It has been a while since I have posted, and was thinking about just letting this die but have changed my mind. 2 reasons, have purchased my own domain. joshjgordon.com not sure what to do with it, or how to move this across, any one with advice would be nice, but I will look into it after exams probably.
2nd reason, I need a place to be angry and vent. Something made me angry today, so I am here shouting at the Internet.
I have very few beliefs, in fact my only one that I can think of right now is freedom. Weather that be in the case of a free market, freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of education, even freedom of immigration etc. (which I see as just an extension of the free market by the way, to have a free system you need complete freedom of movement internally and externally.) and freedom to be anonymous.
Anyway, shouting..... I have noticed over the past few years an erosion of these freedoms. some have never existed and really should have done and some were never been as strong as they should be.
But what has really gotten me annoyed recently is the G20 protest, a couple of things.
First off to make it clear, I do not agree with what the protesters are saying and generally do not listen to the objections of people with nothing better to do unless they offer decent solutions, but I will defend to the death their right to say it.
I considered going down to have a wonder round the protest just to say I was there and ask some of them some awkward questions. Just for a day out really, not to protest not to case trouble just to be a bit of a tourist. I am very glad I did not.
In the past couple of days I have heard some stories about people doing as I have planned to do, just go down for a look around and then being trapped for hours in a police barricade.
here is quite a good account, http://rooreynolds.com/2009/04/01/on-the-ground-at-the-g20-protests/
there are others but I cannot find the links at the moment.
of people being trapped against their will. Not prevented from accessing somewhere, but completely trapped! The guy from the link above was only able to get out because he flashed his BBC ID card.
Why was this done? Why were protesters blocked in on all sides? It is just asking for trouble, you trap a group of people in a confined space without food or water and they become a mob. It is that simple. I am very very surprised that there were not huge clashes with the police barricade at the end of the day.
Obviously the treats from various anarchist groups to case hassle did not help things, but it is not an excuse! if people case damage or try to start a fight, arrest them and charge them. If they are just standing there being peaceful then what the fuck did the police think they were doing! Is there not a serious case here of one of the articles of human rights, I think article 5 liberty of movement but it has been a long time since I studied law.
Then there is the story Andy brought to my attention, few links
http://aiusepsi.co.uk/2009/police-brutality/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/07/video-g20-police-assault
Seriously, what the fuck is going on! an Innocent man attacked for no reason! now I normally do not jump to conclusions and if it turns out that this was justified by the police officer concerned I will unreservedly apologise, but I really do not see this happening.
A man not involved in the protest, just walking home from work brutally attacked by a police officer in riot gear. And the most horrific thing is that if he had not have died recently after the attack, no one would have heard about it.
I am normally a peaceful and law abiding man, but if anyone feels like getting dressed up in riot gear and forming a square around Scotland Yard and preventing them from leaving until almost midnight, occasionally randomly beating and pushing to the ground a few of them, I am up for it.
I am seriously really pissed off with what has happened to our laws recently.
ID cards being introduced, several instances of police brutality, restrictions on protesting around Westminster and other places without police approval, 28 day detention without charge ( could have been 42 or 90 days have the government gotten its way on 2 previous attempts), potential databases tracking recording our phone calls and emails.
I mean seriously what the fuck is going on. I am beginning to think that Guy Fawkes may have had the right sort of idea.
running out of battery now, will post more later.
Showing posts with label Intentions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Intentions. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Dublin
So, was thinking about aranging a trip to Dublin next term.
Any one interested? Any particular dates?
Will be approx £40 flights, £20 a night accomodation + beer and food. So say £200 total.
Was thinking about the 28th Feb.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
The Fallen
I have previously watched a programme on Sky 1 called Ross Kemp in Afghanistan and I have just watched a programme on BBC 2 called The Fallen tonight that I seriously encourage you all tonight to watch. The first is an account of life for a soldier on the front line and the second is documenting the effects of the deaths of the 300 military personnel killed while on operation in the past 7 or so years. Effectively Iraq and Afghanistan.
I feel no shame in admitting that I cried while watching both.
I felt quite ashamed at all the pain and suffering that could have been prevented. Don't misunderstand me here. I am not trying to make a political point here about being at war in the middle east or the legality of the whole thing, that is an argument for another day, however I have serious concerns about the conditions in which we are expecting men to wage war.
So I have made two decisions tonight. One inconvenient and one with serious ramifications. First I am seriously appalled at the conditions in which these men are expected to fight. We have sent them to a land thousand of miles away to fight and die for us, and we do not give them the finance and the equipment needed to do the task assigned to them.
While politicians may argue that defence spending has increased the past 10 years, we were not fighting two separate wars on the other side of the world 10 years ago and the budget has not increased nearly enough. There was a story a few weeks ago that the government was releasing a few tens of million of pounds to buy new vehicles. That seems like brilliant news, until you realise that the vehicles should have been replaced 5 years ago when it became apparent that we would not be seriously involved in northern Ireland in the foreseeable future and we were going to be fighting in the desert for quite some time. There are no where near enough men, supplies, helicopters and the quality of ammo and equipment is way below what it should be.
So I plan tomorrow to write to every person I believe could be in a position to effect some sort of positive outcome on this situation however unlikely it may be. I do not normally sign or agree with petitions or masses of letters because they are done in such large numbers for such insignificant things, however this is something that I am willing to fight and argue for in the strongest possible terms.
The second thing I plan to do is joining the TA. I planned to join the Territorial Army a few years back but never got around to getting into shape and being fit enough to pass the inevitable exams. However this is something I will change quite rapidly, and I am telling you all to try and gain your help in making sire that it happens. I shall join the TA and train as much as possible in the next two years. i shall refuse for the next two years to go to fight because I believe my degree is more important and I shall be in a better position to help more people when it is completed. However after I have graduated I shall have no problem with going to Afghanistan or anywhere else to lend a hand in defending our country and our freedoms and our way of life. Yes I may die, but if I die others will live, and I wish to do as much as possible to keep people alive.
So I am effectively writing this as a letter of my intentions so that I will not back out, and to ask for all of your help in achieving this and encouraging you all to join me to try and make the world a better place and keep the men who have volunteered to keep our country safe alive to fight another day.
J
I feel no shame in admitting that I cried while watching both.
I felt quite ashamed at all the pain and suffering that could have been prevented. Don't misunderstand me here. I am not trying to make a political point here about being at war in the middle east or the legality of the whole thing, that is an argument for another day, however I have serious concerns about the conditions in which we are expecting men to wage war.
So I have made two decisions tonight. One inconvenient and one with serious ramifications. First I am seriously appalled at the conditions in which these men are expected to fight. We have sent them to a land thousand of miles away to fight and die for us, and we do not give them the finance and the equipment needed to do the task assigned to them.
While politicians may argue that defence spending has increased the past 10 years, we were not fighting two separate wars on the other side of the world 10 years ago and the budget has not increased nearly enough. There was a story a few weeks ago that the government was releasing a few tens of million of pounds to buy new vehicles. That seems like brilliant news, until you realise that the vehicles should have been replaced 5 years ago when it became apparent that we would not be seriously involved in northern Ireland in the foreseeable future and we were going to be fighting in the desert for quite some time. There are no where near enough men, supplies, helicopters and the quality of ammo and equipment is way below what it should be.
So I plan tomorrow to write to every person I believe could be in a position to effect some sort of positive outcome on this situation however unlikely it may be. I do not normally sign or agree with petitions or masses of letters because they are done in such large numbers for such insignificant things, however this is something that I am willing to fight and argue for in the strongest possible terms.
The second thing I plan to do is joining the TA. I planned to join the Territorial Army a few years back but never got around to getting into shape and being fit enough to pass the inevitable exams. However this is something I will change quite rapidly, and I am telling you all to try and gain your help in making sire that it happens. I shall join the TA and train as much as possible in the next two years. i shall refuse for the next two years to go to fight because I believe my degree is more important and I shall be in a better position to help more people when it is completed. However after I have graduated I shall have no problem with going to Afghanistan or anywhere else to lend a hand in defending our country and our freedoms and our way of life. Yes I may die, but if I die others will live, and I wish to do as much as possible to keep people alive.
So I am effectively writing this as a letter of my intentions so that I will not back out, and to ask for all of your help in achieving this and encouraging you all to join me to try and make the world a better place and keep the men who have volunteered to keep our country safe alive to fight another day.
J
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