Violating lockdown has joined hate speech on the very short list of crimes that the mayor of London does want enforced. He favours having the army deal with lockdown violators.
Some 15 years ago, the lieutenant-colonel who was to handle a key part of lockdown if terrorists hit London with a bioweapon was someone I knew well. “Lucky you”, my friends said, when that chanced to come up in conversation. “While we’re being gunned down by the ruthless soldiery as we try to flee the capital, you’ll be able to slip through the lines.” – to which I replied (jokingly – they thought! 🙂 ), “You don’t know her. She’ll shoot down her friends with the others; why do you think she got the job?”
I think my friend would have made full colonel if she’d stuck with it, but the time demands on the rest of her life would have been too great and she is now happily pursuing other choices. I don’t know who would be in charge if the army were called in, but I hope they’ll have the same willingness to call Sadiq Khan out – not least because the only consideration that might make him and his kind hesitate to see the crisis as “a terrible thing to waste” is the worry that others might think the same.
The British Army, accomplices in the Yalta Accord murders and many unpleasant and disgraceful acts over the years (albeit relatively minor compared to many other armies) will doubtless follow any orders that the Mayor may be empowered to give them, and will do so without favour.
But generally, military aid to the civil power in the UK is about standing around looking as if the government is in charge of circumstances and PR, or driving and lugging stuff around without fuss. I wonder how long it will be before the rioters feel able to act with impunity?
And as far as many a public action and statement might seem to imply, the function of the UK police today is much the same. However I still occasionally see or hear from a former neighbour who began his working career as a para in Afghanistan and has for several years now been a policeman. The PCs are not all as keen on PC as one might think from the public domain.
But I agree that in the mind of many a politician, Mr Ed’s summary is all and only what it is about – I did mark the post ‘Humour’.
Mad Mitch back in the day knew that the same Labour government that did not dare act against Ian Smith in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), despite the issue being a right at the heart of their loudly-avowed politics, and did not dare act against Arab terrorists/insurgents when he recommended it, would not dare act against him when he decided to ignore their do-nothing orders.
As Burke put it when he predicted the rise of Napoleon in 1790, the French revolutionary government’s generals “must entirely lose the character of military men if they remain content to submit to the dominion of a set of pleaders” (quoted from memory).
And how long after that before some mad mitch feels likewise?
Let us hope that more sensible people than Sadiq make the decisions – and this remains tagged ‘Humour’.
Given flights from high infection nations are still landing in Heathrow, what lockdown?
Why are we car crashing our economy and then doing this?
I notice Khan has nothing to say about that. Dip stick that he is.
Careful people – if you are critical concerning the saintly Mayor Khan, even in private, Central Office will be after you.
By the way – Frankfurt School Marxism (denouncing “transphobia” and so on) and Islam are in total contradiction, a person can not truthfully believe in BOTH at the same time.
So either a person, who claims to be believe in both, is not telling the truth about their “Politically Correct” (or “Critical Theory”) political opinions concerning race, gender, sexual orientation (and-so-on) or they are not telling the truth when he or she claims to be a follower of Islam.
Still the above is just logic – and the response to logic is, as every Tin Pot dictator knows, to send in the security forces and have your critic dealt with.
I would like to believe that Central Office would stand up for Freedom of Speech. But they have, sadly, given me the opposite impression.
As for abusive language – I try and avoid it (although I do have a temper – the same as most people). For example, I have never in my life called black people “raisin heads” or claimed they look like Satan. I do not believe (as Mayor Khan claims to believe) that someone should be arrested for using such rude language – but I do NOT like it.
Is Mayor Khan prepared to say that ANYONE in history who used such abusive language concerning black people should be arrested?
How about slave traders. Should slave traders be arrested?
Just asking.
“It was a different time Paul” – O.K. but that works for anyone in past history, not just one person.
Khan, someone who is profiteering out of the crisis by pocketing an extra year’s salary, doesn’t seem to know that the army follows orders and not the law, and they wont be his orders.
I fact, putting the army on the streets may actually reduce knife crime, you think?
Well, at least Khan doesn’t need Macron to tell him what to do, as we now know that the lazy thicko Spaffer was forced to submit by Macron on Friday.
Now that the fat narcissistic sloth Johnson is Macron’s bitch, I feel a little safer.
And we now also know that the fat Spaffer’s adviser wanted to cull the Elderly.
Considering the prosecutions and harassment of ex-soldiers for actions lawfully carried out during “The Troubles” in Ulster, any squaddie with enough sense to pour piss out of a boot will simply look the other way and/or ignore orders. A court martial now and a year or two in Colchester will be infinitely preferable to falling into the hands of the civil law and the human rights lawyers repeatedly for the rest of their lives.
In short, the compact between the state and the army/armed forces has been broken and the idiots in power declaring that they will put the army on the streets might well trigger a reaction that they will not like (with any luck).
The disease is already reducing knife crime.
The army might add to the effect, but Sadiq can benefit from the fall in knife crime and complain the army is racist.
It’s a treacherous double win.
Another servant of evil called Gary. Must be something in the name.
What Macron victory was that?
There’s an emergency COBRA meeting today. I fear what it will produce.
You think you’ve seen panic buying? You’ve not seen anything yet.
Could be interesting. Who in London is most likely to ignore government advice/instructions? Surely those who ignore government advice to forego drug dealing, stabbing and other laws and social norms. The very people that vote for him.
They might be happy to vote for him as a means of defying the “establishment” , but I suspect their enthusiasm will wane when their lives are affected.
JuliaM (March 23, 2020 at 6:04 pm), well we now know what the COBRA meeting produced. However, as we are allowed out once per day to shop for essentials, it is possible that some just-in-time buying behaviour that is the exact reverse of panic buying will be thereby encouraged. These latest rules, like others, may not always have the effect intended.
(The shops in central Scotland today were reasonably, if erratically, stocked. The weekly shop of the Kilmartin household today got everything it needed – but toilet paper is still very irregular in its availablity. 🙂 )
BTW (for anyone interested), while Sturgeon did not show Boris distaste for the word “lockdown”, she admitted the Scottish administration did not already have the legislation in place – and would not till late this week IIUC. Until then, violators will be spoken to most harshly by the police (as harshly as a 6’+ distance allows). I think that’s the first time I’ve known them be slow to make something illegal. 🙂
It’s been a bit better here in Perth (Tayside not Aus) today compared to the weekend. Gringo’s the Mexican Restaurant near me has actually shutdown permanently, not just for the duration and left a rather rude notice stuck to the boarded up windows about “Government vacillation and lack of support”. Whether that is aimed at BoJo or Nicola is unclear (probably both).
As for Nicola Sturgeon and her gang of demented porridge wogs, if they are taking time to bring in emergency legislation it’s because she wants it to be as draconian as possible. No doubt to drown out SNP woes on stuff like education (now effectively suspended) and the Scottish NHS.
JuliaM: “There’s an emergency COBRA meeting today.”
Sounds impressive and important doesn’t it.
Cabinet Office BoardRoom A
A cobra meeting, something important is going to come out of that