Political Correctness

[Maggie/915]

When our enemy becomes our friend. ( Iran)

When political correctness stifles debate!

When health and safety stop us from doing exactly what we want to do!

When we are scared to express an opinion!

What is the way forward?

[Vic Patterson]

Hmm Maggie, not sure if I dare agree! but yes I do.

 

Take a big step backward or should it be forwards!

[Brett]

I don't personally believe that Iran is an enemy of ours but that something does need to happen to prevent further insurgency in Iraq as the ISIS movement gives more reason to go into Iraq than in 2003.

 

Damned if we do and damned if we don't like in Syria but it is appalling what is happening, however I wouldn't believe all of the hype with the mass executions as the photographs weren't verified independently and were limited as to what the mainstream media was showing you.

 

Either way something needs to be done irrespective of borders and history.

 

Tony Blair should also keep his tray shut.

[threegee]

Assad is only playing the survival game as played in the Middle East.  It's do or be done to there.  The Ruskies understand this and we don't.  They've explained this to us several times and we simply haven't been listening!  Ditto the Iranians.  They too understand the alternatives to Assad.

 

However many "nice" Syrians claim they want their freedom there is a large quasi-religious fundamentalist element who will step in and fill any power vacuum we help create.  Our aim should be to tame Assad's excesses and not to remove him.  He's listening, but he's not hearing anything from the West that will help him cling on.  He's there because a very substantial element in his country know that it's the only way to stability.  Our aim should be to make sure that that stability is an inclusive stability, and not stability at the expense of an oppressed minority.  UK type democracy is not one-size-fits-all, and what we call democracy isn't anything the tired old power brokers of Europe understand as democracy Mr Clegg!

 

Once we understood the power game better than any nation in history.  We've unlearned everything we knew, and are verging on being as dumb as our transatlantic cousins in this respect.  Even more importantly we are also on the verge of throwing away sovereignty over our own country.

 

Wake up England (and the rest of the UK)!  The penny is dropping though, even in the London-centric liberal elites; but is it dropping too late?  The rise of UKIP and "The People's Army" has been a huge influence here (just listen to the other party leaders these days).  And no - you stupid little establishment court-jester - Ian Hislop, UKIP hasn't peaked yet - by a long way!

[Tonyp]

The Germans were our enemy in 1945

Political correctness stops people been abusive ????L

Heath & safety can be overkill at times,but it does stop numpties getting hurt & put silly claims in saying it wasn't

There fault,"opps political correctness ".

I think anybody should be able to express an opinion,but it has to be done in a way that doesn't hurt

An individual the point of bullying .then it can become offensive.

Everybody be nice to each other.....

By the way I'm union secretary for 300 men & women where I work & you have to try & use political correctness

To try & save jobs when there about to get sacked,sometimes you feel like murdering the managers...

But then again they have to be politically correct .....

[Maggie/915]

I agree with what is being said but I think that often political correctness, religion and even heath and safety is used to stop any opposition view.

Democracy is not the only answer, in the same way one religion is not the only answer.

The worry is any group out to destabilise a country by violent means.

Working together as a group, country or even within the EU or NATO has to be considered.

[Brett]

The problem in Iraq has a direct correlation to Syria in that as much as Saddam Hussein was a peril in the country, ousting him has left this space for the ISIS rebels to fill.

As much as Saddam was no good he ruled with absolute power so none of the jihadists were able to use Iraq for the means that they are now. When we invaded/assisted in 2003 we removed the power from the state and as much as we tried to reinstate a democracy, the country has to be reliant on all sides within the country seizing the moment and creating a government that is able to withstand such forces.

Unfortunately this hasn't happened hence the rather simple take over which is taking place at the moment.

We can't go back in but feel compelled because we have already been there and acted as some kind of catalyst for the situation now.

And as GGG says Assad being voted back in is a sense of mis-achievement for the whole country but with an over ruling majority wanting Assad in power it's much like the struggle in this country in that people may have made the decision to vote based on the fact that there is nobody better to vote for.

It's a sorry state of affairs on the news at the moment with the Boko Haram and the shootings in America/Canada, Syria, Iraq and the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

I for one am glad I don't have to make the decisions that may dictate the lives of thousands.

[Tonyp]

"Maggie"! Democracy is a good thing,on a percentage it takes two fractions that disagree with each other that causes the violence

Without trying to have a democratic solution put to them.even the E.U & NATO can't decide issues when they disagree with each other That's why innocent people

get hurt,religion I'm afraid is full of prejudice even now just look at the Scots...I honestly think health & safety is a good thing! If you

look in the past look at the people who lost limbs in the mines before H & S was legislation.They would have shut the mines not thatcher

& would have taken the coal board to court & would have found them accountable for you & you fellow workers

[Maggie/915]

I wish it was so simple Tonyp.

You are right in what you say but sadly aggression needs a response.

Action and reaction.

[Tonyp]

"Maggie"! When would you use aggression?life is not like that in theory, just look at the despots in the past

Tony Blair,George Bush the list goes on & the sad thing is people get sucked into there views & think aggression

Is the way forward..Aggression can be good if it's done for the right reasons,but not because of media garbage...

& Political garbage put forward to satisfy there means????

[Maggie/915]

Agreed.

War for whatever reason results in the death and suffering of a lot of people.

[Tonyp]

Mmmm "political correctness "......

[Maggie/915]

So what is the way forward Tonyp !

Diplomacy / Use and Abuse of Argument

Every side feels they have 'God/ Right on their side'.

Does history teach us nothing!

Two World Wars / what lessons have we learnt !

I feel the need to quote John Lennon Imagine!

[Tonyp]

Don't quote john Lennon he was a dreamer,my mother was an active member of the communist party even getting the

Morning Star delivered I told her she was a dreamer,"But,they didn't hurt anybody so I suppose it's alright to dream"!

Cos they didn't hurt anybody ..

[Maggie/915]

Tonyp you must go and see Jimmy's Hall a film by Ken Loach.

Then you might understand your mother.

Difficult times mean difficult choices.

The establishment or the people with power often do not understand.

However we are all able to understand when something is unfair.

[Tonyp]

"Maggie"! You've got to remember its a movie there for entertainment , Jimmy Grailton was a man who came back to support

The Irish in its War against the uk. If he was a communist fair comment but when he got deported back to the USA it was only

the IRA who kicked up a fuss & the town where he lived.Have you read George Orwell's animal farm? That's a realistic view on

Communism & he declared himself as a democratic socialist,Maggie! By the way I haven't seen the film,maybe it's a good view.....

[Maggie/915]

Whatever your views the film gives a reason or two why poverty makes or can make people look for a better future.

The Catholic Church is not seen in a good light.

Mans inhumanity to man.

I do not hold extreme views but with any interest in history you can see how power can corrupt, and the poor inevitably suffer.

With what is happening in the World it is very interesting to see people often choosing an extreme form of government.

You read reports of people preferring life under the communists .

The Stasi it seems kept some sort of order that stopped a lot of petty crime.

Now the super rich have the upper hand, it seems there is no answer that I can see.

Maybe all we can do is dream both internationally and locally.

Our town could change given the right people to carry forward that change.

No self interest but the interests of our dear town.

[Tonyp]

Maggie! Bedlington had elitism & that's a fact I loved where I came from but it was still jobs for the boys ,to better my life I had to move

Away.when I did doors opened for me that I would never achieved in bedlington & that's a fact if the opertunaties where there in blighty

I would have stayed!"no regrets"........

[Maggie/915]

Wherever you are Tonyp Bedlington has and will continue to influence you.

[Tonyp]

That's true..when anybody in London asks me what part of newcastle I'm from & straight away I say to them! I'm not a toony,am from

Bedlington ...Big difference it's like me telling somebody down here there from North London,when they live in South London...

Different. Kind of people with different accents....