Oh Happy Day

And so the terror bill is defeated convincingly. My MP actually represented me on this occasion. If you want to know how your MP voted... follow this link:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4424170.stm?display=1

I could never support a law that would hold any person without charge for 90 days (or as it should correctly be stated... a quarter of a year).

I cannot believe for one minute if the security services have been monitoring a terrorist network for so long... that once having gained warrant for an arrest, they would need that much extra time to gather enough evidence for a conviction.

I believe the law in total would be used for political rather than security reasons. If an innocent man were held that long they would probably lose their job, reputation and any semblance of a normal life... and they would not get compensation because the police could argue they had sufficient reason to hold them that long at the time of suspicion.

I think 28 days is a sensible compromise for now.

I maintain my insistence that the "War on Terror" is as much about laying the groundwork for an authoritarian ideology... as it is about any genuine threat. The political rhetoric is very similar to that of the Cold War.

If people think this is merely about stopping islamic fundamentalists and eliminating their ability to attack the ideology of the "free" world, then I suggest you look again at the whole mandate of the bill. If you think the ball would stop rolling there.... think again, historically this has never been the case. Did Cromwell stop when the parliamentarians had crushed the royalists in England? No, he went on to wage war in Ireland. Did Hitler stop with Poland? Did he restrict his racial and ideological hatred to jews... no.

When extreme power is given over to a select few people with a specific mandate (however noble), it is normally the case that those individuals expand their mandate so as not to relinquish that power when the need for it is estinguished.

For those thinking this law would have been restricted to a certain group... I offer you this quote which is attributed to Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--

because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--

because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--

because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--

because I was not a Jew;Then they came for me--

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Love your neighbour as yourself. Do unto others as you would have it done unto you. These are the principles by which the Christian world is called to live by, in relation to the rest of humanity... and we should live by them and if necessary... die by them.

What are people's thoughts on the whole subject?

As the Dust Settles

The big clean up operation is taking place, even as I write. Commuters are trying to get back into their "normal" routine. What must NOT happen now, is the following:

• This gets used as an excuse to rubber stamp the ID Card Bill.
• We get whipped up into a frenzy and go off attacking nations left right and centre.
• We surrender to fear.
• The politicians talk about not letting terrorists interfere with our freedoms and our way o life.

If we let any of the above happen, they will have failed us.

I intend to post more as I learn more. I suppose as time goes on and we analyse the aftermath, we ask ourselves... Qui Bono?

London Bombings

I just want to send out my heartfelt sympathy for those affected by the atrocities that took place in London this morning.

It's awful.

The security in London would have been reduced, because some police were being temporarily drafted up north to help handle the G8 conference. A perfect time to attack, especially as the international eye is on London at the moment due to the G8 and the Olympic news.

Early indications from Arab sources and MI5 are implying an Al Qaeda attack. The BBC news correspondent I was listening to was saying that the suggestion that one of the attacks was perpetrated by a suicide bomber would seem to point to Al Qaeda as well.

The Prime Minister for all his faults, and for as much as I dislike him and his policies - genuinely sounded shocked and broken by what had happened.

This is a good time for the G8 leaders to stand united on the subject. A joint, live statement on TV would be good.

It's also absolutely vital that the issues being discussed at the G8 (especially Africa and climate change) are not dismissed because of this, and it's absolutely right for Tony Blair to return to the capital for at least a short while, to observe firsthand what has happened.

If you have any views on the subject, or even prayer requests for anybody caught up in events, I'd like to hear from you.

I hope that you and yours, are safe and well.

N

Addendum:

I just heard George Bush's words to the media as he emerged from the G8 meeting to issue a statement... "The war on terror goes on..." This is not a time for political posturing, or striking back half-cocked; nor is it a time for sabre rattling. For pities sake, the bodies of the dead have not gone cold and the tears of thise who mourn have not yet dried! It is a time for reflection, taking stock, grieving alongside those who suffer and comforting them. It is a time to help the broken rebuild. Just because his feet are swift to rush into blood, doesn't mean ours have to be.

Blair "Terror Warning"

And so we have yet another Terror warning from Uncle Tone. Here's the dictionary definition of the word "terrorise":

v 1: coerce by violence or with threats [syn: terrorize] 2: fill with terror; frighten greatly [syn: terrify, terrorize]

So, yes, we do have hundreds of terrorists within Britain's borders. However, if you look at interpretation 2, it has to be said perhaps one of the biggest and influential terrorists lives behind a black door with No.10 stamped on it? No? I'm sorry, but the politics of fear is just as an effective terror weapon as any c4 explosive package... perhaps more so, because ideas are that powerful.

I do believe there is a real physical terrorist threat, yes of course I do. However, I believe it's being deliberately played up and the politics of fear is being played like a card to bring in REALLY dodgy measures that under normal circumstances, the general public would NEVER accept.

The thing that bothers me, is that I don't see an end to this. I don't trust any of the political parties with our democratic future at the moment. None of them seem worthy of it. I believe if you don't believe in a parties policies heart and soul, you shouldn't vote for them. Why should we have to settle for the least worst party?

I trust Gordon Brown, he seems like a man of integrity to me. However I don't see Blair standing aside until some fancier job comes along... like maybe EU President or err Supreme Potentate (that was said tongue in cheek before any eschatological fiction readers get all excited!).

What hope for this country? It's going to the dogs.

Thoughts anyone?

Tel Aviv

What I heard on the news sickened me last night!

When a ceasefire is in place, you hope that everyone will try and make it work. then a few brainless heartless dissidents go and jeopardise it all. Regardless of what you may believe, these people don't serve God... these people:

"Their deeds are evil deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace."

Personally I would urge the Israeli Government not to retaliate, for as Solomon, king of Israel once wrote:

"My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!"

Sorry to get so heavy on a Saturday morning folks.... just hearing the news upset me. I saw Panorama once, when a reporter was allowed access to a suicide bombers training camp, and it enraged me. YOU DO NOT TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO BECOME CANNON FODDER FOR YOUR IDEALS. There was that famous poster with a toddler strapped with explosives, that was used in a recruitment campaign. Utterly disgusting and repugnant.

Both sides have treated one another terribly in the past... but when there is hope for peace, it is absolutely imperative that everyone holds their nerve.

My prayers go out to the people who have suffered on this occasion.

I know a lot of people who would say, there will never be peace in the Middle East until such and such happens. I don't like the mentality of only backing a cause you know you can win. In my mind if you believe what you are saying is right, you should stand by it even in the face of adversity... and I'm not saying you have to use violence at all. I'm saying stand by your principles and adhere to them when oppression comes, whatever form it takes... don't cave just because all the other fish are swimming the other way. What I'm saying actually is opposed to the violence we see around us. Do we do the easy thing, cave in and start blowing people up? Or do we hold to the truth, have faith in our convictions and just trust that good will win out in the end?

I'm not saying there isn't a case for resistance in some instances, but we should not yield to the impulse and temptation to resort to violence so readily.

The law of this world is "survival of the fittest", the law of God is "love your neighbour as yourself".

We must constantly choose which one to serve.