Did anyone read this article in The Times yesterday on the London bombings?

[oliveoil]

I think it is spot on, what do you think? It's a bit long.

here it is

Anyway, I'm off MN now to get on with my work, as normal - todays task includes completing a fundraising application for the ongoing work we do with young people giving them the voice to challenge the things in their lives which stultify their opportunity, and the communication skills to exchange views with each other despite thier different races, cultures, religions and languages.

I do agree with not glamourising violence and dispossession - many many individuals (in many cultures and religions) thrive on a personal sense of romanticism and paranoia. I was in belgrade recently listening to an emminent balkan philosopher and historian charting the role this played in genocidal tribal warfare. I think it lies behind many atrocities. People who have studied suicidal cults have found that the members would join any cult structure, irrespective of the idealogy or 'aims' - because the sense of romantic martyrdom is what they actualy seek.

It is very unfair to says us Londoners wouldn't be as sympathetic if it happened in say Manchester. Its happening in our country by radical freaks that probably would love to have similar attacks in every major city in the country.

A two minutes silence is a mark of respect for those killed on their way to work and their loved ones left behind.

I feel very sad and afraid that our kids are growing up in a world like this.

This country needs to crackdown on these people and basically crack down on immigration in general. I don't know about you lot but my local area in Greater London is being swamped with people that can't even speak English who are getting council houses ahead of local families (but thats a whole other subject).

The bombers were British. And not living in London.

Because like I said in certain areas of this country, boroughs are being flooded with asylum seekers putting a strain on local resources such as schools and certain building trades are full of illegal workers working for less pay than other people would.

I wasn't directly talking about the bombers when I made that comment muminlondon.

maybe but that has nothing to do with this discussion

And your views have relevance to the attacks in London last week because....?

"Hmm bet londoners woudln't do that if it happened eleswhere"

what a crassly insensitive and tasteless remark, even by your standards.

actually, kissalot, there is net migration out of london.

Yes thats 'a whole other subject.'

Terribly sorry Blu, but if you re read my post I was talking about the subject in hand before my last comment. Awfully sorry for talking about something else. Naughty me.

My Mom said the problem was that Muslim young men were "allowed" to watch "these satellite tv programmes", I had to hang up the phone......

How am I ignorant?

'certain building trades are full of illegal workers working for less pay than other people would'. So who's giving them such low pay then? And why are they in such demand?

Because they get paid cash in hand for jobs such as labouring etc anyway musn't get into this as certain posters don't approve of speaking about anything other than the subject heading.

true dinosaur - it was strange last week, as the Times article points out, when friends and family were calling me from all over the world yet I was at my desk and knew less about it than they did. Those most affected are the 52 dead, 700 injured, and their families.

Thread hijacks are almost always fine! I think it was the provocative tone which grated on what is otherwise a rather thoughtful thread.

Why not crack down on immigrants? Why is it so wrong to say that in this country?

I know that on this occassion the bombers were british, but historically their families were not.

We have a very high rate of immigration, and we now have home grown sucide bombers.

Oh cod, come on. Are you serious??