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It’s just acceptable is it ?

(229 Posts)
maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 10:04:36

Footage showing British soldiers shooting at a large photograph of Jeremy Corbyn as target practice. I hope TM and the Defence Secretary stand up in the House today and condemn it thoroughly.

trisher Wed 03-Apr-19 16:36:13

GG13 many of the excuses you have given were often used when soldiers raped women. They were under stress. They put their lives on the line.etc etc. That wasn't acceptable and neither is this. Perhaps if you want an army composed of trigger happy, violent pscychopaths it might be. If soldiers want to be regarded as honourable and professional then it isn't.

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:35:19

AB I remember the chants of "ding dong the witch is dead" along with the burning of Margaret Thatcher effigies.

Baggs Wed 03-Apr-19 16:34:41

I understand the knee jerk outrage. It's information about what's actually outrageous (that is, harmful) that I would like now if anyone has any.

Baggs Wed 03-Apr-19 16:33:05

What HARM has the practice shoot done to anyone? Actual harm. JC, like most other politicians, must be used to people taking the piss, and people are allowed to take the piss in a free society so long as they do no actual harm.

Challenge: convince me that actual harm has been done to anyone or anything (apart from the paper targets, obvs, which, like the soldiers, were just doing their job).

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:28:54

Statement from Brigadier Nick Perry - look it up.

M0nica Wed 03-Apr-19 16:28:44

the job of soldiers is often to kill people.

No, it isn't and never has been. Many soldiers go through their military career without ever fighting or killing people. The fact is the presence of soldiers often stops events excalating into violence

You are also forgetting the extent to which soldiers, and other servicemen act as peacekeepers in volatile situations. Indeed that is one of their main occupations. They are also involved in humanitarian operations overseas and in this country.

I suspect this was a silly prank, which does not make it defensible in any situation. No identifiable individual, not even someone like Hitler should ever be used for target practice.

The

Anniebach Wed 03-Apr-19 16:23:26

They didn’t do as labour supporters did when Thatcher died

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:22:43

Got a link yet to your version of the truth btw?

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:21:11

So they can act with impunity then - beyond reproach ? Ridiculous and a very dangerous viewpoint

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:10:15

I am just fed up to the back teeth of people knocking our Armed Forces.

These very same people who would never put themselves in the line of fire to save their or another's country.

I could not care less who's face was on that target, totally immaterial.

Look at some of the cartoons in our daily national papers which often depict political leaders worldwide with guns pointed at them and being shown in a totally unflattering and utterly inappropriate poses.

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 16:03:33

ab who are the Corbynites on this thread ? I bloody started it and I’m not a Corbyn supporter and I know there’s others who believe this is not acceptable who are not a Corbyn supporters or even left of centre. Still why let your own ill informed prejudices get in the way of the truth? Disgraceful.

Anniebach Wed 03-Apr-19 15:58:16

I hope if a photograph of Mrs May or William had been used the response would be the same. I doubt there would be the same condemnation here by the Corbynites though.

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:57:31

No Lily I don’t think it’s a non story - these are a group of so called professionals filmed in their working life demonstrating political bias, poor judgement and lack of discipline. One duty of a professional is to not bring his profession into disrepute. The people making light of it on here would have gone ballistic if it had been a group of left wing teachers doing this at an INSET day to a photo of the PM or the Education Secretary

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:53:01

GG nice try but massive fail. And fwiw anyone who puts anything online knows it can very easily go viral - or are the soldiers involved just incredibly stupid? Which is as scarey in a different way

Lily65 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:51:43

If it had been anyone other than "the sainted JC" it would have been a non story........just a storm in a tea cup

It is a bit of stupid non story but anybody who thinks stuff like this doesn't go on and a whole lot more must be deluded.

Corbyn is no more or less sainted than any other politician. I wonder how an image of say Prince William or Mrs May would have been viewed.

paddyann Wed 03-Apr-19 15:46:43

Well GG13 I dont know where you come from ,but where I live ANY soldier shooting CIVILIANS ...unarmed civilians in the back SHOULD be tried.Would you be happy to see them walk free if it was your 17 year old son they'd killed!!
The "British" army are not above the law.I was misfortunate enough to have a gun pointed at my head while the VERY YOUNG soldier yelled at my OH to "tell your filly to get out the car" I was scared witless.All because we had a number plate that originated in NI .We were on the MOD ground to do a photographic job and had clearance .I did complain but heard nothing about it.Imagine what would have happened if I had frozen in fear..would the eegit have shot me ? Now MOD police patrol the large area between Faslane and Coulport with guns.My GC live there ,what happens if they put a foot on "MOD" ground by mistake? Should they fear for their lives.
They must be held to account .

trisher Wed 03-Apr-19 15:42:17

Army are investigating and condemning it. They say it was filmed in Kabul.
The range is said to be in the loft of Afghanistan's New Kabul Compound.

Images of other well known celebrities are used in the firing range but are protected rather than fired at.

It is understood it was a non-lethal hardened wax substance aimed and fired at the image instead of metal bullets, with the incident taking place in the past few days
So that's all right then!!!.shock

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:40:43

They are in Kabul, Afghanistan which is still an extremely dangerous and stressful place to be deployed to.

The person who put it on line (probably to his "army" pals) had no idea it would go viral.

If it had been anyone other than "the sainted JC" it would have been a non story........just a storm in a tea cup.

If only you were all more concerned with our Armed Forces being prosecuted for actions carried out "under orders"

And yes I am totally biased towards all our armed forces, they do a magnificent job worldwide.

Anniebach Wed 03-Apr-19 15:33:06

If Corbyn was to visit any country where the British Army were stationed he would receive the same protection as any politician.

Given his criticisms of the armed forces over the years possibly he is proud of that video,

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:30:55

lemon so you just swallow what GG posted - and even if that were true, you’re quite happy that they fired at his image after practising defending celebrities and then posted it online? Nice.

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:27:30

Baggs I despaircat your logic ( or rather the lack of it)

maryeliza54 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:25:47

I’ve been on line GG and can’t find anything such as you posted. To say I’m sceptical at the moment would be fair comment - if what you’ve posted is true you’d think the MOD would be shouting it from the rooftops. Not that your version makes it all right and it’s not even logical - smacks of right wing desperation to me

GrannyGravy13 Wed 03-Apr-19 15:23:11

Baggs totally agree.

EllanVannin Wed 03-Apr-19 15:16:50

Lily65 read the second half of GrannyGravy's post you might just get an inkling of what I meant by mine.

Baggs Wed 03-Apr-19 15:11:37

Yes, geese can be too! Swans also. In fact, when you think about it, what with awful weather, diseases, wild animals, the difficulty of growing enoubpgh food till modern farming methods were invented, most of Nature was out to kill us.

Whereas those paras were practising shooting at inanimate targets, which is something they have to do for their job.