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Ongoing Olympian cock up and plaudits' discussion.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 21:41
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200+ million pound contract - if the head honcho is trying to blag that they were being kept in the dark I think you'll find they are going to be found out and disposed of.
If Bob Diamond didn't manage to hang on with his claws I would be surprised if these fools can keep the confidence of their major shareholders.
Seriously - if you held a chunk (say 3-4+%) of G4S shares would you be happy to continue with the status quo in the boardroom?
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>> Seriously - if you held a chunk (say 3-4+%) of G4S shares would you be
>> happy to continue with the status quo in the boardroom?
>>
Even more seriously, is now a good time to buy G4S shares or to sell them?
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shares fell on Thursday, fell on Friday, will open lower on Monday, don't be too quick to press the "buy buy buy" button.
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quotes from the sunday times business section
Buckles (CEO) cost the firm £55m in failed takeover last year
riled investors
will affect the companies ability to win government contracts
investors told in May the Olympic contract was going well
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 15 Jul 12 at 09:09
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...to continue with the status quo in the boardroom...
They might make a better job of it than the current lot.
Down, down, deeper and down, or Down the Dustpipe:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWo3j8pXq8M
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So 39 G4S temps don't turn up for work on a wet Monday morning in Salford.
So that's at least 39 Security uniforms gone walkabouts too.
Maybe terrorists might be able to bid for them on eBay soon.
All so, so utterly predictable.
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It would appear they were trying to run recruitment ops with a small core of permanent staff but 90% with temporary managers..
Well that will ensure the managers know that if they pick the wrong staff, it will hurt their future promotion prospects.. NOT.
I am not surprised after my experiences on the Census: you can expect about 30% of all temporary staff not to turn up or to leave after Day 1/Week 1.
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That's why the Census job and others offer a bonus payment to those that stay on.
I don't suppose the idea occured to G4S.
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The collectors on my first "round" turned up...... but apparently well educated people couldn't do the work, couldn't read a map, couldn't "find" houses - this graduateran a high rate of refusals (from memory I had less than 1/2 a dozen) but I was tasked with doing follow ups on one collector, it was clear that she's lied either about calling there at all or speaking to the residents. There were blatant lies recorded on her returns. She left owing the job hours. No doubt picked up her bonus at the end and puts the job on her CV with associate BS. In contrast I partnered up with a guy on the Census Survey phase, in his 30s he'd been made redundant from an engineering role....no corner cutting, good sound bloke.
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Some of the "games makers" are just as bad.
For example, at venue training last weekend.
Clear email instructions supplied, Don't turn up in Uniform it said, a third of them did, bring your pocket guide it said, a third of them didn't. I can't tell you how many people I had to lend my pen to because they didn't think to bring one.
Once there after the general blurb, we were told we would be called out by functional area. Young Bloke next to me says "I don't know what my functional area is" I point him to his accreditation round his neck where it says "Event Services", So he gets up when they call the badminton team.
I have come to the conclusion we are breeding a nation of morons, specially those that now go to university. Not an ounce of common sense, initiative or ability to communicate.
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>> I can't tell
>> you how many people I had to lend my pen to because they didn't think
>> to bring one.
I had the same problem last week at the local traffic department, when renewing my drivers' license.
Clue: Do you think there is a slight chance that you may have to fill in a form or two, or sign something?
Oh, and then they want to wander off with the damned thing! Wrong! You want to borrow, you stand HERE! And when I want it back, I want it back NOW!
can't folk understand this?
Last edited by: Ian (Cape Town) on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 17:16
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You have a nation of people who have no idea of the concept of standing on your own two feet, as they have no concept of the idea of suffering if you get it wrong.
I belong to beekeeping forums. Now bees sting and can be very nasty if badly handled. So you think new beekeepers would attempt to learn something about them before they spend £350 buying bees, and a hive and a uniform..
Wrong.. "I have a much bigger bee in my hive . What is it?" went one post. It's a drone - a male bee - was the response.
60 years of welfare state have lead to a load of morons.. they may be intelligent but have no common sense.
As for recruiting them as security guards... "well Mr Smith, if you leave your smoking bag here whilst you go through the X ray machine I'll give it to you on the other side..2
I would imagine that the chances of infiltration by terrorist sympathisers is 160%.
Last edited by: madf on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 18:03
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Public Servants bailing out the no-shows @30k a day ! This is going to run and run isn't it !
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As G4S have a penalty clause and have to reimburse the UK Government for all its additional support - police, Armed forces etc... it's only a matter of time when the MD is fired.
They are also highly geared so a big cash outflow due to that could conceivably bust them..
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A pot pourri of the latest news snippets. Police called to fill at a Birmingham hotel when only 17 G4S employees turned up out of about 40 expected.
One bus with some of the USA team took over 4 hours to get from LHR to Stratford; the driver didn't know how to work the GPS, a passenger got it working him and then it didn't have the Olympic Village in the database! Cue lots of Googling and then a passenger on a mobile with GPS giving directions! Less than 60 minutes planned time!
The passengers were only going to Stratford to get their accreditation documentation but the organisers say there was an office at LHR to issue it and they could have gone direct M25/M1/M6.
It can only get better?
Last edited by: Meldrew on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 18:33
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Buy lots of popcorn and fizzy pop - this is going to be better than the boring running, jumping and throwing of the actual games!
"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together"
(The A team, if you are old enough to have seen it!)
Last edited by: Roger on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 18:45
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>> Buy lots of popcorn and fizzy pop - this is going to be better than
>> the boring running, jumping and throwing of the actual games!
>>
>> "Don't you just love it when a plan comes together"
>>
>> (The A team, if you are old enough to have seen it!)
>
You know what, some of you guys are really quite sad, sitting around squawking around like senile old ladies trying to find and delight in any slight hic up.
To be honest, you make me ashamed to be British.
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> >
>> You know what, some of you guys are really quite sad, sitting around squawking around
>> like senile old ladies trying to find and delight in any slight hiccup.
>>
Wow - ageist & sexist in one post - well done Zero ;-)
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>> Sorry - I forgot Fat.
>>
True, in my case!!
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Direct to Birmingham, the location of their training camp, I should have explained
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>>As G4S have a penalty clause and have to reimburse the UK Government for all
>> its additional support - police, Armed forces etc... it's only a matter of time when
>> the MD is fired.
>>
I haven't sworn for weeks!
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>> Public Servants bailing out the no-shows @30k a day ! This is going to run
>> and run isn't it !
>>
ergo public servants sitting around with nothing better to do?
p.s. will that public service make a profit out of the £30k that G4S will reimburse them?
Last edited by: John H on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 18:49
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>> >> Public Servants bailing out the no-shows @30k a day ! This is going to
>> run
>> >> and run isn't it !
>> >>
>>
>> ergo public servants sitting around with nothing better to do?
>>
>> p.s. will that public service make a profit out of the £30k that G4S will
>> reimburse them?
>>
>>
You shouldn't assume you know what they say about that, the mother of... ;)
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The public servants in question will have been pulled in on their days off and given a shedfull of overtime.
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Statement to parliament earlier this afternoon:
"May confirmed to MPs that G4S has promised to meet all the extra police and military costs including the bill for sending officers to cover for G4S staff failing to turn up for work."
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/16/g4s-assured-overshoot-olympic-staff-theresa-may?newsfeed=true
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'The public servants in question will have been pulled in on their days off and given a shedfull of overtime.'
Ahhm, not everyone ;)
Last edited by: sooty123 on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 18:54
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so we read/hear reports that:
"In Manchester police were forced to step in after only 17 of an expected 56 G4S staff turned up at an Olympic team hotel in Salford"
and
"Armed police have been forced to step in to protect Olympic athletes arriving in Manchester, it emerged today. Greater Manchester Police drafted in cops after G4S failed to provide security guards as contracted to protect the Worsley Marriott Hotel where several athletes are due to stay."
Also according to:
twitter.com/BBCNWT/status/224912711417479168
"Olympic security fiasco moves to Manchester. Police bail out G4S at a cost of £30,000 a day"
two points:
1. It costs the Police £30k per day to replace 39 missing G4S guards.
2. G4S was never contracted to provide "armed" guards.
Last edited by: John H on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 19:22
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>> and
>>
>> "Armed police have been forced to step in to protect Olympic athletes arriving in Manchester,
>> it emerged today. Greater Manchester Police drafted in cops after G4S failed to provide security
>> guards as contracted to protect the Worsley Marriott Hotel where several athletes are due to
>> stay."
>> 1. It costs the Police £30k per day to replace 39 missing G4S guards.
>> 2. G4S was never contracted to provide "armed" guards.
Exactly, didn't the editor of that story consider to strange to have G4S contracted to supply armed guards.
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Any normal company would have had a dry run the day before to see what problems they might have,
I expect the G4S non showers accepted a job in order to qualify for benefits.. Job done.
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Anybody from G4S armed with anything more than a clipboard would be highly suspect.
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I love the way the BBC mentioned the special Olympic Lane that opened today on the M4 several times in tonight's news bulletin, and completely failed to mention the 34 miles of queues on the London-bound carriageway this morning.
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I don't think the lane was responsible for the accident at J11 Reading.
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What's the fine for driving through one of these lanes?
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The accident at J11 wasn't responsible for the queues from 11 to 2.
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There were not queues from 11 - 2 It was misreported by Sky News, who even showed film of the WRONG ROAD.
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That's a bit steep even for down south, just over double the price of a speeding fine, ouch.
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Its the same as a bus lane fine or an overstay at a central london meter.
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Fair enough I don't know London at all, still seems steep mind.
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You try copping a parking fine, it seem REALLY steep.
65 quid for early payment tho.
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No option with that for the ZiL lane?
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Yes I think so, I certainly got away with a 65 squid half price bonus when I strayed into a bus lane.
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Funny all the traffic news got it wrong as well though. And a friend who works at Heathrow and lives in Theale was four hours late for work.
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The traffic problems were first reported by Sky News to be on the M4, but further enquiries established that the tailback images it broadcast were from the A4.
Ironically, the Highways Agency said few problems were reported on the M4 itself.
If he was late it had sod all to do with the Olympic lane on the M4, which was, if we recall, there for a large number of years before the games ever came along.
So its 34 miles from Theale to Heathrow is it?
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However distasteful some of them may find it, I agree with those who complain about this dreary Eeyoring about the Olympics. My sport-hating credentials are impeccable, I like London and hate traffic congestion, but enough is enough.
Of course I often think enough is enough when watching the endless torch waddle too. 'Fascism for fatties,' I even thought unkindly for a moment during tonight's local news. But look, it's the way it's being done here. We haven't got the Red Army Choir and 100,000 gymnasts to do a synchronized thing in Hyde Park or face execution, have we? There's a lot more to come and we must hope some of it will be entertaining or exciting and that not too much of it will be embarrassing.
Benefit of the doubt comrades. It isn't over till the very fat lady sings.
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Ashamed to be British eh! Zeddo. The whole thing is a farce, Rix style. The G4S crap was always going to happen. We cannot find ONE new member of staff with half a brain and some common sense. They were on to a non-starter from the off if you'll pardon my unintended pun.
MD.
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>>
>> So its 34 miles from Theale to Heathrow is it?
>>
Who said that?
I said the queues were 34 miles according to a couple of national newspapers, and the local traffic news.
I then said my friend was late for work driving from Theale to Heathrow, which involves sitting in a chunk of that 34 mile queue.
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>> Funny all the traffic news got it wrong as well though. And a friend who
>> works at Heathrow and lives in Theale was four hours late for work.
>>
Nah, the traffic jams were caused by this (G4S not responsible, I hear):
i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/16/article-2174441-1415B1FE000005DC-496_634x422.jpg
;-)
story here
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174441
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SFAIK it is not illegal to use the Olympic lanes (except the M4 one ) until the games are actually on. Apparently there is signage saying this but the the big logos on the road and the thought of a £130 fine makes people risk averse
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I do agree that the essentially Thatcherite decision to use a fly-by-night minicab and bouncer firm to mastermind Olympic security does look a colossal booboo. It doesn't seem too specifically Tory by recent standards. The rot has become general.
We have to hope that the real security services, and people trained or at least approved by them, will fill in the gaps. But it will cost us.
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>> It doesn't seem too specifically Tory by recent standards. The rot has become general.
Let us not forget Labour signed the contracts with G4S. That company is a disaster. About to implode with lots of sales. Who would give them a large contract now?
They had a chance to show how good they were - they did the opposite. Ooops.
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Further to my post in the 'Olympic Security Mess' on 12th July at 07.07; the first post in fact, I have now had an email from G4S to say that I have passed screening and my details have been sent to LOCOG for further accreditation, 'this may take several weeks'.
Phrases involving organising drinks parties in wine bars and not being able to make it up come to mind!
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So you might be able to help when the Paralympics start... freeing up others. Maybe sooner than the Paralympics.
Still poor on the organisers but we should not assume the military will be needed for the duration. The police also.
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Better that Jeremy Hunt should have kept quiet and been thought an idiot, rather prove it by making the desperate statement on Newsnight, "We can guarantee a safe and secure Olympics".
He might have realised his mistake soon afterwards. When Kirsty played his statement back to him as a question at the end of the interview, obviously sensing a historic gaffe in the making, he swerved into something like "I believe we can have a safe and secure Olympics".
I do hope he's right. If he is it will be despite locog and G4S.
I make no apology for carping, I've been fuming about it on and off since 2007!
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 16 Jul 12 at 23:03
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>> I make no apology for carping, I've been fuming about it on and off since
>> 2007!
Wow thats a long period of angst, what exactly have you been fuming about? Did you know then G4S would fail to come up with the goods?
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>> Wow thats a long period of angst, what exactly have you been fuming about? Did you know
>> then G4S would fail to come up with the goods?
And if yes then Manatee is to blame for not doing something. Watch the papers. :-)
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Well clearly. A meeting with Paxman is called for I think
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On and off I said. So only when I think about it! Bit difficult not to be reminded at the moment.
No I didn't know it was going to be so embarrassing, just hideously expensive, disruptive and pointless. Let the Greeks have it permanently. It's the Eurovision song contest *10^6.
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Shouldn't it all be funded centrally if they want to move it around etc.? Not going to happen so do not discuss.
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>> I do agree that the essentially Thatcherite decision to use a fly-by-night minicab and bouncer
>> firm to mastermind Olympic security does look a colossal booboo.
Oi. You leave my heroine out of it.
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For anyone out there who doesn't hate the Olympics or the BBC and has an iphone or ipad touch can I recommend the BBC's Olympics App. Excellent and free.
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Just looking at those pics makes me wonder how anybody can live in such places. What is the point?
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What do you think of the BBC's Olympics trailer? Very impressive, but I haven't yet got used to the stylised 'athletes' - some of them look a bit scary...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ViLiXA0E70
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Thanks for that very useful App Link CGN. I don't hate the Olympics per se, but a noble and worthwhile endeavour is overshadowed by a mire of commercialism, organisational chaos and political buck passing.
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And there was no hesitation there Mellers. I thought I would catch you and get a point!
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Just found the latest C4S recruit - summary follows.
London Underground cleaner found £20,000 violin left on a train and stole it
Caught on CCTV
Sacked and violin returned to owner
Went to court - 12 Months prison suspended for 2 years, 180 hours Community Service, £500 costs and £500 compensation to violin owner.
Now employed as a security guard!
Doesn't make me think CRB checks can mean much so he is probably on an Olympic site near us
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The idiots who recruit for G4S would have done better by recruiting the over 50s.. at least they would turn up for work.
Friend in Cumbria has a job as guard for Olympics in LONDON! Staying in a tent! So how long before he gets fed up having his belongings stolen/trashed etc and gives up?
Anyone recruiting staff for London from Cumbria has zero common sense
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They had a ready and willing workforce amongst the thousands of recently retired Police Officers/Civil Servants and Military....no need to even look elsewhere if they'd have thought it out.
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>> They had a ready and willing workforce amongst the thousands of recently retired Police Officers/Civil
>> Servants and Military....no need to even look elsewhere if they'd have thought it out.
>>
What stopped them from applying? Low pay and/or low status?
cost it out:
It costs GMP £30k per day to pay for 40 police at Salford.
Say just 4000 were needed for the two months of Olympics/Para-Olympics work.
That makes it £30m per day for 4000 officers
For two months (60 days), multiply by 60 = £1.8billion for the two months.
G4S contract was to provide 10,400 guards for £284 million.
For 10,400 police, GMP would want nearly £5 billion.
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What's wrong with this idea? Keep the armed forces at a level that WILL be required for the carp that exists and the humungous amount more that will guarantee to follow. Equip them and train them well and pay them fairly.
Olympics come along. Use the forces. Men of the right Calibre. No need for an amateur G4S to be involved.
Oh! and whilst your at it please can we have our power and water back in GB's hands and the railways too. Oh! and for those that will flag the unions and bang on about inefficiency get the railways etc. run by military types. Call it socialism if you will, but it need not be. What we have isn't working.
MD
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MD. a slight variation or re-phrasing of your concept, if I may
1. Government draws up a plan, deciding what their military requirements are for next ten years
2. The military assess the plan and tell the government what budget they will need for manpower, equipment and consumables.
3. The Government agree(?) and everything works from there
Reality
1. The Government has no plan and nobody in the upper levels of Government has any military experience of any sort.
2. The military stumble on doing more with less, coping with inadequate or inappropriate equipment delivered years late and over budget.
3. Recruiting is flat, good people are leaving voluntarily and the rest are being culled. Some people are being made redundant a month before becoming entitled to a pension
4. We can't fight an illegal "war" in Afghanistan properly; nothing achieved in 10 years except 400+ bodybags and many more amputees and mentally stressed.
However they can be dragged off leave to live in a shopping mall in Wapping and bail out some laughably incompetent multi-national organisation
It is a big crock!
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We can't fight an illegal "war" in Afghanistan properly; nothing achieved in 10 years except 400+ bodybags and many more amputees and mentally stressed.
No you are completely wrong.
Afghanistan has become the major supplier of cocaine to the UK..(fact)
We invaded Afghanistan as the Taliban were threatening to cut off supplies( fact) and our addicts were having to pay too much.(fact) . (I know we did not invade for that reason of course, but that is what we have achieved.)
The "war on drugs" is a misnomer : it's the "war for drugs".
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>> you are completely wrong.
>> Afghanistan has become the major supplier of cocaine to the UK..(fact)
Shome mishtake shurely madf? Cocaine comes from Latin America. Afghanistan produces opium, from which heroin is made, and is alleged to be the main source of heroin sold on our streets. Why western governments don't simply buy the stuff at the market rate - it is an important medical drug after all - instead of trying to eradicate cultivation is completely beyond me. It would be far cheaper and far more effective.
You are going completely over the top when you claim that 'we' invaded Afghanistan to keep drug prices low for our addicts. The Taliban happily trades in opium anyway. It is true though that the lesser product cannabis, in the form of hashish, was allegedly imported from Afghanistan in some quantity by the RAF for a while. Not sure whether it was true, but there was a medium-grade hash named RAF being sold a couple of years ago.
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No - we went initially, in support of the legal government, basically on a hearts and minds mission to rebuild the infrastructure after the Russian's failed invasion
"It then quoted Reid as saying: "We're in the south to help and protect the Afghan people to reconstruct their economy and democracy. We would be perfectly happy to leave in three years time without firing one shot."
We have no clear objective or exit strategy. The West announces that it controls 50% of the country but ignores the fact the Taliban control the other 50% and is running their part the way we are trying to prevent (Sharia Courts, no education for girls, adult females not allowed to work etc)
We shall be pulling out in the next 18 months whether the job, whatever it is, is complete or not. Within a year or two the Taliban will run much more of the country than they do now and NATO's expenditure of lives, money and materiel will be recognised for the futile waste of money that it is.
The only positive is the recently discovered mineral resources which may stablise the economy if the unrest can can be controlled enough to allow large scale mining operations
Last edited by: Meldrew on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 15:24
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>> No - we went initially, in support of the legal government, basically on a hearts
>> and minds mission to rebuild the infrastructure after the Russian's failed invasion
You missed out a huge chunk of stuff in-between Russian Invasion and American Invasion. Not the least the fact there was no legal government to assist. We (the yanks and us) have since installed a corrupt and illegal one.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 17:56
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>> You missed out a huge chunk of stuff in-between Russian Invasion and American Invasion. Not
>> the least the fact there was no legal government to assist. We (the yanks and
>> us) have since installed a corrupt and illegal one.
And of course during the Soviet occupation the West supported the mujahideen/Taliban on basis of my enemy's enemy etc....
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Well done Mellers. Nicely worded. I shall come for lessons. Crock is right. Cheers.
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>> Anyone recruiting staff for London from Cumbria has zero common sense
>>
Number of things wrong with your thinking.
1. law prevents contractors bidding for public sector work from refusing applications from people from oop north.
2. people from oop north must be stupid to apply for jobs in London that reqquire staying in a tent.
3. why should people from oop north need better housing than our fellow EU citizens:
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2174034
4. Zero has more common sense than all the people from Cumbria put together.
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>> Doesn't make me think CRB checks can mean much so he is probably on an
>> Olympic site near us
>>
Nah, all that excellent work done by the CRB bureaucracy can't be faulted in any way, can it?
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>> It costs GMP £30k per day to pay for 40 police at Salford.
No it doesn't cost them that - they are not paying each police officer £750 per day are they.
For the lower level stewarding roles I would have thought recruitment and training at university campuses made sense. You would only need to target a few campuses to get enough people interested.
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Right well, got to spend tomorrow and the next day driving into and about central London. I'll let you know in due course how patriotic, tolerant and supportive of it all it makes me feel...going with an open mind of course.
:-)
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It's the best thing for the country ever, Humph. Any difficulty or inconvenience it causes you is frankly such a piffling price to pay that it won't even register. ;-)
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Oh OK, I'll bear that in mind. I shall remain charitably disposed to it at all times I'm sure...
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Mind, we are not too keen on Jocks coming down here, they tend to get drunk, fight, vomit in the gutter and swing on the goal posts.
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Don't tend to wear bikinis though.
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>> Don't tend to wear bikinis though.
The negatives are in a safe place then Humph?
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Mr pda is in Central London delivering bottled water to Hyde Park and the the Olympics, so watch out for a big blue lorry Humph!
He will be cursing the olympic lanes just as much as you.
Pat
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I shall be serene, unflustered and sanguine Pat.
Possibly...
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A friend's 19 year old son is working in bottled water distribution at the beach volleyball site. He's quite looking forward to it!
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Braille wouldn't be so bad in those circumstances.
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If it's under 16degrees C the girls will be wearing sweatshirts :-(
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Take it you've checked Bromp? I think we should go-ogle it.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Tue 17 Jul 12 at 19:41
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I'd be praying for searing heat, and then a sudden, sharp downpour... :-)
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Tell you what DP, don't, whatever you do, google "images" of "Beach Volleyball in the Rain"...I just did, purely in the interests of research and to get into the Olympic spirit of course and it's not for the faint hearted...
Not if if you're on any kind of medication anyway...
:-)
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Olympic Miscellany Vol 2. - Lygonos
