Do the British people really feel threatened?

Question

This is directed at British people with regard to the "Terror Threat"! I simply can't understand the reaction of the British people to this "threat when they lived with the reality of IRA terrorism for 30 years. During these 30 years about 50 times as many attacks took place as were committed by Muslim terrorists. Yet never did the government see fit to bring in ID cards or other curbs on freedom. I think the government are duping the British people when they should know better. The govt currently says there are 30 active threats which are being monitored. My God whne the IRA were still in existence there was more than a threat. Bombs were going off all over London and throughout the rest of England and yet the British people withstood that without losing any part of their freedom. I lived through the "war" in N.I. in its heartland in belfast and this new "Terror Threat." is simply piss in the ocean compared to N.I. where the threat was reality!

Dunrobin makes a false point. The bombings in London were not one bombing. So technically the IRA have killed more with one bomb. Also Internment was introduced in 1973 and and stopped in 1976 as it was a disaster. Internment simply re-enforced the point that stricter control leads to more terrorists and more fanatical terrorists. Infringing on freedoms with actions such as Internment simply played into the hands of the IRA. Indeed they planned actions (which never came to fruitition thanks to the seizure of the Eksund) which were designed to force the government to bring back internment.

Regardless of whether the IRA point was valid or not their cause was essentially the same as the Muslim cause. The IRA didn't want British interference in Ireland and the Muslim terrorists don't want British/US interference in their lands.

Just a note to all that have replied here. Congratulations for actually producing some sensible replies as opposed to some of the usual childish cap that appears on this forum.

Answer 1

Many of these so called "terrorists" are freedom fighters who do not accept the US govt foreign policies. The US govt has double standard policies based on "YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US" policy. This is utter nonsense coming from the most" powerful and foolish" man on earth. The US govt should look into the root cause of terrorism to eliminate there problems and thus effectively fight terrorism. War only creates resentment from the civilians and illegal occupation of other countries will create more freedom fighters. Remember that these freedom fighters dont have Tanks,fighter jets etc and have only pathetic weapons compared to the invading forces, so they will obviously resort to guerilla warfare tactics. I think that the British govt should dis-associate from this so called war on terror and concentrate on key issues of world peace.

Answer 2

I would dispute your last statement. The worst bombing in the Troubles, at Omagh, killed 29 people. The London transport bombs killed 52. There were no suicide bombers in the IRA, suggesting that the new new breed of terrorists are more fanatical and dangerous. And you can't say the British people did not lose any freedom. The NI republicans were technically British and many were interned without trial and interrogated using techniques later banned.

The government did consider ID cards but decided it wouldn't work, and I don't think it would work now. I think they are trying to frighten people to some extent (and in America more than here they are using it as an excuse to grab more power), but think you also underestimate the seriousness of the threat. That said, I don't worry about it very much.

Answer 3

The IRA had (on the whole) a system of coded warnings that often meant the police could clear the area. The IRA wanted publicity were as Islamic terrorist want to kill people.

There was a small number of IRA members who all spoke english, there are countless potential muslim terrorists who don't speak english.

The IRA had a fairly valid point but went about it in the wrong way were as the muslim threat isn't a valid point.

The IRA weren't prepared to blow themselves up were as muslims are.

The IRA threat came from ireland, the muslim threat comes from within the UK and every other country in the world.

I am not afraid of these muslim wierdos, that would mean they've won, which while there are decent English people around will never happen.

Let's have a jihad on jihad.

Answer 4

I agree with a lot of what you say. I was a young wife of a soldier during the Troubles. We had postings in Aldershot, Lisburn and Antrim and a training placement (for N I)in the s e of England. Most of my 20s and 30s were coloured by high level awareness and medium level fear of the IRA. The Muslim terrorists don't bother me personally in the slightest, although on a global level, I think they are very dangerous. Don't underestimate the fanaticism of the Muslims - they don't think of life as we do. Also we have a greater difficulty to infiltrate these terrorist cells than we did the IRA.

Answer 5

You make a good point, but I think that the 'new' threat is far more indiscriminate than the IRA were, more anonymous and more of global threat. The British forces knew where IRA cells were based and obviously occupied Northern Ireland.
We can't possibly send troops to every Muslim bolthole in the world.

Having said that I really don't think that the British public actually feel that threatened or scared.
As you say we grew up with terrorism.

Answer 6

I consider the others that Britain felt threatened with the help of Germany as a military power. there have been different reasons. In 1900, the British have been struggling with the Boers in South Africa. regardless of the undeniable fact that they finally gained the conflict, they have been crushed soundly in distinctive battles. there turn into additionally the undertaking of rebellions in Egypt and the Sudan 10 or two decades in the previous. This made the British uncertain that their armies could desire to win against a important power like Germany or France or Russia. Economically, the two Germany and the united states have been gaining power. manhattan city had turn right into a important financial power that rivaled the city of London. evaluate as one occasion that the superb proprietor of the White celebrity Line, for this reason of the mega-ships Olympic and substantial, turn into J.P. Morgan's Oceanic Steam Navigation enterprise. If American companies owned British shiplines, what if Britain mandatory those enormous ships to flow troops or as wellbeing facility ships, and the yankee administrators mentioned "No". this is why the British owned Cunard enterprise have been given a candy deal from the British government to construct the Lusitania and Mauritania - to maintain it out of Mr. Morgan's empire.

Answer 7

yep you cant really just point at britain this is global same laws passed in the states in which they create the terror then take the rights of the people have come here .were all being shafted the world banks are controling our governments and in the next 5 years we will be living in a world wide version of nazi germany ,the people will be drafted and will invade countrys that are not under control from the money men (the new world order)which would be any guesses......................the middle east .we are all being shafted and if the majority of human beings dont wake up its game over .this subject is so vast it goes back a century and by writing this tiny piece of writing doesnt really do it any justice but any way watch this film then try and do some of your own research or just spread the word about this video ,its free to watch: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=786048453686176230&q=terrorstorm

Answer 8

i am not nor do i know anyone scared of terrorism, but u suppose the reason for the government acting more strongly against terrorism is that there is a greater risk nowadays that the terrorists will use chemical or nuclear weapons.

by the way id cards are really going to be used to fight identity theft (costing banks alot of money) and control immagration (something the goverments being under fire on).

Answer 9

I know what you mean. (First time I've come across another person from Norn Iron!)
Maybe its due to time factor- people seem way more suspicious and paranoid globally now, I think than they did in the likes of the 70's when we opened our bags as soon as we went into shops in Belfast automatically to get searched and bombs were part of everyday news. History repeats itself, though the new generation seems to be fuelled by American fear since the 9'11 events I think.

Answer 10

Its precisely the fact that we have 30 years of experience that bombs are not going off in Britain. We are not as a people scared of the terrorist. Our lunny tunes Government however use the terrorist scare to implement their half cocked policies. They believe in legislate not educate, as can be seen in every bureaucratic department they interfere with including the armed services and security