THE LAST DITCH

Link: BBC ON THIS DAY | 29 | 1976: Explosions rock London’s West End.

Hardly breaking news, but sobering reading for those who tell us that everything has changed and that 19th Century notions of civil rights no longer make sense in 21st Century conditions. Terrorism is not new. There have always been political inadequates and posturing psychopaths for whom the bomb is more interesting than the ballot.

The men who planted 13 bombs on this day in 1976 walked away to plant more, and more. They were led by men shrewd enough to know that if they instilled fear, acted within bounds that would not lose all public sympathy and demonstrated sustained capacity to act, they could achieve a political victory. Under Tony Blair’s weak leadership (and with support from the American Irish community which funded decades of terror) they did.

The men who planted the 7/7 bombs have planted their last. The approach of their political leadership is less subtle than that of the IRA. They give our society such a stark choice that, however pathetic our leaders, surrender is not an option. Only the insane death cult that is Islamism could reason that their actions are more threatening. Only a leadership as weak as ours, could reason that their plans justify the immediate surrender of our civil rights.

6 responses to “BBC ON THIS DAY | 29 | 1976: Explosions rock London’s West End”

  1. GUTHRUM Avatar

    Leadership ? Following every gust of wind of PC opinion.Reminds me of Christopher Hill’s description of Charles 1, ‘he stood firmly by the convictions of the last person that spoke to him’

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  2. Dave Petterson Avatar
    Dave Petterson

    ‘Under Tony Blair’s weak leadership’
    Didn’t know he was around in 1976.

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  3. Tom Paine Avatar

    Dave, they didn’t win in 1976. They won under the present government.

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  4. cityunslicker Avatar

    Having considered the problems in Northern ireland for a long time (in fact my whole lifetime), I am in fact pleased with recent developments.
    It is hard to see Sinn feinn gaining ground and getting respect. However, the economy, politics and general ambience of NI is rapidly improving. It will take generations to get rid of the bigotry, but a start has to be made.
    Difficult concessions have to be made and to the Unionists who made these I have a deep respect. To forgive your enemy in the name of peace indeed righteous.

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  5. Tom Paine Avatar

    Cityunslicker, I can’t agree with you. History cannot be quite so easily compartmentalised. Our present problems are made worse by the Government’s track record of surrender to terrorism, which gives hope to our current crop.

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  6. christopher kennedy Avatar
    christopher kennedy

    more british dead in iraq?! Well done tony we’re proud of you me especially. send more of em n let it be

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Tom is a retired international lawyer. He was a partner in a City of London law firm and spent almost twenty years abroad serving clients from all over the world.

Returning to London on retirement in 2011, he was dismayed to discover how much liberty had been lost in the UK while he was away.

He’s a classical liberal (libertarian, if you must) who, like his illustrious namesake, considers that

“…government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”

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