What is wrong with people?!

[nekokate]

Today's newspaper stories have done my head in, so I need to have a rant.

[Mandy]

A comment on each story :

1) The shooter was a resident of East Jerusalem, so that makes him an Israeli, not a Palestinian .. or we say Palestinian when we want to denounce someone.

2) The decay in respect for authority comes from the top. If Gordon Brown walked around, he would get some of the same. If Gordon Brown wants society to respect authority, then he should act responsibly .. and especially not to give BILLIONS of our money to Northern Rock so it can bail out its banker buddies who lent it money so they can pay billions in bonuses (as they did over last Christmas).

[Brown Sauce]

yeah, but Brown will say it's anti war types when it may well be the sort of bored anti establishment ill treated youths that chuck bricks at fire engines.

[Mandy]

Good point Brown Sauce ... We also have so many drunks, criminals etc. that it isn't safe for ANY of us to walk outside .. most of England is becoming a no-go area

[faceless]

sorry kate, but I'd happily fire off some abuse at bombers of innocents/those who don't pose a threat to this country. If we can't bring change at the top then making people feel less inclined to sign up is a fair tactic.

[luke]

interesting to note;

[luke]

i was just reading on the bbc site

[nekokate]

Maybe I got it all wrong, I dunno.

It was a rant rather than a well thought out mini-essay, though.

You can't argue, however, that the perceptions of those two stories are very bad news.

As for yelling abuse at members of the armed forces: I just wouldn't. They may well have been sent (to borrow a GGism) on a pack of lies to smash up someone else'ss country, but the key word there is sent. If a guy stabs someone in the street you don't jail the knife, and equally I wouldn't abuse British soldiers, I'd abuse the cowardly, scheming, heartless government officials whos decision it was to commit these atrocities.

Believe me, if I saw Blair walking down the street he'd soon know about it, but shouting abuse at British soldiers just seems so counter-productive, especially considering that a lot of them have just been roped into service due to a lack of other options, and a lot of them apparently don't even agree with the wars.

I mean, can you imagine, if he hadn't been killed, shouting "Oi! You murdering twat!" at Gordon Gentle if you saw him in the street. C'mon... Let's aim our ire at the people who are really responsible and guilty.

I'm interested in the assertion that there hasn't actually been any proof positive of exactly what sort of verbal abuse the story is about, either, or who was doing the shouting. It could well be a story that's been blown out of all proportion...

[faceless]

they're not soldiers though, they are RAF - mainly private-school educated and entirely aware of what they have chosen as a career. It's not pretty though, I agree.

Fact is, soldiers actually slag them off too!

[nico]

[Mandy]

[faceless]

I'm hearing on Galloway's show that neither he nor Karl have heard abuse at servicemen - maybe George should have visited a few pubs in Finnieston (where he was MP). If a soldier walked in there in uniform he would have been battered because of NI and the Catholic population here.

Personally I've called the drivers of a missile truck (in Hampshire) a bunch of cunts. I was 16 at the time, but I stand by it now.

[Comsatangel]

It's a calculated attempt to capitalise on the right wing jingoistic fervour that was being stirred up by the Prince Harry story. Check out the Have Your Say section on the BBC website. People are actually posting comments suggesting that anyone who challenges a member of the armed forces should be prosecuted for treason. One comment even states that if it weren't for "our boys" "...we'd all be muslims by now.." This comment has been recommended by over two hundred people. I have complained and have attempted to have the post removed, but this is exactly the kind of reaction the government wants.

Funnily enough, all of this reminds me of my time growing up in Hereford. I lived near the SAS base and was regularly beaten up by the SAS soldiers who took exception to the way I dressed. I was a goth, so I was clearly asking for it. Three of them once beat me so badly I was hospitalised for four days. They kicked the hell out of me whilst my girlfriend at the time just stood and screamed. She later told me that whilst I was lying unconscious, they threatened to rape her if she didn't shut up. This sort of thing was by no means an isolated incident in Hereford in the '80s. Several of my female friends were molested and a number of other friends were badly beaten simply because of their appearance. All by the SAS. No charges were ever brought. Ranks were closed and alibis conveniently provided.

[faceless]

more power to you mr angel

[major.tom]

Is Jerusalem in Israel, technically? Isn't it Occupied Territory?

The few stories I've read or watched seem to go out of the way to say it's the most recent attack in Israel. But I'm pretty sure that most countries don't recognize (officially, at least) Jerusalem as being part of Israel.