Wow, you guys are all so much more informed about this than I am. I really don't know much of the background to all this but it just seems to me like (a) there is no real concrete reason to invade except that Saddam is still "a bit dodgy", and (b) George W Bush wants to win a war because he thinks it would make him popular. I am keeping an open mind, but from what I know at the moment, I think Blair should keep us out of it and just leave Bush to do what he's obviously going to do anyway - whether anyone else approves or not.

Lori, I think you've summed up in one paragraph what I've tried to say in too many lengthy posts. Well done!

Plus I'm old enough to have been on marches when Daddy Bush was making a mess of the middle-east last time around...

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by Jayjay
Well done!

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Thank you! I'm much more succinct in text than I am IRL as I tend to waffle. Perhaps I should try harder Btw, I was watching the news today and the amount of time devoted to Saddam and his "weapons of mass destruction" is quite worrying, but are the media just scare-mongering to get us on Bush/Blair's side? Hmm...

Yeah, I was channel hoping from news station to news station today: 'Iraq's capability for weapons of mass detruct..' <click>

One think tank, with no evidence, confirms that Iraq COULD get nuclear missiles, but doesn't have the natural resources to do it, and may have biological and chemical weapons. And the headlines are full of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, one of the weapons inspectors basically admits to spying for the US while in Iraq, and advises there is no good cause for invasion, and no one picks up on it...

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by Lori
but are the media just scare-mongering to get us on Bush/Blair's side?

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I'd say they're using it as news, to over hype, like Hollie and Jessica. Any story is always drained of every ounce by the media, they need the news.

One worrying yet encouraging thought. For me, Blair always seems to do what the people want, what his party wants, want everyone wants... he hates being on the unpopular side. YET he is so adimant about support America and defeating Saddam, it's kinda encouraging. For him to be so anti-Blair style, to me, means there is a reason we don't know about, why Saddam must be got ride of. Oh my sweet jezz christ, I just read what I wrote, not only bad grammar for a great English guy, but I ACTUALLY SAID SOMETHING NICE ABOUT BLAIR.

*Kieran goes off to take a stiff drink and lie down*

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by KieranFrost
For me, Blair always seems to do what the people want, what his party wants, want everyone wants... he hates being on the unpopular side.

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You must be talking about a different Tony Blair than me. What the party wants? So he hasn't alienated all the Trade Unions, annoyed the party over his handling of PPP, local candidate selection and a whole host of other things. The only reason Blair is still leader of the Labour party is that most members don't think their beliefs are popular enough to win an election. The Labour Party is still scared that it is unelectable. That's why they have a Tory leader...

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by Jayjay
That's why they have a Tory leader...

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Haa haa

I think we should augment saddams' army with our own just to annoy George Bush and then whilst our military is intermixed with Saddams' we can see if there truly is any justifiable reason for basicly sprking off a war that would probably end up stretching out to pakistan and india at one side and israel and palestine on the other.
On second thought we might as well just nuke america now and get it over and done with, it would probably save time, effort, pain and millions if not billions of lives in the end.
Oh and what the hell is Jayjay talking about, Tony Blair is the best prime minister we've had in a long time, remember thatcher and the alternative is only Ian Duncan Smith, you know, the guy who can't even wipe his own arse without a 50 page instruction manual.

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by Havoc
Oh and what the hell is Jayjay talking about, Tony Blair is the best prime minister we've had in a long time, remember thatcher and the alternative is only Ian Duncan Smith, you know, the guy who can't even wipe his own arse without a 50 page instruction manual.

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None of which he'd dispute, I'm sure. He is the best Prime Minister we've had in a long time, but given that the only others there've been in the last 23 years are Margaret Thatcher and John Major, that's hardly a ringing endorsement.

The fact remains, Tony Blair is in no sense of the word a socialist, nor does he represent the interests of the working classes, the unions, or to a large extent his own party members. I don't think he's a Tory myself, but I am slightly mystified as to why he ever joined the Labour party..

Vote Lib-Dem

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by Stoo
Vote Lib-Dem

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And there was me thinking political campaigning wasn't allowed on this site

Who was campaigning?
/me spells out the word "J O K E"

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by Sydney
(quotes)
And there was me thinking political campaigning wasn't allowed on this site

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Given how vocally left wing a significant number of the most active people here are, political promotion is probably fine so long as it's not pro-Tory.

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by Callum
Given how vocally left wing a significant number of the most active people here are, political promotion is probably fine so long as it's not pro-Tory.

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Well I can tell the difference between people expressing their personal opinions and 'political promotion', and I'd hope everyone else can too.

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by Callum
(quotes)

Given how vocally left wing a significant number of the most active people here are, political promotion is probably fine so long as it's not pro-Tory.

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or if it is pro-Lib Dem.

I just feel that even if the above message from Stoo was intended as a 'joke' its innappropriate and not in keeping with the site policy on this issue as i see it.

(Edited by Sydney 10/09/2002 16:00)

*Sigh* this is why I don't normally bother posting on these sort of threads..

Stoo, totally off point, but I've only just noticed your little man symbol. It's really cool

Cheers
Wobag's the chap that deserves the credit, he's designed all our smilies from scratch

Iraq has said that if Britain and the USA invade, it will encouarage Arabs to strike back-using more terrorist attacks.

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by Barbara
Iraq has said that if Britain and the USA invade, it will encouarage Arabs to strike back-using more terrorist attacks.

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Like they need much encouragement

/me whistles "There may be trouble ahead..."