What the actual fuck?

[kynon]

Read this.

I am presently too open-mouthed to make any kind of rational comment, other than perhaps to suggest that having the army patrolling the streets didn't work particularly well last time it was happening in the UK...

(Interesting musical coincidence, the lyrics seem to fit my feelings about politics & life in the UK at the moment.)

Comments

[attack_monkey]

Seriously, WTF? To Canada, and freedom!

[kynon]

Dude - the idea is highly tempting (and has been for some years)!

[miss_soap]

We're game; let's go.

[nigelh]

I am presently too open-mouthed to make any kind of rational comment

So, I suspect, was the journalist who wrote that article.

As far as I can see they've taken a couple of questions from the terms of the strategic defence review which are basically asking what, if any, domestic roles the forces should be prepared for and presented them as a fully formed proposal for routinely deploying troops on the streets.

[kynon]

I think the fact that the possibility of troops being routinely deployed on the streets of the UK is the bit that unsettles me about this. As far as I am concerned, short of a full-fledged breakdown of law & order, then I can't see *any* situation where the routine deployment of troops would be acceptable.

Little by little by little, the terrorists (whoever they may be) seem to be winning. Can't take photos of tourist landmarks without suspicion; can't get on an aeroplane without taking your shoes off, making sure you're not carrying any liquids over 100mm, emptying out your pockets, and the way things are going, having to have a full-body scan; powers that were brought in as a knee-jerk reaction to be seen to be "doing something" are being misused routinely by councils & other officials; we have one of the most extensive (if not the most extensive) CCTV networks in the world (great swathes of which are either broken, unmonitored, or so crap they don't yield useful info, but that is somewhat by the by); we have a DNA database

[nigelh]

I think the fact that the possibility of troops being routinely deployed on the streets of the UK is the bit that unsettles me about this.

I understand that entirely, and I agree with you (and pretty much everything else you wrote).

The thing is I don't think anyone other than the writer of that article has seriously suggested that that will or should happen.

[kynon]

Oops - poor English on my part - I meant to say "the fact that there is the possibility...", but you got what I meant

[gary_the_bigbad]

Unlikely to happen i'd say, unless under extreme circumstances.

The British public will rant and rave over such military decisions overseas, but in reality will do nothing about it. Were such a possibility to arise in *this* country however (without us actually being genuinely scared something real was happening), then i believe the public would take sufficient action as to bring down whichever government that made the call.

The "NIMBY" mentality would work quite well here ...

[kynon]

Have you heard of the Civil Contingencies Act? If not, have a google, and have a read. It's scary, scary stuff.

[nigelh]

Not really related, but I suspect you'll have something to say about this

[kynon]

Indeed - there may be a post on it at some point!

In general - "can everyone please deploy common sense?" would be my comment. Government should perhaps consider reading & sticking a bit more closely to Robert Peel's Principles of Policing, rather than trying to impose financially-based targets on an organisation that blatantly doesn't fit into a target-based system.

I may stop ranting at some point, probably when the disgust burns me out in another few days. ;)

[thefastone]

You may actually find This interesting then...

[thefastone]

Also, You should give this the once over, and if you are planning on taking photos in public, I'd suggest keeping a copy of THIS in your camera bag - I'd say it was essential reading...

[thefastone]

O_O