrorists..other than our good friend, now banned. PrW.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Ok. Going back in history, all governments originate in the nastiest, nailsiest, hardest group of people willing to fight for power. Here, the US, France, Spain, Italy. Go back as far as you like and you'll find either "terrorist/ anarchist" or "organised crime" could be applied to them all.

Most of these groups crystallise into political parties, their members into politicians. Once that happens...

Now, those same groups or indeed people, once they reach politician status, start to fall under "diplomacy" instead. That is, the activity of managing international relationships.

I've said before how no country has friends, only aligned interests. By that same definition those involved in diplomacy cannot be friends (professionally) no matter how courteously they treat one another.

Tea on the terrace is part of diplomacy... and hence we see a lot of people invited along who might very well appear undesirable in the public eye. That is one of the realities of diplomacy. It isn't a failing nor is it craven. It just is.

 

[davemercedes]

Quite right. In the same way, most royal families have origins back to the individuals who seized power - and were able to do so because they were the roughest, hardest most ruthless people of their time.

 

[Frontstep]

Gerry and Charles

 

[davemercedes]

I see that according to the Beeb, in a speech Corbyn will make today he has linked UK foreign policy to the Manchester bomb (and others). It's the old "Resistance Fighter = Terrorist" theory. He also says May's cuts to the police force increased the terrorism risk. On TV (Question Time) last night Amber Rudd dismissed that with little supporting argument.

I've mentioned before that SWMBO and I enjoy "The Wright Stuff" on Channel 5 - for those who don't know it's a phone-in chat show with a panel (of celebrities not "experts"). It was very interesting this morning when they mentioned both the above popints the applause was noticeable. That doesn't mean much of course and the audience may all have been left leaning.

They asked a question: How many times have UK bombed Iraq and Syria?

A: 1200
The UK has carried out over 1,200 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of its role in a Global Coalition committed to defeating IS, more than any other country expect the United States. In 2016, the US dropped 12,192 bombs on Syria and 12,095 in Iraq.

It's all food for thought and I wonder if it will influence the election result?

 

[Craiglxviii]

Yes. It makes one wonder what the meeja's angle is in all of this. Corbyn has specifically linked terrorism here with UK foreign policy, apparently under the belief that if we leave them alone they'll do the same to us. Read into that a rather unsettling insight into how his worldview works- that's cowardice.

He mentions May's cuts to the police, what he doesn't mention is the increases seen in other elements of overall national security. As Carl has most ably pointed out, and I gladly stand corrected with up to date data, the likes of GCHQ and Five have developed significant capabilities to combat terrorism which have so far foiled 5 plots in the last 3 months alone.

As always the meeja points will be cherry picked. Corbyn's spokesman on R4 this morning was at pains to point out that Tovarisch actually didn't mean what he said...

 

[drmw]

Gutless, spineless. I can imagine his approach on EU negotiations.

Like the old joke - "The meek shall inherit the Earth. That is, as long as nobody else minds"

 

[Frontstep]

Corbyn like so many other of the handwringers conveniently forget facts and history when they try to blame our recent conflicts as the cause of terrorism in this country.
They have been at us for centuries and try as hard as I can I don't remember us sending a brigade of young children out to Afghanistan or Iraq making them fair game for retribution.

Take either country and try and think of a utopia upset by our intervention.

Still Isis have shown what its like when they get their own place, Jeremy better hurry up and go before we wreck it.

 

[LostKiwi]

No... we've just sent crusades to invade their lands, created a nation state of Jews in their midst and dropped thousands of tons of bombs on their cities.
I can see why they might be a bit miffed.

I don't support their viewpoint, ideology or methods but I can see where they're coming from.

 

[Noelmc]

I listened to Corbyns speech today, seemed a reasoned piece, however in my opinion that's not what is being reported.
Sometimes it's better not to listen to Chinese whispers.
The funniest piece today was when Micheal Fallon was asked to repond to an extract he thought was Corbyn, completely dissed it, then was told it wasn't Corbyn but his foreign secretary, priceless!

 

[Craiglxviii]

It's worth remembering that that the foreign crusades were mainly tit for tat...

 

[LostKiwi]

It's worth remembering that that the foreign crusades were mainly tit for tat...

I never knew the Arabs invaded Britain...I know everyone else did but not the Arabs..

 

[Frontstep]

The Turks attacked the Holy Roman Empire/Constantinople and we were asked to help with the Muslim aggression.

 

[Craiglxviii]

They invaded Constantinople though. And Jerusalem. Both of which were Christian... Eastern Roman Empire remember. Britain was as catholic as the rest of Europe at that point.

 

[LostKiwi]

They invaded Constantinople though. And Jerusalem. Both of which were Christian... Eastern Roman Empire remember. Britain was as catholic as the rest of Europe at that point.

Not till after the first Crusade. Constantinople wasn't taken till the 4th Crusade.

 

[Craiglxviii]

That's my point. It was all tit for tat.

 

[Big Cheese]

If Corbyn wins though we will have Diane Abbott looking after the nations security,now that is a scary thought!