Originally posted by Hatton
What do you guys think of AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED?

It’s okay for keeping your flypast dry if you’re caught in the rain. 🙂

Regards,

kev35

Mixtec,

I use the ‘hunt and peck’ method and have reached the astonishing speed of 100 words per minute with 100% accuracy. Providing of course that every word is ‘a’ 🙂

Regards,

kev35

Re: Reply to Kev from preceeding page

Steve,

“I dont accept this. Excessive emotion is the enemy of rational judgement – always has been and always will be. If you allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions you’ll never be able to make clear and accurate judgements and will always be a puppet to those who have the ability to play on your emotions.”

Look how many actions have ended as the result of one man’s emotional reaction. The guy who charges an enemy position alone becuse his oppo’s just been killed, or he’s just got plain p****d off, or goes out under fire to retrieve the wounded. The latter is especially true. Look at the medics in Vietnam whose emotional involvement led then to saving hundreds of lives, and indeed to they themselves having one of the highest casualty rates among infantry specialists. The emotional response that led them to obtaining their own medical supplies so they could do a better job. The emotional ties that mean a nation will spend millions and risk many more lives to rescue a downed airman. The emotion which binds an army unit to its tattered Regimental colour. The emotional response which meant a nation stood up to Hitler in 1940 when no-one else did. The emotional bond which still ties you to your former colleagues.

Again, I think this is something we will never agree on, but I believe every facet of life is touched by our emotions and is not something to be denied.

Regards,

kev35

IKBrunel.

“I don’t think it matters how the terrorist vermin in Guantanamo Bay is treated.”

An interesting point of view. It is how we treat these people which makes us different from them. Don’t get me wrong, I have no love for them. They should be tried, and if found guilty executed. What I don’t agree with is this limbo state they are kept in. Don’t you also find it odd that the so-called ‘American Taliban’ has been tried in a criminal court and imprisoned? Double standard? His colleagues are still waiting to find out what their actual status is.

“Did Al Qaeda care when they hijacked those four planes, hacked open the passengers throats, forced other passengers to the back of the aircraft and made them phone their loved ones to tell them they were about to be murdered?………….”

Emotive words. But coming down to that level makes us no different to them does it? If there is sufficient evidence against these Taliban, and I should think there is, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. America, and the rest of the Western world prides itself on it’s justice and morality, so use it, not throw it out of the window and become as barbaric as the perpetrators of these crimes.

“Those who go whining on about protecting the rights of terrorists and bloody criminals really make me want to vomit. The treatment they are receiving in Cuba is too bloody good for them – they have no right to live and neither have any of their followers, and I don’t care if I offend anyone with that view because the constant moaning of the bloody human rights brigade and Amnesty International and other holier-than-thou individuals is sick and disgusting.”

Well, we definitely agree on one thing, our beliefs might be different but we are equally passionate about them. Perhaps you should remember that those who are fighting in Iraq are doing so to bring some semblance of human rights to the people of Iraq. Does your attitude toward the ‘constant moaning of the bloody human rights brigade’ mean you would prefer Iraq and it’s people to remain under Saddam Hussein? You can have it one way or the other, unfortunately not both.

Regards,

kev35

Re: …

Vortex.

“And what catalogue of abuse about Guantanomo?”

Held without charge, held without trial, no legal representation, no visitation rights, they don’t even have a declared status. All of those listed above are abuses against either American law, International law or both.

“Mind you that red cross make constant scheduled visits and like i said, i don’t expect the Iraqis or almost anybody else the US fights against to NOT mistreat US POWs…that’s just reality.”

So your justification for America’s treatment of those held at Guantanamo is that ‘others will do it to us?’ True playground, or should I say Kindergarten logic from the most powerful nation in the world.

“…..so what moral high grounds are you talking about?”

America maintains a catalogue of ongoing abuse against those held at Guantanamo. Yet as soon as one American is captured Bush instantly asserts that American POW’s are being ill-treated. That’s the moral high ground. America preaches that captives should be held according to the Geneva Convention and that they should not be mistreated, yet continues to abuse those at Guantanomo in the manner described above. If that doesn’t fit the term double standard then please enlighten me as to what does.

“I have no problem with critiques, but those have to be “fair”.”

Sorry, but I did have to laugh when I read that. Your definition of fair appears only to apply to commemts in support of the US.

“I know you know what i mean when i’m frustrated with people saying rather biased stuff simply because it’s against Americans….and that frankly is what turn us away.”

But the things I’ve said about the US treatment of those at Guantanamo aren’t biased. They are facts. You just refuse to see that there is anything wrong with your treatment of these people even though their captivity breaks American law. It might surprise you to know that I agree that Saddam needs to be removed for the good of the Iraqi people. I just question the method, timing and legality of this current invasion. Now it is on, as I have said before, I hope it is concluded quickly and with the minimum loss of life on all sides.

Regards,

kev35

Glenn.

I agree that with the technology extant today this just shouldn’t happen. But then again we’re not fighting for our lives in the middle of a sandstorm are we? I don’t think anyone will punish the crew of the tank that made the error more than they will punish themselves. A report in today’s Daily Mirror says that the incident with the Patriot and the Tornado occurred due to a computer ‘glitch’ which misidentified the Tornado leaving the Patriot operator with just fractions of a second in which to decide whether to fire or not.

Regards,

kev35

Re: …

Vortex.

“Frankly, many Americans feel that if 9/11 happened in Europe then you’ll see the European reactions to be even more drastic than Americans. Right after the attacks you have plenty of people around the world and in Europe saying “Americans deserve it”…now, how would you feel if it happens in Europe and Americans say “you deserve it”?”

I have never suggested that America “deserved it”, nor has anyone I have ever spoken to about it thought that. As for it happening in Europe? Well, Irish Republican terrorists, though not on such a grand scale, have plagued the UK through terrorism for the last thirty years. London pub bombings, Birmingham pub bombings, Warrington, Enniskillen, The Cavalry patrol in London, Canary Wharf, the assassinations of Airey Neave and Lord Mountbatten, The Brighton hotel bombing in which we almost lost a Government. As to how we would feel if Americans said to us we deserved it? You already have. Through Noraid, the Irish American community and Americans with no Irish background whatsoever paid for these atrocities to occur.

And Irish terrorists who have been caught have been treated as criminals, given fair trials with legal representation, have been convicted or acquitted and for those who were convicted served their sentences in prisons. You say our reactions would be worse than yours, compare then the treatment of convicted IRA terrorists by Britain with America’s ongoing catalogue of abuse towards the prisoners at Guantanamo. And before you say anything just consider how well you treat your criminals compared to those at Guantanamo. If you want to hold the moral high ground, at least do it with some consistency.

Regards,

kev35

given the chance that it could very well had happened in Europe instead(there were many plots that got stopped)? But, knowing Americans, a overwhelming majority of us won’t say that…why is that i ask you? Even today with all this antiFrench thing going, we won’t say “you deserve it”. Why is that again i ask you? When Bali got bombed and majority of them are Australians, why didn’t you say because the “world” hates Bali or Australians? You say i have aggendas to show as such of world against America, but show me otherwise to make me don’t feel that way. Besides, why when Americans tell others to “behave” it’s called arrogance and imperialism, but the reverse almost sounds like it’s the “moral” thing to do? Certainly that’s exactly what Chirac said…you can’t deny that, it’s public records. [/B][/QUOTE]

Vortex,

shall we agree to disagree? Let’s get back to discussion. I have nothing against Americans in general, it’s just the odd few I have a problem with and the decisions they make. I feel the same about my own country and my people. Some I trust, some not.

Regards,

kev35