Questioning historical facts shouldn’t kill anyone either, nor should protesting about being anti-gay, nor should downloading material of jihadis propaganda for whatever reasons (minus the intent on violence), nor should putting up cartoons (spanish royal family satire that was quickly removed) but as you can see all the above have been curbed. The cartoon issue incites hatred and violence as may the examples I gave too minus the spanish royal family one. So its a morality issue, something here in europe is lacking with the inconsistent laws of freedom of expression.

You are a very tiresome individual. Just admit that there is nothing wrong with the Danish cartoons and stop ranting about hypocrisy. I am utterly fed up with you using criticism of the west as a smoke screen to justify the violent, barbaric and oppressive nature of large strands of Islam.

The issue is simple, people should have every right to create and distribute cartoons like the Danish ones, agree or disagree.

Nope, im no fanboy (exept for APU fitted towed 52 cal 155mm gun-howitzers:p ) Im just trying to express my fustration that we cannot have single decent discussion over Russian military without certain fanboys that uses all possible change they get to mock, bash, demonize or otherwise undermind the topic. Russian military still exist and finally we begun to see Russia to rise or atleast showing will to rise, and that brings intresting times to the military factor, but I think its sad and also infuriating that people dont let us discuss it in adult manner. Critics and challenging twist from People like you Lawrence, who at least knows something about military I can take and accept but baseless flaming and trolling about people who have little knowlidge or even enthustiasm towards the military issues…. 😡 😡

It is not baseless flaming at all. Maybe crude but it is still representation of the economic aspects of defense procurement. A highly important fact and why the Typhoon thread is currently littered with various different cost figures.

No stereotypes, even thought the stereotypical stereotype is 90% correct.
It’s like shooting fish in a barrel sometimes.

Well at least you proved my point.

Did the Brits ever apologise to Germany for the obliteration of their cities? There was a movement to do so…..same movement that wanted Bomber Harris declared a War criminal one presumes.

No and why should they? If this subject is to produce an apology it should have come from RAF planners and pre-war theorists for creating such a pointless doctrine.

one possible real war scenario, is that the Tu-95s have already release their cruise missiles well before the 500 mile mark. Most likely a Su-35 will escort the squad of CMs(spread out over a wide front) toward the carrier. The real CMs probably will be liberally coated with RAM to reduce RCS to near 0.

And which CM’s would these be? Or are we back on fantasy weapons again?

The original intention was merely an observation.

But your protestation in defence of the country that cannot do wrong in the world was an opportunity not to be missed. It would not be British of me to allow it to pass.
And I am not a USA basher, I love the place. Don’t like the politics, don’t like the over-sensitivity and outrageous political correctness…but it’s one of the most interesting places on the planet. I will be there yet again in 2008, hopefully fleecing the DoD again. Well, I say fleecing, but if they agree to pay for stuff they cannot invent/design/build/integrate…we are both winners.

As a matter of on topic, have any Aborigine people ever settled in the USA? Genuine question, I wondered how they integrated there. Don’t think there is any in UK either.

I never said the USA could do no wrong, indeed I described manifest destiny as a heinous crime, your stereotyping of me and the country that uses the flag in my avatar gives us a telling insight into your character and beliefs.

And you think its a good idea to re-publish something that caused so much trouble and DID cause offence to ordinary Muslims? (not just the head bangers.)

If someone published pictures of Jesus that Christians found offensive the pictures would be withdrawn immediately. Look at the row, the vilification that followed Sinead O’Connor’s destruction of a picture of the Pope.

Yes no one threatened to kill her but i would not have fancied being in her shoes if she had ended up in the hands of some of the so called Christians i have come across !

Courageous nothing foolish in the extreme!

I suggest you go an watch a few episodes of Family Guy and American Dad. The portrayal of Jesus and the Christian version of God in those two highly popular cartoons makes the Danish cartoons look like childs play.

If it caused offence to ordinary Muslims, well tough luck, just as the above mentioned cartoons are unaffected the offence they may cause to Christians.

If you regard the defence of freedom of speech as foolish then you morals are severely misplaced.

As the people who perpetrated this foul policy were the elected representatives of the Australian people and as such acting on their behalf then it is incumbent on their successors to address an issue that STILL effects some of their citizens.

Have said it before but i think it bears repetition… We are judged not by how we treat the strong and influential members of our society but by how we treat those who are weak and have little or no voice.

Reconciliation needs admission that what was done was wrong.It has taken place in countries where there have been conflict and has helped , maybe only marginally , but helped. South Africa & Northern Ireland are but two examples

Quick question for you..and not being anti American or anything like it ( despite what you might think! )

I for one think that Iran should apologise to the people taken hostage at the US embassy…I also think that Vietnam should apologise for their maltreatment of POWS all those years ago.. dont you agree?

And who is to say that those who elected those governments are still alive, or supported the actions in the first place? If es ministers and civil servants want to say sorry then go for it but do not force guilt onto people who bare no responsibility.

One can declare an act of history as being wrong without apologising for it.

No I dont think Vietnam should apologise for its treatment of US POW’s, same situation applies, how many of those who actually did the torturing are still alive and how many in the population actually supported them? If the individual perpetrators wish to apologise then so be it.