to all the Brits...

[silentC]

Saying we're at war with terrorism is like saying we are at war with bush fires, or car accidents. We can fight these things, we can look for the causes and try to prevent them from happening, we can raise people's awareness - but at the end of the day you cannot declare war on an idea.

This whole 'war on terrorism' thing is a buzz phrase to get people whipped up into a frenzy and to allow governments a bit of 'flexibility' in how they handle things. I'm not necessarily saying that I disagree with the measures that are being taken but technically, you can only declare war on a country or a state, not on a concept.

If you wipe out one terrorist organisation, another one will spring up in it's place. It's not like WWI-WWII where there were clear aggressors and defined battle fronts. You can't say to 'terrorism' "if you do not withdraw from such and such a country, we will have no alternative but to declare war on you". It's not a war that can be won.

The declaration of war allows you to do certain things and take certain steps that would not normally be allowed - but you are also bound by the Geneva convention. The reason for declaring war on terrorism was to open the way for the US to send troops to another country. It had to be done or their constitution would not have allowed that to take place. If it ever went to court, I doubt that they would have a case.

The conflict that the current focus is on has been going on for hundreds of years. It's not the only struggle that attracts terrorism but because it has hit at the US, Europe and now England, it's profile has been raised to predominance. Who knows what will happen in the end. Maybe there wont be one.

[Wongo]

Yes but they only have GMC and Triton tools.

(thanks to Wongo for that one)

Maximum penalty.

[simon c]

I'm not sure I agree with your point on the war on terrorism, Sturdee. When Britain was at war with the IRA there was no expectation that Irish people (in Ireland or in Britain) or Catholics around the world should have taken responsibility for the actions undertaken by the IRA.

[powderpost]

All this raises the question in my mind, is multi-culturelism good for Australia? Multi nationalism I think is very good for Australia. But, in Australia everyone should be Australian and observe local custom in public. What an emigrant does in the privacy of their own home is nobody's business but their's. When our newer citizens enter the street, they must imho, become Australian. The same would apply to me and my family if we were to move to another country, which I might add will never happen. It is therefore my opinion that multi-culturelism is decidely not on.
Jim

[E. maculata]

I look on at ther events of todays world with the sinking feeling of "the old Man was right" my sometimes conspiracy theorist Father always said the Yanks would turn on the "valiant freedom fighters" (their description of the day not mine) in Afghanistan and other countries threatened by the "red menace". Also it really P1sses me that all rebellious movements are now be branded "terrorists" for simple & devious political manipulation.
Evil is Evil no matter the coat it wears and the victors always tweak the historical records after the victory.