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Community => Politics and Government => Topic started by: Katsuro on April 29, 2012, 02:27:55 am

Title: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Katsuro on April 29, 2012, 02:27:55 am
When I first read this I thought it was an April fools joke that somehow got accidentally re-posted to the BBC News website's front page. I'm 100% serious.

Quote
The Ministry of Defence says it is evaluating sites for surface-to-air missiles for the Olympic Games, and could place them at residential flats.

Residents at an estate in east London have received a leaflet saying soldiers could be placed there during the Games.

It says part of an air defence system might be based at a water tower on the estate, where 700 people live.

Is it just me or does deploying surface-to-air missles in a residential housing estate seem a tad over the top? It's a good thing the country has plenty of spare cash to waste on all this. Oh wait...

...well I guess this must be what all the benifit cuts and austerity measures payed for. This is definately preferable to making sure disabled people, the elderly and the unemployed don't starve or freeze to death.

Quote
The document also states that "having a 24/7 Armed Forces and police presence will improve your local security and will not make you a target for terrorists".

Oh really? As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland I beg to fucking differ.

Also, stationing troops in a residential area like this in general just seems a bit...wrong somehow. If I was a more paranoid person I'd be concerned the troops might still be there long after the olympics are over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17884897 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17884897)
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: largeham on April 29, 2012, 02:45:52 am
Eh, it's the Tories. Assholes, but predictable assholes.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Fpqxz on April 29, 2012, 03:09:55 am

Quote
The Ministry of Defence says it is evaluating sites for surface-to-air missiles for the Olympic Games, and could place them at residential flats.

Residents at an estate in east London have received a leaflet saying soldiers could be placed there during the Games.

It says part of an air defence system might be based at a water tower on the estate, where 700 people live.
<snipped for brevity>

Also, stationing troops in a residential area like this in general just seems a bit...wrong somehow. If I was a more paranoid person I'd be concerned the troops might still be there long after the olympics are over.

What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

Enjoy your police state, Brits.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: VirtualStranger on April 29, 2012, 03:11:12 am
Quote
The Ministry of Defence says it is evaluating sites for surface-to-air missiles for the Olympic Games, and could place them at residential flats.

Residents at an estate in east London have received a leaflet saying soldiers could be placed there during the Games.

It says part of an air defence system might be based at a water tower on the estate, where 700 people live.
<snipped for brevity>

Also, stationing troops in a residential area like this in general just seems a bit...wrong somehow. If I was a more paranoid person I'd be concerned the troops might still be there long after the olympics are over.
What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

>Third Amendment
>The UK

What the fuck are you doin', man?
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Fpqxz on April 29, 2012, 03:13:52 am
What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

>Third Amendment
>UK

What the fuck are you doin', man?

As an American, I feel it is my right to lord it over the Brits every so often.  We have to remind them who is the superior Anglophone nation.   ;)

Perhaps it would help if you knew a bit of the history behind the Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#History).  Take your Quartering Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartering_Acts) and shove it, Limeys!
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: DrFishcake on April 29, 2012, 05:31:51 am
The few Londoners who didn't already plan to GTFO during the Shames have to be rethinking now...
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: starseeker on April 29, 2012, 06:55:34 am
The few Londoners who didn't already plan to GTFO during the Shames have to be rethinking now...

Hey London is a very big place, some of us are hopefully a fair distance away. I know they can't put missiles here because the RAF would freak out due to the nearby air field.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: MadCatTLX on April 29, 2012, 10:50:37 am
Did you hear about the worlds largest McDonalds they're setting up for the Olympics? http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php (http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php)
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: DiscoBerry on April 29, 2012, 11:47:49 am
What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

>Third Amendment
>UK

What the fuck are you doin', man?

As an American, I feel it is my right to lord it over the Brits every so often.  We have to remind them who is the superior Anglophone nation.   ;)

Perhaps it would help if you knew a bit of the history behind the Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#History).  Take your Quartering Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartering_Acts) and shove it, Limeys!

The Third Amendment (Amendment III) to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. It was introduced on September 5, 1789, and then three quarters of the states ratified this as well as 9 other amendments on December 15, 1791. It prohibits, in peacetime, the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent. It makes quartering legally permissible in wartime only,
but only according to law
.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Danarth on April 29, 2012, 03:26:08 pm
What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

>Third Amendment
>UK

What the fuck are you doin', man?

As an American, I feel it is my right to lord it over the Brits every so often.  We have to remind them who is the superior Anglophone nation.   ;)

Perhaps it would help if you knew a bit of the history behind the Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#History).  Take your Quartering Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartering_Acts) and shove it, Limeys!

This country produced Shakespeare and Steven Fry.

We win :p
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Sixth Monarchist on April 29, 2012, 06:09:35 pm
Did you hear about the worlds largest McDonalds they're setting up for the Olympics? http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php (http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php)

(http://www.casman.com/images/casman_blog/why.jpg)

That would go for the missiles, too, but there's potential in that idea: point them at the House of Commons, giving the controls to the flat-dwellers, and accountable government could well occur. That'd be something new and different.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: MadCatTLX on April 29, 2012, 08:48:15 pm
Did you hear about the worlds largest McDonalds they're setting up for the Olympics? http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php (http://eater.com/archives/2012/04/27/heres-the-gigantic-mcdonalds-for-the-london-olympics.php)

(http://www.casman.com/images/casman_blog/why.jpg)

That would go for the missiles, too, but there's potential in that idea: point them at the House of Commons, giving the controls to the flat-dwellers, and accountable government could well occur. That'd be something new and different.

I believe I heard the McDonalds was mainly for the Americans that will be there. No, I'm not joking or trying to make a stab a America. That's really what I heard when they had the story on the news the other day.

Countrymen(and women), I am disappoint.
(http://browntweedsociety.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/political-pictures-america.jpg)
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Old Viking on April 29, 2012, 09:02:12 pm
"We're from the government and we're here to help you."
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Osama bin Bambi on April 29, 2012, 09:08:16 pm
"We're from the government and we're here to help you."

It's up there with "This sentence is false."
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: RavynousHunter on April 29, 2012, 10:38:15 pm
Those are celebratory SAM sites!  Nothing says "YAY, OLYMPICS!" like blasting hostile aircraft outta tha sky!
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: N. De Plume on April 29, 2012, 10:40:23 pm
Enjoy your police state, Brits.

NDAA pretty well makes US a police state as well.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: ThunderWulf on April 29, 2012, 11:31:36 pm
Wow...  Yeah, a cheerful British greeting to the olympics while surrounded by giant missiles. -_-
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Yaezakura on April 29, 2012, 11:55:42 pm
Actually, I'm pretty sure the McDonald's thing is because McDonald's has been one of the largest supporters of the Olympics for quite a while now. So it makes sense for them to build a giant fucking McDonald's near where the next Olympics will be held.

As for the issue of cost brought up in the original post, I wouldn't be so quick to judge. You see, there's a reason countries go apeshit when they host the Olympics. They build entirely new record-setting stadiums. They overhaul power grids. They'll practically rebuild an entire city to accommodate the games. And if you think any government will shell out that kind of cash for silly concepts like "honor" or "prestige", well... heh. No, they do it because the Olympics bring in a metric assload of cash to a country.

Now, it may still be silly to host SAM sites in residential areas. But at the same time, you kinda can't blame them for being paranoid. Letting the Olympics get attacked without having done every conceivable thing to prevent it would stain a country's reputation pretty much forever.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Fpqxz on April 30, 2012, 01:29:13 am
Enjoy your police state, Brits.

NDAA pretty well makes US a police state as well.

Ehh...not quite.  It just legitimizes a lot of the stuff that intelligence community has been doing for a long time anyway.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: largeham on April 30, 2012, 02:21:49 am
Yes, but that legitimisation is quite important for the state.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Xotan on April 30, 2012, 12:42:08 pm
From what I read of the Third Amendment in this thread, it doesn't seem have any bearing on the matter.  The proposal, according to the news reports, is not to billet soldiers IN private apartments.  Rather, it is to set up missile launchers ON a high tower which is part of an apartment complex.

Even so, if I owned one of the apartments I would be very unhappy, and would definitely get out for the duration of the military occuparion of my roof.  Actually, I would get out anyway to avoid the inevitable inconveniences that the olympics will cause - not least of all a huge McDs. 

Also. Munich should never be forgotten.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Atheissimo on May 02, 2012, 02:12:41 pm

Quote
The Ministry of Defence says it is evaluating sites for surface-to-air missiles for the Olympic Games, and could place them at residential flats.

Residents at an estate in east London have received a leaflet saying soldiers could be placed there during the Games.

It says part of an air defence system might be based at a water tower on the estate, where 700 people live.
<snipped for brevity>

Also, stationing troops in a residential area like this in general just seems a bit...wrong somehow. If I was a more paranoid person I'd be concerned the troops might still be there long after the olympics are over.

What's that?  I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Third Amendment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

Enjoy your police state, Brits.


Wut? I don't think the soldiers will be living in somebody's house. There's nothing to say that the army can't rent a private apartment and put soldiers there.

If I was concerned about a police state I'd be more worried about a certain Cuban prison where people disappear off to without trial and are never seen again.
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: Lt. Fred on May 02, 2012, 07:30:42 pm
... countries go apeshit when they host the Olympics. They build entirely new record-setting stadiums. They overhaul power grids. They'll practically rebuild an entire city to accommodate the games.

Or arrest a bunch of innocent black people for funsies (http://www.thenation.com/blog/167630/want-understand-1992-la-riots-start-1984-la-olympics).
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: kefkaownsall on May 02, 2012, 09:06:39 pm
... countries go apeshit when they host the Olympics. They build entirely new record-setting stadiums. They overhaul power grids. They'll practically rebuild an entire city to accommodate the games.

Or arrest a bunch of innocent black people for funsies (http://www.thenation.com/blog/167630/want-understand-1992-la-riots-start-1984-la-olympics).
Or go bankrupt *cough Greece 2004*
Title: Re: WTF, UK Government?
Post by: largeham on May 02, 2012, 09:09:33 pm
Or demographically cleanse the area (China 2008, Indian Commonwealth Games 2010).