181.
I have not been so angry in a long time. I was, and still am, absolutely livid. I was so furious that I almost threw the dishes I was drying at his smug, self-righteous face. I so wanted to smack that mouth out of which were spewing a plethora of patronising platitudes. Before you wonder, the object of this rage is not Liam. No, I am talking about our Minister of Defence, Geoffrey Hoon (the man's a balloon), who was busy telling John Snow on Channel 4 News that Britain really needs to respond to Bush's request to have British troops take over areas of Iraq that are presently under American misrule, all in order to enable GWB to send more American soldiers to their death in an electoral attack on Fallujah. Hoon (the man's a balloon) has said that any such deployment of British troops would be an operational matter, and therefore up to the generals. I, and apparently most of the British people and parliamentarians, am of the opinion that any such redeployment would be a political matter, and therefore up to Parliament. I, and most of the British public, object to sending a battalion of Scottish soldiers, from the soon to be disbanded BLACK WATCH regiment, to replace American troops who will be redeployed to Fallujah. It is bad enough that US soldiers and Iraqi civilians are dying to get GWB re-elected - at the end of the day that is a matter for the American electorate; it is, however, an absolute disgrace that Scottish soldiers are being sent to die to get him re-elected. As Hoon (the man's a balloon) was speaking, I was yelling that as much as I hated Margaret Thatcher and the Tory governments she led, at least you knew where you stood with her. At least she was honest and had the courage of her convictions. Blair has already admitted that "he made a mistake" and misled the British people (i.e. he lied), now Hoon (the man's a balloon) is lying to us again. All I can say is shame on them. I waited 18 years to see a Labour government elected: dammit, I was a card carrying member of the Labour Party for most of the 1980s and 90s. I expected them to govern for the people. Words can't express my disappointment and my anger at the whole shower of patronising liars who are only too willing to send Scottish soldiers into harm's way to protect a lie and get the most dangerous man on Earth re-elected into the most powerful office on Earth. Shame on you Blair. Shame on you Hoon (the man's a balloon). A plague on your houses.