Terrorism threat a "greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before"

[Guiri]

Not wanting to lessen all the dreadful things about militant Islam, but am I the only person who can't help thinking about all the years I was growing up when hearing about 5, 10, even more people being killed by terrorist attacks was common place? Why do we never get any kind of perspective as to the fact that now most people are happy to go Christmas shopping in London, don't expect the station to be cleared on a regular basis for a bomb threat (which might ver well be real), etc etc.

For me the memories are still fresh from 7/7 - on a recent day trip to London I drilled my kids what to do if the tube went dark, what train conductors looked like and which people keep us safe etc.

I still remember bomb drills in my Roman catholic primary school during the troubles, and that was in kent in the 80's.

I know it's irrational, but I think the problem I have is I feel like all the victims of the Troubles are being forgotten, somehow.

Tis all bollocks designed to take our minds off the fact that a Tory MP has just defected to UKIP.

I think the IRA was a much greater danger to the hundreds of innocent people they killed in this country than ISIS will ever be to people living in the UK.

UDA too - but it didn't feel that there was ever the same level of hysteria as we're getting at the moment (not just today, hadn't thought of the UKIP thing, though I guess that's a reason for making a big deal of this change in threat level).

Forgive me for spoiling things, but actually the terror threat level has just been raised to severe; apparently they're worried about attacks when those fighting in Syria and Iraq return to the UK:

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-terror-threat-level-raised-jihadist-attack-now-highly-likely-9699652.html

Terror alerts have existed for decades and during that time their status has changed on a frequent basis without any of the current fuss that we've seen today.

And what the hell am I supposed to do about this heightened terror alert anyway? I dont police the borders - thats the Border Agency's role.

If the Governemnt are so concerned about it then tighten our borders.

Puzzled - they've changed how they name the levels, if I understand correctly, but I can't see that it was any less severe throughout the 80s & 90s?

It's just hype.

It covers their asses when some barking mad criminal does something in the name of jihad on UK soil.

Its designed to scare us so we cluster together under the potection of Dave. Theres an election soon you know (and a by election too)

Hard to compare things with 20-30 years ago (even with the changes in definition) since the nature of threats changes constantly

Anyway, without getting paranoid about it I shall try to take sensible precautions ... there's not much more to be done on an individual basis

Great propaganda method to soften up the public and make them more likely to support the bombing of Syria. The mass media coverage of the Foley incident was just the start.

Tony Blair should have thought of something similar before he went into Iraq, but he got hasty.

I would have thought that Ebola was a bigger present threat as students come to the UK at the start of the new University term.

Or how about Russia invading Ukraine and the new cold war. Because the last one was so much fun. Not sure why people aren't more concerned about this tbh.

I think the threat from returning militants is very real but I agree that blowing it up into the worst thing the UK has ever faced is scare-mongering.

All together now - and don't forget the sepulchral tones:

WE'RE ALL DOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!!