Friday, May 24, 2013

Obviously a Sherlock Holmes fan...

Despite an apparent shortage of Glaringly Obvious that seems to have led to rationing, the UK still remains a leading exporter of Comic Understatement:
A dramatic clip filmed by an onlooker just minutes after the killing showed a man with hands covered in blood, brandishing a bloodied meat cleaver and a knife.

"We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reason we have done this is because Muslims are dying every day," the black man in his 20s or 30s, wearing a wool jacket and jeans and speaking with a local accent, shouted in the footage obtained by Britain's ITV news channel.

"This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

[snip]

Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit to France to return to London and chair an emergency national security meeting.

"The police are urgently seeking the full facts about this case but there are strong indications that it is a terrorist incident," Cameron said...
Good Lord, Holmes! Do you think so?
.

29 comments:

Old NFO said...

Yep MASTERS of understatement... One wonders if they will raise the threat level to 'Peeved'???

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

And just think. A couple of citizens with concealed weapons could have put a stop to this in nothing flat.

Sorry, this is England. What was I thinking?

Tam said...

Fuzzy Curmudgeon,

"Sorry, this is England."

Do you think he couldn't have done the same thing on Lakeshore Drive or in Times Square?

For that matter, even though Boston or San Fran are in nominally 'may issue' states, what are the odds of there being a single pistol toter on Fisherman's Wharf or in Quincy Market?

Critter said...

a single man with a crickett bat could have put a stop to it. we know why that didn't happen.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Tam, regarding Quincy Market: it depends on whether Weer'd Beard went out for Lunch that day.

Which is at least ONE more Private Pistol Totter than Greater London has on its streets.

ToddG said...

Silly British Prime Minister not immediately calling that a terrorist attack! What did he think was going on, an everyday local flash mob burning down a foreign consulate and murdering an ambassador? If you can't tell the difference between that and a terrorist attack, you're not qualified to run a free country.

Joel said...

You have to admit, though, this may be a documented example of a politician saying something that will turn out to be correct.

Tam said...

ToddG,

Zing!

Conan the Cimmerian said...

No, you missed the truly best Cameron quote. Basically hes states,
"No worries, Islam is not to blame! These weren't the real, good, wonderful muslims that I normally tell you about and that we need to import more of!"

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-pm-cameron-says-london-attack-betrayal-islam-105808577.html

UK PM Cameron says London attack was betrayal of Islam

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron said the brutal killing of a soldier who was hacked to death in London by two men shouting Jihadist slogans was a betrayal of Islam.

"We will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms," Cameron told reporters outside his Downing Street residence on Thursday.

"This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life, it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country. There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act."

There is nothing in Islam that actually calls for this sort of stuff. Have a jolly, good day.

Anonymous said...

CNN was as bad (not that I expected them to Not be!) The female talking head was doing her level best: 'maybe it was drugs, maybe it was a personal grudge, maybe it was...' to avoid the concept.
In a twisted way, I almost (Almost!) feel bad for the terrorists: they go on camera shouting their reasons...and the liberals refuse to believe them.

I think it could happen here. It already has at Fort Hood, different tools, same result. All the more reason for vigourous defense of the 2nd Amendment.
R.I.P Drummer Lee Rigby, 2nd Royal Fusiliers.

rickn8or said...

Conan, I just had this flash of a mildly-annoyed Maggie Thatcher administering a thorough beat-down on David Cameron while Winston Churchill looked on with approval.

Mike_C said...

> and the liberals refuse to believe them.

Yeah. I wish I could remember source of the quote which basically went: "Liberals are concerned about equality regarding outward appearances, but fundamentally believe everyone shares common values and deep-down wants the same thing. Conservatives are willing to believe that people really do think differently." I'd add the codicil that conservatives have no lack of their own idiocies as well, but the gist of the statement is true.

But, but, but, we all want a better future for our kids, and for everyone to be able to hold his or her head up high, proud of his or her heritage, sexual identity and uniqueness as an individual, and equality, justice (however that's defined) and a flying pink unicorn for everyone, right? That doesn't exactly resonate with someone who believes that his religion (not to mention having a testicle or two) makes him better than others (not only qualitatively, but in monetary terms as well, c.f Diyya (weregild)), and that his reward is in the hereafter. This applies to fanatics of any flavor, not only cleaver-wielding Islamist ones. (I am pleased to note that I am worth 6.7% -- if you round up -- of a Muslim man in Saudia Arabia, if Wikipedia is correct.)

> couple of citizens with concealed weapons could have put a stop to this in nothing flat

My thought as well, but here's a contrarian opinion that came from a colleague. (A very high-IQ, highly educated type, incidentally.) "So that guy had a gun, but because this was the UK he only had access to an antique, which misfired when he tried to use it against the police. This is an example of how gun control can save lives." That was one of those instances where I understood each of the words, but had trouble wrapping my head around the complete statement. But I think that is a pretty good example of the logic applied by gun grabbers.

@ Conan: I heard Cameron's statement on the radio and was disgusted. I would much rather he said something on the order of "Yes, these men claimed to have committed this atrocious crime in the name of Islam, but this is no excuse for private citizens to take action against Muslims or people perceived to be Muslim. If anyone is thinking of doing so and actually takes action , you can be assured that you will be identified and arrested, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Goober said...

The problem I have with this line of thought is that it is done for the same reason every time: fear of backlash against non-involved Muslim in the area.

It has never happened and yet the fear persists to the point that it is literally the first thing said in reaction, every time. It gives us a window into the minds of those that would presume to rule us what they actually think about us. It isn't pretty.

Anonymous said...

Until we start recognizing the enemy he will continue to evade us and hurt us.

THE ENEMY IS MUSLIM...... DONE!!

Until we start treating it as an force of evil that needs to be literally eradicated, this will continue.

"are you saying we should nuke meca?"

Thats a good start....

Aesop said...

"MAN BEHEADED IN LONDON;
POLICE SUSPECT FOUL PLAY
"

Ed said...

I would expect that more carry weapons in Quincy Market than on Fisherman's Wharf. While Boston is very tight on the "may issue" for Boston residents, local cities and towns do issue the LTC for their residents at higher rates, and Massachusetts does allow you to legally enter an establishment that serves alcohol with a concealed weapon.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

Tam,

Do you think he couldn't have done the same thing on Lakeshore Drive or in Times Square?

Nope, and didn't intend to so imply; my comment was intended to be limited to the UK, but of course it could be extended to include Chicago, New York, Boston, etc...

Gerry N. said...

I take from this that politicians and heads of police forces of every stripe (Redunducy alert!) commonly walk around with their heads stuffed firmly up their poop chutes.

teon lrotsky said...

you may not be interested in islam, but islam is interested in you.

Drang said...

Someone get Mr. Cameron an umbrella. Chamberlain's may still be available.

mariner said...

Tam,
For that matter, even though Boston or San Fran are in nominally 'may issue' states, what are the odds of there being a single pistol toter on Fisherman's Wharf or in Quincy Market?

I'd say the odds would be very high.

Problem is the pistol toters would likely be gang bangers or drug dealers.

Kristophr said...

I noticed that the video clip of the attack that The Telegraph hosted had all the "Allah Ackbar!" shouts silenced out.

Mustn't alarm the proles ...

RevGreg said...

The one reporter from the Beeb actually had the stones to state that when the police arrived the killers attacked them and were stopped within 15 seconds. Yeah...after they took the time to hack a man's head off and do an interview...and other police units stayed back because they were unarmed and the perps had a gun, so they had to wait for a firearms unit to get there. 15 seconds my ass.

Sebastian said...

For that matter, even though Boston or San Fran are in nominally 'may issue' states, what are the odds of there being a single pistol toter on Fisherman's Wharf or in Quincy Market?

Well, the one thing NYC and even most of California have going for it, is the police will at least make a good college try of ventilating the beheading jihadist. Granted a half a dozen bystanders might end up having to be hospitalized on a good day, but they'll at least be confident in the notion there won't be any serious outrage among the powers that be. They are professionals, you see.

Sebastian said...

And when I say police, I mean the first itchy trigger finger that shows up on the scene. Not glorified security guards who have to wait for the armed response team to show up.

God, Gals, Guns, Grub said...

Sometimes when it's raining dog crap... it's actually raining dog crap... duh...

Dann in Ohio

Firehand said...

And over at Powerline they note that, while excuses for islam are being made, they've now arrested two people for comments made on Facebook, which were allegedly of a racist or anti-religious nature.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/05/the-inevitable-decline-of-great-britain-cont.php

So, if you commit a horrendous murder on a London street the cops will stand around helplessly(screw the anti-stab vests and nightsticks) waiting for an ARMED cop to show, but if you say something non-PC on FB they'll show up and haul you away...

Tam, I fear you're right: if they do act before the window closes it's going to be really, really nasty. And when they've let it get this bad, 'nasty' is about the only thing that CAN stop it.

Kristophr said...

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/340345.php

And now they are attacking French soldiers in Paris ...

Will said...

Heaven forbid the concept of soldiers actually being armed, when dressed, should re-occur to these idiots. Nah, never happen in this world.