It seems that 'Brexit' talks have got underway but I don't expect to learn anything for some time. Sadly, while those talks go on elsewhere, here in the UK we have been subjected to another apparently 'lone-wolf' terrorist attack in London. This time, the perpetrator is a white man, British as far as I understand, and his target was a large group of muslims, just coming out from a prayer meeting during the last week of Ramadan.
The 'nutter' who committed this atrocity has most likely had his mind warped by the concentrated barrage of racist lies from the tory right-wing, UKIP, Britain First, the tory media wing including its leading player, the BBC. Remember Thomas Mair? he was another 'lone-wolf' nutcase whose mind was warped by the same drivel emanating from these sources:
Regrettably, for hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of our citizens, 'Brexit' was never about the economy because the average voter doesn't understand economics, markets, currencies or how company pension schemes invest contributions. We need to call it what it is and that is now as it was then, racism - that's why they voted to leave the EU. It may not have been colour prejudice - inspired racism for those voters but rather, a hatred by some of other Europeans coming to the UK and performing various types of work at prices far less than those charged by the self-employed.
Allied to that, there is the muslim terrorist threat to which the entire western world has been subjected over recent years so those of a racist persuasion did not want to see any more muslims entering the UK....even though muslims come in a variety of colours and speak various languages. Farage and his ilk were the saviours of those Islamophobes so they voted to support racist policies.
Everything else was just dross to salve the consciences of those who voted for the racist loudmouths who presented the public with 'Brexit'. The 'taking back sovereignty' and 'controlling our borders' were just total nonsense as were the lies about the power of the European Court; the lies about unelected, faceless people in Brussels making up rules and laws we don't like, didn't want, etc.....it was all lies, beginning to end and they even had the audacity to spread some of those lies all over a bus.
In addition, we were forever being told about muslims being radicalised and that is why they became terrorists. Now, perhaps we need to give more thought to the other Thomas Mairs and Darren Osbornes who may be out there, being radicalised by the British media and far-right politicians. We may ourselves have created a monster.
Is this really the way we want to deal with our terrorist problem? Will we somehow be better able to manage that problem by ignoring and taking no responsibility for the acts of mindless, murdering white Britons? Will deserting the EU make things better with regard to the fight against terror? Somehow, I think we make ourselves more vulnerable by isolating ourselves from a large group of European nations, all of which share the same problems of terrorism. We seem to be descending towards hell.
It troubles me that most recently, we have seen this beleaguered government form a new political cabal with a party known to have great sympathy with the NI Orange order and various loyalist terror groupings which risks the Good Friday agreement. In these pages, we have read about more efficient ammunition which might be permitted against possible terrorists although it is illegal in warfare. While I can understand the case made by the proponents of that type of ammunition, I cannot in all conscience see that it would be any more effective in ending terrorism on our islands than the approved ammunition currently in use.
Neither bullets nor missiles or bombs will resolve the terrorist threat so we really need to expend lots more energy and money in finding a solution. Being best mates with the USA, Israel and Saudi Arabia is not exactly conducive to improving relations with the people driven by such anger and idealogical hatred for western countries that they become suicide bombers.
Am I the only one who thinks that if their lives were better in their own countries, perhaps those who aspire to terrorism and become radicalised would have better things to do than dream of becoming a martyr through suicide?
Tom
