Shots fired outside UK Parliament?

[Robin]

I'm surprised anyone watches Sky News, it's utterly terrible as is the BBC these days.

ITV and Channel 4 are the only two I go for, they did a pretty good job with the rolling coverage yesterday.

 

[Scaff]

Meanwhile Fox News and Katie Hopkins talk utter nonsense:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fox-news-and-katie-hopkins_uk_58d39945e4b0f838c62f8cc4?

 

[boiltheocean]

ITV and Channel 4 are the only two I go for, they did a pretty good job with the rolling coverage yesterday.

Really, Channel 4? They are the ones who claimed it was the guy still in prison, how is that a good job?

As TM pointed out all 24h news coverage is just nonsense. I watched some of the 6'o'clock news on the BBC and they just bounced from reporter to reporter asking them each to sum up what happened, like I hadn't just heard pretty much the same thing from the reporter before them. They even cut into the local news time to continue with reporter roulette. I get it's a big story but when you can get the facts out and some reaction in 10 minutes, do it and move on to the other news of the day.

 

[DLR_Mysterion]

Meanwhile Fox News and Katie Hopkins talk utter nonsense:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fox-news-and-katie-hopkins_uk_58d39945e4b0f838c62f8cc4?

"People are cowed. People are afraid. And people are not united."

Errrm no we weren't. She does speak some sense in other columns but she's flat out wrong about how Londoners were yesterday.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Really, Channel 4? They are the ones who claimed it was the guy still in prison, how is that a good job?

No, it was a talking head that said that, then he came back on and so "erm, derp, no it isn't". Most of the other channels/papers ran with the claim immediately - but C4 was the place where the "anti-terrorism expert" first made the claim and they were quick to make him retract it.

That's just in the nature of live news, especially when there are only so many talking heads to go around.

 

[mister dog]

Meanwhile a similar attack was stopped this afternoon in Antwerp. Mohamed R. tried to mow down pedestrians on the Meir but due to a fast response team he was halted and apprehended.

Just breaking in Belgium now:

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20170323_02795392

 

[rono_thomas]

Really, Channel 4? They are the ones who claimed it was the guy still in prison, how is that a good job?

As TM pointed out all 24h news coverage is just nonsense. I watched some of the 6'o'clock news on the BBC and they just bounced from reporter to reporter asking them each to sum up what happened, like I hadn't just heard pretty much the same thing from the reporter before them. They even cut into the local news time to continue with reporter roulette. I get it's a big story but when you can get the facts out and some reaction in 10 minutes, do it and move on to the other news of the day.

I would think that your making an assumption that everyone sits down or has access to watch the news at exactly the same time?

In the current climate I would think it obvious thar news of this sorr would interrupt usual tv schedules?

 

[boiltheocean]

I would think that your making an assumption that everyone sits down or has access to watch the news at exactly the same time?

In the current climate I would think it obvious thar news of this sorr would interrupt usual tv schedules?

I think I've confused things a little. I have no problem with the news being repeated every hour or half hour and I totally understand people don't have access all at the same time, that's what 24h news channels are for. My issue is with the nature of the reporting itself. The 6pm news bulletin is the second largest of the day, broadcast on BBC1 and they chose to spend the entire show going from reporter to reporter getting each others opinion or feelings on what happened, they weren't adding anything new to the discussion, they had no new facts to present, they just needlessly rehash what the person just a few minutes before had said.

It's big news and as such deserves a lot of emphasis and focus, however current methods of reporting go beyond that to a point of talking about it for the sake of talking about it and as such all other news gets thrown out over a story that has 10 minutes worth of actual reporting.

 

[DLR_Mysterion]

Meanwhile a similar attack was stopped this afternoon in Antwerp. Mohamed R. tried to mow down pedestrians on the Meir but due to a fast response team he was halted and apprehended.

Just breaking in Belgium now:

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20170323_02795392

So, this is the new weapon.

 

[Dreadmed]

It makes sense, in a twisted sort of way. Trying to fabricate an explosive device runs the risk of having the anti-terror units catch on and intercepting them before they can use it. However, with something like a car or 4x4 (as was the case here) there's absolutely no way of determining that they are intent on using it to cause harm... unless they had no business being in the vehicle in the first place i.e hijacking a truck.

 

[MUSC4EVER]

Attacker has been named as Kent-born Khalid Masood aged 52. The car was a rental from firm Enterprise.

Islamic State released a statement this afternoon claiming they were responsable.

Two more victims named, one Aysha Frade, a School Teacher leaving a husband and two young daughters, the second is an American, Kurt Cochran from Utah was in London with his wife to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

 

[Robin]

Really, Channel 4? They are the ones who claimed it was the guy still in prison, how is that a good job?

It wasn't entirely thier fault as they were quoting someone else who they thought was an expert. Also they were hardly alone in making that mistake at the time and quickly rectified it. The rest of their coverage about the attack like most of their reporting in general was top notch.

 

[DLR_Mysterion]

"North African" failed to stop at police checkpoint then launched attack with knife:

http://www.breitbart.com/london/201...hicle-attack-two-days-police-officer-stabbed/

 

[TenEightyOne]

JustGiving have taken over control of the donation page for one of the victims after concerns that the original creator may have been a "fraudster". We live in a world created by human nature, and it can suck.

BBC.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

she's flat out wrong about how Londoners were yesterday

Because she onviously has an agenda - she wants to show that the terrorists are winning, thereby creating popular support for tougher domestic policies back home.

 

[Dotini]

I heard on TV today that the terrorist had lived in Saudi Arabia on two occasions. Perhaps the UK government needs to spy a bit more effectively on its citizens?

 

[UKMikey]

I heard on TV today that the terrorist had lived in Saudi Arabia on two occasions. Perhaps the UK government needs to spy a bit more effectively on its citizens?

Would you suggest we imprison everyone who's worked in Saudi Arabia or just the ones who look like terrorists? Masood was put inside twice for violent incidents so maybe they should've kept a closer eye on him. You can bet the police and security services are reviewing their procedures right now.

 

[PeterJB]

We're supposed to be best buddies with Saudi Arabia and supply them arms because they have oil, no matter how backwards they are.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

We're supposed to be best buddies with Saudi Arabia and supply them arms because they have oil, no matter how backwards they are.

Still doesn't mean that everyone born in Saudi Arabia is a terrorist or potential terrorist.

 

[ExigeEvan]

The Huff Post has some great quips.

Britain First Deputy leader, Jayda Fransen, said in a video message: “Wake up... what are you waiting for?

“It’s not enough to change your Facebook profile picture to a Union Jack and a candle and post on Twitter how disgusted you are.”

Then, as images of refugees flash behind her, she adds: “There’s no point in... carrying on as normal as our government betrays us by welcoming hundreds of thousands of people into our midst who want us dead.”

The Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood, 52, was born in Kent.

I heard on TV today that the terrorist had lived in Saudi Arabia on two occasions. Perhaps the UK government needs to spy a bit more effectively on its citizens?

In 2006 there were 26,000 British citizens in Saudi Arabia. Many of those are British middle class workers working in the Oil and Gas, services and Defence industries.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The Huff Post has some great quips.

I read it as more of a disappointed commentary on political discourse. Whatever her political allegiances, Fransen does raise a valid point: Twitter activism does nothing except make the poster feel better. Remember the ice bucket challenge? You were given the choice between having a bucket of ice water dumped over your head, or donating money to help medical research. But how on earth does having ice water dumped over your head do anything meaningful? It makes you feel like you've done something when you haven't and is of no benefit to medical science.

The same logic applies here: posting pictures of Union Jacks and candles to pledge solidarity, and posting about your outrage and grief might make you feel better, but in the grand scheme of things, it achieves nothing. The problem here is that Fransen either has no idea about Masood's background or is willfully ignoring it and banking on her audience being similarly unaware for the purposes of making a political point. Neither is a particularly great look, and the net effect of both is the same - it completely undermines a very valid point about Twitter activism. So rather than having a thought-provoking discussions about what we're actively achieving by expressing solidarity in 140 characters or less, we mock her.

 

[Scaff]

I read it as more of a disappointed commentary on political discourse. Whatever her political allegiances, Fransen does raise a valid point: Twitter activism does nothing except make the poster feel better. Remember the ice bucket challenge? You were given the choice between having a bucket of ice water dumped over your head, or donating money to help medical research. But how on earth does having ice water dumped over your head do anything meaningful? It makes you feel like you've done something when you haven't and is of no benefit to medical science.

The same logic applies here: posting pictures of Union Jacks and candles to pledge solidarity, and posting about your outrage and grief might make you feel better, but in the grand scheme of things, it achieves nothing. The problem here is that Fransen either has no idea about Masood's background or is willfully ignoring it and banking on her audience being similarly unaware for the purposes of making a political point. Neither is a particularly great look, and the net effect of both is the same - it completely undermines a very valid point about Twitter activism. So rather than having a thought-provoking discussions about what we're actively achieving by expressing solidarity in 140 characters or less, we mock her.

She a member of a far right Christian organisation that like to parade around in paramilitary dress.

Her intentions are not even remotely unclear.

On a side note the ice bucket challenge showed that raising awareness also increases donations and was considered (by the charaties involved) to have been if massive benefit.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_Bucket_Challenge

As such I don't agree that she raises a good point at all, showing solidarity with those affected and not been intimidated by those those who would do us harm is not doing nothing. It's also a damn sight more effective that using the event to target people who had **** all to do with the attack.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I read it as more of a disappointed commentary on political discourse. Whatever her political allegiances, Fransen does raise a valid point: Twitter activism does nothing except make the poster feel better.

Agree, partially. Social Media has all too often been used to spread mistruths. But, it doesn't have to be that way.

Taking Brexit as an example, too many remainers spent their time posting self righteous and dismissive arguments instead of actually use fact-based resources to counter the arguments posed. That might seem an irrelevance in the demographic break down of the result, but a growing number of the 50+ y.o are active social media users.

Remember the ice bucket challenge? You were given the choice between having a bucket of ice water dumped over your head, or donating money to help medical research. But how on earth does having ice water dumped over your head do anything meaningful? It makes you feel like you've done something when you haven't and is of no benefit to medical science.

Surely the same can be said of all fund raising activities then? Except scientific research needs funding, and only a part of that is provided by the government. And whilst you are correct in the original concept, what actually happened was people donated and took the forfeit just to see other friends suffer.

The only negative i saw was when charities like Cancer Research UK tried to hijack the concept.

So rather than having a thought-provoking discussions about what we're actively achieving by expressing solidarity in 140 characters or less, we mock her.

You realise that tweets very often link out to other sources?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You realise that tweets very often link out to other sources?

I don't use Twitter, so I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of it.

 

[Dotini]

In 2006 there were 26,000 British citizens in Saudi Arabia. Many of those are British middle class workers working in the Oil and Gas, services and Defence industries.

My remark was entirely 80% tongue-in-cheek, leveraging the well-known perception that the UK already has extensive surveillance on its citizens. Elaine, the wife of my best friend, (both very liberal ACLU members), a supervisor in an energy corporation, worked for a time in the Kingdom.

 

[ExigeEvan]

My remark was entirely 80% tongue-in-cheek, leveraging the well-known perception that the UK already has extensive surveillance on its citizens. Elaine, the wife of my best friend, (both very liberal ACLU members), a supervisor in an energy corporation, worked for a time in the Kingdom.

No problem there, i was just adding some context. Given that many of those expats live in compounds, visit private beaches and do very little mixing with the locals, i imagine it would be an exceptionally easy task!

I don't use Twitter, so I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of it.

Ignorance is bliss?