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Posted by: worried Jun 27 2012, 03:22 PM

Do you think The Queen was tempted to give Martin McGuiness a Chinese burn ?

Posted by: Blake Jun 27 2012, 03:49 PM

No, terrorists should get an automatic death warrant.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 03:52 PM

Bit like Earl Mountbatten did??

Posted by: Strafin Jun 27 2012, 05:04 PM

Mandela as well?

Posted by: worried Jun 27 2012, 05:18 PM

oh dear, my post was meant to be a little light hearted comment in the midst of a serious moment, didn't really want to commence a conversation about terrorism. Though the prospect of a Chines burn at school was quite often a terrifying one !

over and out

Posted by: Simon Kirby Jun 27 2012, 05:19 PM

What, the whole of the parachute regiment? Bit strong that isn't it?

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 05:26 PM

????

Posted by: Andy Capp Jun 27 2012, 05:30 PM

I thought the idea about a peace process, after other methods had seemingly failed, is that a line is drawn. I'd like to think that today is another step in the direction of peace.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 05:40 PM

Would you draw the line with someone who had murdered your wife's uncle?

Posted by: Simon Kirby Jun 27 2012, 05:48 PM

Blake would execute all terroists, and from the context I take it he's including Martin McGuinness in that, but he was onlly a "terrorist" from the British perspective, he considered himself to be a soldier, and if you want to argue that soldiers are in some way morally blessed in a way that "terrorists" aren't then we can talk about Bloody Sunday.

Peace takes reconcilliation and I believe that Martin McGuinness has more to lose than he hopes to gain by making such a symbolic act as shaking the hand of the British Queen, and I applaud him, as I applaud the Queen for her courage and dignity.

Posted by: Andy Capp Jun 27 2012, 05:54 PM

As a member of the royal family, and in-line with the peace process, I would have a duty to do so.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 06:13 PM

Fair enough.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 06:15 PM

Hold on, are you seriously suggesting that British soldiers are terrorists (that is that they instigate terror)?

Posted by: Andy Capp Jun 27 2012, 06:36 PM

That will depend on what side of the fence you sit, and that is what Simon was alluding to.

Posted by: Simon Kirby Jun 27 2012, 06:37 PM

I'm suggesting that "terrorist" is pejorative term for your enemy's soldiers, especially if they are irregular. Your own irregulars you'd probably call "special forces". I think that progress towards peace in NI has been possible because both sides understand this and have been prepared to seek reconcilliation, and I don't believe that raking over the embers is helpful.

Posted by: GMR Jun 27 2012, 06:44 PM

A line has to be drawn somewhere otherwise there will be continuous death and fighting. Both parties were right to shake hands.

Posted by: Andy Capp Jun 27 2012, 06:53 PM

Yes. At the end of the day, it is for the good of our children.

Posted by: lordtup Jun 27 2012, 07:42 PM

When I was young it member states of the former axis forces that we had to befriend despite the recent memories of "their" atrocities. This sat very uneasily at the table of those who had suffered but the relentless march of time served well.
Fast forward 60 years we now treat them as friends ,allies and general good guys so old conflicts , prejudices etc are forgotten .
God we even "try" to play them at football , but the point is the past is ,and it's the future that matters , so good luck to anything that stops mankind slaughtering each other.

Posted by: masons Jun 27 2012, 08:13 PM

so what rotter keeps throwing their towels in the pool

Posted by: Berkshirelad Jun 27 2012, 08:31 PM

Probably the Greeks...

Posted by: GMR Jun 27 2012, 08:35 PM

Yes, it must always be for the good of our children otherwise what is the point!

Posted by: Darren Jun 27 2012, 08:52 PM

She's shaken the hand of the Dali Lama before and according to China he's a notorious terrorist.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 09:20 PM

Didn't murder her uncle though.

Posted by: Simon Kirby Jun 27 2012, 09:25 PM

Are you thinking about Lord Mountbatten? He was Foggy the Greek's uncle I believe.

Posted by: Biker1 Jun 27 2012, 09:29 PM

Charming.
OK uncle-in-law then.
Just because you are obviously anti-royal no need to be disrespectful.

Posted by: Squelchy Jun 27 2012, 10:09 PM

All these years the police thought it was Thomas McMahon, and you knew who did it all along. You should have spoken up earlier.

Posted by: Adrian Hollister Jun 28 2012, 12:34 AM

"I think that there is a very close connection between humility and patience. Humility involves having the capacity to take a more confrontational stance, having the capacity to retaliate if you wish, yet deliberately deciding not to do so. That is what I would call genuine humility.", His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Posted by: Rusty Bullet Jun 28 2012, 09:58 AM

Is it disrespectful to mention that at her Jubilee dinner, she shook hands with the biggest collection of despots, mass murderers, and war criminals collected under one roof since 1945?

Posted by: Squelchy Jun 28 2012, 12:27 PM

Not disrespectful, but accurate.

Posted by: Darren Jun 28 2012, 07:06 PM

Hmmm

HM The King of The Belgians and HM The Queen of The Belgians
HM The Emperor of Japan and HM The Empress of Japan,
HSH The Prince of Monaco and HSH The Princess of Monaco
HM The Queen of the Netherlands,
HM The King of Norway and HM The Queen of Norway
HM The King of Sweden and HM The Queen of Sweden,

Yep. Those despotic Europeans need marching of to the International Criminal Court at the Hague toot sweet.

Posted by: Weavers Walk Jun 28 2012, 10:06 PM

Hmmm

A bit selective there Darren?

You missed out

*HM The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei
* HM Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha (Brunei)
HM King Simeon II of the Bulgarians
HM Queen Margarita of the Bulgarians
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
HRH Prince Henrik, The Prince Consort (Denmark)
HM King Constantine of the Hellenes
HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
HM The Emperor of Japan
HM The Empress of Japan
HM The King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
HM Queen of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
* HH Sheikh Nasser Mohamed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait
* HM King Letsie III of Lesotho
HM Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso of Lesotho
HSH Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein
HRH The Grand Duke of Luxembourg
HRH The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
HSH The Prince of Monaco
HSH The Princess of Monaco
HRH Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
HM The King of Norway
HM The Queen of Norway
HM King Michael I of Romania
HRH Crown Princess Margarita of Romania
* HRH Prince Mohamed Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz (Saudi)
*HM King Mswati III of Swaziland
* HRH Inkhosikati LaMbikiza of Swaziland
HM The King of Sweden
HM The Queen of Sweden
* HRH The Crown Prince of Thailand
HRH Princess Srirasm of Thailand
HM The King of Tonga
HM The Queen of Tonga
*HH The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
HRH The Crown Prince of Yugoslavia
HRH The Crown Princess of Yugoslavia

*Named by the U.N. as guilty of Human Rights abuses

Posted by: Andy Capp Jun 28 2012, 10:35 PM

But is it the "... biggest collection of despots, mass murderers, and war criminals collected under one roof since 1945?"

Posted by: Darren Jun 29 2012, 06:00 AM

Exactly my point

9 out of 37 hardly makes it the "biggest collection of despots, mass murderers, and war criminals collected under one roof since 1945?"

The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference arguably has far more.

Posted by: JeffG Jun 29 2012, 08:33 AM

The "out of 37" bit is irrelevant to the statistic you quote.