Does anyone speak Lindsey German? The reason I ask is that I need some help decoding and deconstructing a situation reported in The Independent. Apparently a man has appeared in court who “arrested by chance at a railway station turned out to be “on the cusp” of launching a campaign of terrorism”. It is alleged that he was building an explosive device “with intent to endanger life” as well as documents containing drawings of electronics and chemical mixtures. When he was arrested he was found to be in possession of the component parts of two “viable improvised incendiary devices”.
A thoroughly nasty individual. Though perhaps I’m being too harsh. In the video in the article below, Lindsey German says the last (successful) bombing attack in London – on 7/7 – wasn’t the fault of the actual bombers, because:
“We have brought the war here. We have created terrorism in Britain”.
She goes on to say that because “we” (that is the UK) have “bombed Muslims” in Iraq, Afghanistan… and Palestine (!!), terrorists want to bomb “us”.
“This is why 7/7 happened!”* she declares. It is also why there is “a rise in racism” and why two BNP members won seats in the European Parliament…. though I can’t quite see the connection between these latter two example and British Foreign Policy. Maybe she lost her train of thought or two pages of her speech stuck together.
But since the actions of Islamic fundamentalist bombers and the far-right seem linked in some way (whatever it is), perhaps someone would be so kind as to explain in Germaneque terms what the root cause of this latest – thankfully thwarted – terror plot is.
The accused, Neil Lewington, is a white supremacist.
Now I think that there are people – neo-nazis, religious fundamentalists, assorted lunatics – who wish to threaten and intimidate society into morphing into their twisted vision. Or, failing that, to merely lash out in hateful frustration. But Occam’s Razor won’t do, will it? No there is something else going on.
So. how has government policy contributed to this (whatever it is)? And, does anyone “understand” without necessarily “sympathising”? Who can we blame?
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* Let’s give her some credit. At least she doesn’t – like her former Respect colleague Dr Mohammed “Dancing Cows” Naseem – question whether anything actually happened at all!
