There has been civil war (against two Marxist groups – the E.L.N. and the F.A.R.C.) for more than forty years. But there were many other civil wars before that.

And between FARC and ELN. And, depending on what month it is, one or the other ends up as an armed proxy for the drug gangs.

It’s like the “People’s Front of Judea” stadium scene in “The Life of Brian,” except for being bloody and violent and really not funny at all.

There has been civil war (against two Marxist groups – the E.L.N. and the F.A.R.C.) for more than forty years. But there were many other civil wars before that.

For example, “The Violence” (from the 1930′s to the 1950′s) was supposed to have some sort of policy reason (in that the Liberal party, in the 1930′s at least, was in favour of a bigger government than the Conservative party) but it was really family feuds on a massive scale.

Sort of “your distant relative killed my distant relative – so you must die, as must everyone else your family”.

Colombians have many virtues – but a placid nature does not tend to be one of them.

There clearly isn’t any hint of US involvement, seeing as this is a BBC story from the Americas without an anti-Bush slant.

Unfortunately, the clowns can’t retaliate with the typical drive-by shooting.

They always have at least one square wheel on the car and if it goes over 2mph the doors fall off to enormous comic effect. (And I thought Rover had ceased production).

I really don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

You’re getting better Thaddeus, I’ll grant you that. Previously you’ve been mainly shite, but this sends me to bed with a grin and (possibly) the promise of bad dreams.

I wonder if some dirt bag imam in some butt crack islamic country has declared clowns as un-islamic?