Syria - God Save Our Gracious Queen (and her subjects)

[butternutsquashpie]

So I got home today at around 1a.m. and was completely stressed out. So naturally, i poured myself 3 glasses of Isle of Jura and put on the Final Cut by Pink Floyd.
The meaning and background of this album really made me think of the shitestorm that has become of Syria. Not JUST on the civil war issue, but on the bloody political battle field (and bloody in BOTH senses of the meaning).

I really have to commend you mates on having your parliament circumvent war with a nation JUST because the Yanks are on board. At least you have the pedantry to stop this kind of shite from happening again, which the Yanks seem NOT to have. Let's just thank everything and everyone in every religion that Maggie isn't Prime Minister at this point in time. Because war with a separate small country over an internal matter WITHIN that country proved VERY successful in the past... right mates? Or any intervention at all is worth all the turmoil it causes the mass public... right!? Even the small issues.. like Assange in London.. But that's a story for my mini voices.

Anyways, this has just become a giant shite storm which i've been jaded of since a year and a half ago. Sorry to bring politics into this rather bipartisan (or rather UNpartisan) forum, but it's something that is deserving of at least a tidbit of attention..... Congrats on shooting down any possibility of "military intervention" before "military intervention" shoots down innocent lives on both sides of the battle.

[ValeTudoGuy]

Nice... Three glasses of jura...

[butternutsquashpie]

Nice... Three glasses of jura...

It was on sale. 65 dollars down to 60 so I got it on an impulse. It's now easily becoming one of my favourite tipples. The aftertaste of brown sugar is fecking STUPENDOUS!

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[Maxsi]

Can someone tell me what the United Nations do ? Apart from a nice all paid jolly in NYC.

The older I get the more I yearn for my deserted island. Can't decide between somewhere remote off Scotland or rowing distance from Cuba, I do like the sun ........

[butternutsquashpie]

Can't decide between somewhere remote off Scotland or rowing distance from Cuba, I do like the sun ........

The UN!?! Hahahahaha. They police the world like a pacificed America.
Nobody does shite with the interests of people anymore. Its all in the Interest oh business. And against Iran

Why not Fiji? Those native women love colonisation and modern equipment

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[Puff Scotty]

Mods...I think this thread should be locked..having being deployed on several UN peace keeping missions & lost comrades in several incidents doing the job we were proud to do I've already taken exception to some of the comments made...
Thanks.

[Maxsi]

Scotty if it was me that offended I sincerely apologise. I meant the politicians sitting in NYC.

The guys & galls on the shop floor, so to say, I have utmost respect for and in the UK are not championed enough for their dedication and sacrifice.

[Puff Scotty]

Scotty if it was me that offended I sincerely apologise. I meant the politicians sitting in NYC.

The guys & galls on the shop floor, so to say, I have utmost respect for and in the UK are not championed enough for their dedication and sacrifice.

No offence taken mate..I understood your comment..
Unfortunately the foundation of the UN is regularly undermined by governmental actions..& the original principals have been eroded by expansion..
you can blame factions in America & France for continual 'bashing of the UN...& guess what, apart from ourselves who have at last seemed to have seen the light..the French & the Yanks still think they know best...
Have you noticed..Obama has bottled it now he's failed to drag us into another un-lawful action...

[monkey66]

Got to agree this is a very sensitive, emotive and complex subject and almost certainly one not suitable for plain txt debate and discussion.

Puffy thanks for your restraint, unless anyone feels strongly that this is a good medium for such a discussion I would suggest we lock this thread tomorrow.

[GFK1]

I visited Syria three years ago to attend a friend's wedding. Both my wife and I were amazed at the religious freedom enjoyed by all, especially the Christians. The wedding we attended in Damascus's St. George's Church was a sumptous affair attended by all, Muslims included. When we left the church to go to the reception, people in the street including total strangers, Muslims as well as Christians got out of their cars and came to congratulate the bride and groom. We toured Syria and saw some unbelievable sights, like the actual window where St. Paul escaped and was lowered down in the basket. The 2000 year old church of St. Ananaias, with some ancient and stunning icons, and where St. Peter lectured and attended mass. We visited the ancient 6000 years old city of Ugarit where the first alphabet was invented. We spenta whole day touring the Omayad Mosque which also has a Byzantine Church inside it and where John the Baptist and Saladin are both buried in sumptous tombs. We travelled throught the country and were made welcome everywhere where even in the poorest areas almost everyone spoke perfect English. A Jewish friend visiting with us was taken by a Muslim taxi driver to see an ancient Synagogue, 7th century I think, and he refused to take money from her because he considered it as a religious pilgrimage for her, although she did in fact make him accept payment in the end. My Christian friend told me that on Easter Sunday they parade the statue of the Virgin Mary in the streets of Damascus surrounding the church and Muslim passers by stop and clap and congratulate them. Can youu imagine that hapenning in any other Muslim country or even here in the UK? I just hope they sort their problems out and stop the fighting soon. As about the UN troops, I have seen them in action both in Africa and in the Middle East and I can vouch for their bravery and their discipline sometimes in the face of extreme provocation. Excellent people, one and all.

[butternutsquashpie]

Can youu imagine that hapenning in any other Muslim country or even here in the UK? I just hope they sort their problems out and stop the fighting soon. As about the UN troops, I have seen them in action both in Africa and in the Middle East and I can vouch for their bravery and their discipline sometimes in the face of extreme provocation. Excellent people, one and all.

The last part of your message highlights everything this thread is proposing. The UN peacekeepers as well, i've two mates that want to do military service and rather than working for the Royal Canadian Military Colleges, they want to go straight into the UN peacekeeper missions. However, it wasn't like what it was a few decades ago, FOR sure. But that's only for the political level. the integrity and bravery displayed by the troops are much more noble and honourable than fighting for a sided country. The UN's internal politics really doesn't reflect that.. unfortunately.

HOWEVER, on the syrian topic, that's a HUGE shame. I got all my syrian information from my mates who fled here before the conflict and tell me all their first hand information from their relatives who are refugees in Iran or Turkey.... and even Germany. Back in the days, everyone DID live in harmony. like you said, everything was amazing back then and everyone was peaceful...... Shame that America just wants to tear Syria out because of decade old relations with Iran. To destabilise one of the most religiously free stable countries in order to send a message to Iran is one of the most angering things i've ever heard. Even 2 days ago, in the heart of Damascus, the UN troops were having coffee and lunch on the streets, people were shopping and everything was happy. During the "gas attacks" people in the heart of Damascus were still happily shopping around.. It's only 2 hours later when the injured started arriving IN the city did the syrians actually know of the "attacks." It's funny how one sided the media can be in telling nothing about the actual story of the Syrian Conflict..... It gets me SO FACKING angry that we think we can just meddle around in other countries, threaten to end their way of life, destabilise one of the ONLY countries in the world that has a religious peace of the 3 warring cultures, send millions into refugee statuses, AND get away with it. Then it gets me even angrier when we DO get away with it. But even THAT'S not enough.... We FINALLY have to get our media to fuck everything up in THIS world because we don't get the world perspect but only what Rush Limbaugh, Michael Moore, and Bill O'Reilly want us to know......
I can only hope that after all this, some FRACTION of the old peace can be restored to such a historically and culturally relavent part of the world.

[Sligub]

Destabilise a country that's been at civil war for two years? I've tried not to say anything but seriously! Figures put the death rate at 100,000 and 2 million displaced and this is a stable country with religious freedom,

[butternutsquashpie]

Destabilise a country that's been at civil war for two years? I've tried not to say anything but seriously! Figures put the death rate at 100,000 and 2 million displaced and this is a stable country with religious freedom,

Aye! destabilise the country back when they DID have the peace. Various countries (best remain unnamed for now) supporting the islamic militants and terror groups. That's what i was getting at.... sorry for the confusion back there!

I remember back when my mate's Christian uncle used to speak arabic to the Muslims and Hebrew to the Jews that walked into his office of medical practice. They loved him and now he's seeking refugee status in Germany......

[Puff Scotty]

Butternut...I'm sorry if this offends but I've tried being polite..please shut up..some of your comments are ludicrous to say the least...your just making yourself look ridiculous & ill informed.
My apologies to anyone else, I shan't partake in this thread anymore..

[butternutsquashpie]

Butternut...I'm sorry if this offends but I've tried being polite..please shut up..some of your comments are ludicrous to say the least...your just making yourself look ridiculous & ill informed.

Its a topic that I'm extremely passionate about because it affects everyone and no one cares enough about.
I know it might've touched some nerves and that's why there's the hangin potential of it being locked. But I know for an absolute fact that everything is well informed. From actual Syrians to the CBC. From all sides and all sources. Ludicrous? Of course. But not for the reasons you think. But because of the situation in general and my personal feelings towards it.

If you truly think one of my comments are extremely ludicrous in fashion and formulation, please feel free to PM me and I'd love to hear your opinion and your side on the matter. Cordially.

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