The terrorists have won. Well, they won ages ago but nobody seemed to notice…
One of the may definitions of terrorist is: “a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities”. Notice it doesn’t mention killing at all, just using terror as a weapon. Also notice that nothing actually happened this morning, nor is it likely to happen, other than the government getting terrified by, well, terrorists. Today’s incidents caused some weird sort of reaction whereby everything except travel documents and medication must be checked into hold luggage when travelling by air.
This whole episode makes me think that the said terrorists whose ‘plot’ was ‘thwarted’ this morning were indeed much cleverer than anybody gives them credit for: they simply planned their so-called plot and must have been pretty open about it in order that the government find out about it. Then at the right time the powers that be got scared and did exactly what the terrorists wanted all along: reacted in such a way as to piss off a huge amount of people, get the terrorists lots of press, and basically ‘scare’ those people who can’t figure out what’s going on (and clearly, lots of such people are working in our governments).
So I’m going to sit back and applaud these ‘terrorists’, not because I agree with what they do (I think it’s deplorable) but simply because they seem to be the only people able to keep the whole world under their control. That’s certainly more than what can be said about our government these days, especially considering Tony Bliar’s (ok ok Blair) arse-licking (to borrow a phrase from Big Brother) to the current World Dictator and his minions in the Free Country that is the USA.
I have been wondering how to respond to this for some days, as I am sure it needs an answer.
“The terrorists have wonâ€. Well, yes they have caused some upset, and frustration. They have abolished hand luggage (for which I can only say hurrah; who hasn’t been frustrated by idiots saving ten minutes of their precious time by forcing half the contents of their wardrobe into an overhead locker). But most people were not terrified, they continued with their holiday and business plans, in the main with great patience.
Have they moved forward the establishment of a new caliphate in the west, which we have to assume is their aim; again no. Yes when you see a rucksack toting nutter on the tube their mayy be a momentary frisson (why not do us all a service and ban huge rucksacks on public transport!!). But I still travel on the tube, occasionally, the train and the plane.
The lock down on civil liberties is frustrating and it is regrettable to see instances of the misappliance of pressure such as the recent decision not to film in Brick Lane, with its echoes of the Rushdie affair. But…
We are still free to express ourselves to a very great extent. We do not have to give women the freedom of the veil (though I have never understood why men want to draw attention to the fact that they are all potential rapists in this way). We have both a Sihk and Muslim playing in the England cricket team, and who was booing them? Not the England supporters.
Life is still pretty good, we live in a fairly self-aware and adult society. Yes we need to keep vigilant and I admire you for your efforts here, but “the terrorist have wonâ€, I think not.