Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

well obviously us brits are too thick to realise that we could be the next Norman Kember or scouse bloke (forgive me for forgetting his name) that gets kidnapped and god forbid, killed.
perhaps its our own good nature taking over commonsense, which is why we should be prevented from going out to Iraq in the middle of a war!

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Its the good nature of us that will get us into these situations but at the end of the day who are the ones that look bad.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

You cannot legislate against people wanting to offer help to those in difficulty. That is one of the things that marks us out as different from all the other species which inhabit the planet. Another trait which marks us out as different is our apparent relish for killing each other.

I understand from the BBC that Norman's wife has just recorded an appeal to the kidnappers which will be broadcast to Iraq via Al-jazeera.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Hope his wife can get through to them and have them release him. He is a pawn in a game not of his choosing as he was in the wrong place at the wrong time unfortunately. This is not to say he shouldnt have been in Iraq just that he was unlucky to be were the "terrorists" decided to "collect" a few bargining chips.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

I have just been reading many of the posts in this thread and was amazed and dismayed at some of the serious comments that have come out of it.

First, The Conservatives are not an anti worker party nor did their goverments lead to the social unrest of the mid eighties.

Second, the present government which claims to be socialist is anything but. I also believe that many Labour supporter's are also disappointed with this government and only voted to keep it in power becasue they considered it thes lesser of two evils!

Third, this government has seen a huge rise in social injustice through high tax high spending and unfair regulation and removal of the so called freedoms of the populace than any other post war government.

If you think that this government has benefitted the so called ordinary working class any more than the conservatives then you are seriously decieved. If anything the gap between the have and the have nots has been widend considerably. Not least due to the fact that it is now harder for people of an ordinary finanicial background to get into higher education (even with the so called student loan). Many 18-21 year olds will not got to universty as a result and fear of the hudge debt they will have to begin their adult lives with. Do we call this social justice for the working class?

As for restricting the movements of people who wish to enter Iraq or any other dangerous region in orded to help those less fortunate than ourselves! Well exactly what the hell kind of a solution to the worlds problems is that?

It sounds to me like some people here would like to have a simlliar regeme to the one that has just been removed in Iraq!

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

unfortunatly it wasnt good nature that got us into iraq..it was lies and deceit ,and now we are stuck with it .....oil its all about oil nothing less.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

The guy who was kidnapped is a peace activist, a christian in a muslim country, not just a muslim country but an unstable one, doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out it may not be safe to be there.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Quite right, Muslims do not like Chritians or their culture or their heritage!

Makes you wonder why we let so many come here don't you think!

Though whilst I agree with your comment. Where would we be if no one risked anything to help others.

You could say the same about firemen or other kinds of professional risk taking.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

I think you mean peace maker. No matter.This is just another idealistic middle-class crackpot with no idea of reality. I suspect that he will be returned to this country after someone has made pieces of him. And I really don't give a damn.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Sorry B W but the main reason these do-gooders go there is to convert, I have seen it in action and they are no different then the devout muslims who say theres is the better path to follow.

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Well if thats your attitude to life then perhpas no one should give a damn about what happens to you!

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

i have a lot of friends in iraq at the moment, some as body guards some doing other things ...they all know the risks they are taking and judging by some of the stories i have heard, it aint no walk in the park but money talks ..and like i said they all no the risks involved and most important money talks ..
bad wolf i hear ya man .. visit any muslim country abide by their rules ,girls have to cover up arms, and heads men shouldnt wear shorts no alchohol damn!!!! why the home office even have guidlines .i bet they dont have guidlines for anyone entering the uk....or maybe this one applies come to britain do as you please and dont worry ,you can even stay..at the tax payers leisure..

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

No muppet, it was reported that he was there as part of a peace keeping mission, just as the UN are in trouble spots throughout the world.

What am I thinking now?..................................You still here?

Like no way. I'm loosing my powers.:)

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

Don't argue back.

Just sit on his knee, and if he's had to much gin he might give you a Wurthers Original.;)

Re: We have been here before...sadly
 

do we have a smiley that gives a round of applause ...?

exactly spot on tealeaf

i hope any other idiot whos thinking of going to iraq sees his family plea for his life and sees the pain and unessasary suffering he has caused his family