JohnA Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 ...anybody else noticed the daily watering-down of the headlines?... From "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" we are now down to "allegations", "suspicions" and "possibilities":sly: WTF, either they have something (or someone) or they haven't. Otherwise we'll end up like the 'proof' of WMDs in Iraq (still looking for them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieSteve Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I'd be very shocked if anything was going off in the first place. It went quiet for a while so this was a great way to say "look at us protecting you all, this is where your hard earned money is going" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I've seen it too. Anyone remember Jean Charles de Menezes? He was terrorist, he was a terrorist, he may have been a terrorist, he was a guy going to work. My initial thought about this plot was "hmm, what are they up to to want to deflect attention so badly?". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedM Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I'd be very shocked if anything was going off in the first place. It went quiet for a while so this was a great way to say "look at us protecting you all, this is where your hard earned money is going" The Americans have been doing this since 9/11. They've used it to introduce some amazingly Draconian measures. A population in fear is a population easily controlled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Apparently they've go feck-all to show yet, and the reporters very carefully word their articles to reflect that:eyebrows: Lots of *talk* about terrorism, yes. Theories of how fairy liquid and a mobile phone can create the basis of nitroglycerin and a detonator - yes. But that is old news. Way before 9/11 in fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Just wait a bit will you, they're not going to spill everything as soon as they make the initial arrests... especially if there are people out there they're still trying to find. I can see why you may be thinking that though.. there have been too many times in the past where they (Gov/Police) have, only for it to be found to be totally wrong... and that does cast sceptisism over most things now. Please dont get like those people compaining about the delays to their planes rides because of this.. maybe they'd prefer to be blown up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Walker Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I'm due to fly to the states in less that 3 weeks. I'd rather they sort this out properly, even if that means that people aren't properly informed at this point in time. I'm of the opinion I'd rather have no hand luggage than die. (and I have no doubt that the threat is already eliminated) At the end of the day, like Martin says, people in fear are easily controlled. Lets see if the authorities have something concrete for us first. Gaz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Just wait a bit will you, they're not going to spill everything as soon as they make the initial arrests... especially if there are people out there they're still trying to find. My thoughts exactly. The police are hardly going to announce on TV that "person A has been caught doing this" while the investigation is still ongoing. Every time an alert like this happens critisism of the government gets stronger and stronger because of the argument that it's their foreign policy and the wars they started that have given the terrorists reason to act.... so why would they manufacture all of this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguin Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 hmm .... well there is a lot happening - one of the guys has been released - which has not made headline news Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Probably because that happened yesterday iirc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soop Dogg Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 Just wait a bit will you, they're not going to spill everything as soon as they make the initial arrests... especially if there are people out there they're still trying to find. I can see why you may be thinking that though.. there have been too many times in the past where they (Gov/Police) have, only for it to be found to be totally wrong... and that does cast sceptisism over most things now. Please dont get like those people compaining about the delays to their planes rides because of this.. maybe they'd prefer to be blown up. :yeathat: And I heard the term "Alleged Plot" being used on Sky news on Thursday Morning, while this story was still breaking. Hang on a while before breaking out the conspiracy theories. (Although I do have to agree with many of the comments about past performance in some instances - I wouldn't trust the govt. one inch!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Just wait a bit will you, they're not going to spill everything as soon as they make the initial arrests... very true, they'd *have* to be coy and evasive so that they can get their hands on the suspects. That goes without saying. Trouble is that they said the same about the WMDs in Iraq and now we know that there was nothing there to back up the '30 minutes from doom' scare stories (from the top governments no less!) In fact there was nothing at all, period. So they have lost some goodwill from the trusting public. I just hope that this one is different. (IF one can ever hope that it's better for such a threat to be real:blink: ) I may have to travel to the States and Far East in the next few months, the idea of some cretinous fanatic blowing me up in the air is not soothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 I just hope that this one is different. Dont we all m8, this country cant take many more embarrassments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminator Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 As for watering down of headlines, I suspect the leagal guys have had a hand in this for good reasons. Having seen the security and weapons firsthand at Stanstead today, it was reasuring when putting loved ones on a plane. If it is all a huge mistake, then so be it, the authorities should not be beaten up over it. The threat is real, there are many who want to cause considerable pain to as many as possible. The inconvience at airports is worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imi Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 ...anybody else noticed the daily watering-down of the headlines?... From "mass murder on an unimaginable scale" we are now down to "allegations", "suspicions" and "possibilities":sly: WTF, either they have something (or someone) or they haven't. Otherwise we'll end up like the 'proof' of WMDs in Iraq (still looking for them) John.....come on man....its called intelligence....they've got plenty of it....I'm sure in due time all shall be revealed, I have every faith in their ability.....have they ever let us down before. oops nice to know where they spend our tax money. out of the 24 people, only ONE had a ticket BOOKED....the others didnt even have tickets WTF was all the airport situation about.....talk about scaremongering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 WTF was all the airport situation about.....talk about scaremongering. I'd rather be scared/stopped from flying than possibly dead along with my gf and friends who've all been on flights in the last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew7 Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 I remember one of the lines to a song from years ago, called "Right Now" if I remember correctly (can't remember who by tho), which went, " Right now, your own government is doing things which you think only other governments do.."..... OK, so a few "scares" like this per year, "justifying" 10,000 more cameras on our streets every year and tightening and introducing more laws which restrict our liberties and freedom. They now have us exactly where they want us....it's taken them a long time to set this up perfectly, but now they have us..period... They are exploiting exactly what any tyrant does, create fear and then extract as much from the fearful victim as possible, in fact steal form them and work them to death.... then find a new batch.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imi Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 I'd rather be scared/stopped from flying than possibly dead along with my gf and friends who've all been on flights in the last week. If you live your life as a "WHAT IF", then youll be scared to leave your house..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 True, but what I mean is I dont mind being delayed or having to re-schedule, and besides its not going to be chaos forever is it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RichJ Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 Its just political 'tactics'. It really doesnt matter if there was a real threat or not, the percieved threat makes it easier for the government to bring in more restrictive legislation. Every year this country of ours takes one more step towards becoming a police state where your daily activities are decided by people in power who think they know better. Personally, I think this latest threat has given the news agencies a convenient distraction from the happenings in and around Israel in recent weeks. Which is in reality the root of the entire problem with Islamic extremists in recent years, which in turn is itself a consequence of certain western governments feeling sorry for the treatment that the Jews recieved during WWII. Our govenments interference in the affairs of other foreign states is slowly coming back to haunt us. Bin Laden and the Taliban funded by the west to fight the USSR in Afghanistan, Saddam funded by the west to fight Iran, Israel formed with funding from the west after WWII. All cases of trying to achieve some short term goal without seeing the long term repurcussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPRASUZUKI Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 The way I see it, this could be - 1/ Complete fabrication, to take the heat off Blair (we'll never know, will we?) 2/ Complete fabrication to allow the furtherance of a British police state. People have been saying we're heading for a police atate for 40 years. Apart from the plethora of speed cameras, I don't feel my life has changed. 3/ A fair reaction based on inteligence. If the inteligence is incorrect, so be it, everyone makes mistakes. Did't intel from the Pakistan authorities trigger this (I may be wrong on this)? 4/ A fair rection based on accurate inteligence, in which case charges will be brought when all the evidence is gathered. I wouldn't expect the authorities to declare their hand if a) they are still collecting evidence or b) they are spreading the net further to catch more potential terrorists. I'd expect things to become clearer in the next few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 The way I see it, this could be - 1/ Complete fabrication, to take the heat off Blair (we'll never know, will we?) The headline on yesterday's Daily Mail was Blair on holiday on his yaht in the Carribean while everyone else was stranded at airports... hardly convinient timing if he's planning to score points from the public IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaoriFan Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 just think the confusion and worry all this has caused, and nothing yet has happened, if it even does. all anyone needs to do is put the right comments in the right place and it happens again, and causes total mayhem. you don't even need a bomb. causing all of this is enough to affect stock markets, people and many peoples lives. with Blair on holiday, and Beckett was on her way to starting her caravan holiday to France, we were so lucky having Prescott in charge of the Country (sarcasm). Another thing that i can't figure why in this country, they say an investigation is ongoing, it just warns all the other people involved in any 'plot' in advance to get the heck away. also, so easy to frame people in this country. if someone took your number plate info and put fake plates on a matching car, even that is so simple. especially if you live alone. years ago, we sold our old car to a garage in part exchange. few days later police come to house and say our car was used/acting suspiciously at a crime. we had to prove we no longer owned it. this govermnent and all other UK governments have been useless and will continue to be. we never put the best person in the job, seems if you are a mate of the PM you get the job. no one was ever accountable over the Menezes tragedy. surely the head of the Met should be held accountable at least, and not get a whitewash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted August 13, 2006 Author Share Posted August 13, 2006 ,,,no one was ever accountable over the Menezes tragedy. ... they killed the fecken terrorist so we can all sleep well at night. It was a public service. He was being watched closely, followed, and shot several times in the head. Job done. But he did behave suspiciously, wearing an out-of-season bulky jacket (possibly hiding explosives), jumping over the barriers etc. So he brought it to himself. OK, the witnesses all said that he didn't actually wear such jacket, and he didn't jump over any barriers or behave suspiciously in any way. But who are we to believe, the civilians or the uniformed professionals? Talking about lost 'goodwill' from the public eh? Grossly incompetent or conspiratory and scheming? --- Either way let's hope this time they will be a bit more believable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethr Posted August 13, 2006 Share Posted August 13, 2006 ......People have been saying we're heading for a police state for 40 years. Apart from the plethora of speed cameras, I don't feel my life has changed.......I think you are forgetting the difference that computers make. Forty years ago, or even five or ten years ago, there was no way to make use of the information supplied by mass passive surveillance. Now, with increased computer power, universal use of credit/debit cards and mobile phones, CCTV cameras everywhere, traffic cameras, face recognition software, number plate recognition cameras, and the proposals for all vehicles to be "chipped" and for everyone to carry an identity card with a transponder, the mechanisms are in place for a "big brother" system which Hitler or Stalin would have given somebody else's right arm for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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