So They Say!

Dealing with Terrorism

Should we therefore dismantle the State of Israel and restore the British mandate in order to prove that terrorism doesn’t pay? (David Clark, Denunciation doesn’t work, Guardian 25/7/05, explaining why it isn’t ‘giving in to terrorists’ to address causes of terrorism.)

Who is the useful idiot?

To argue that we must persist with our current strategy, however counterproductive and immoral it may be, on the basis that any change might be seen as a reward for terrorism, is the most foolish position of all. From Osama bin Laden’s point of view those who advocate it are useful indeed. To us, they are just idiots. (Ibid, answering the charge that to address causes of terrorism encourages terrorists and is to be ‘a useful idiot’ to the terrorists.)

Out of the Mouth of Monsters

All WMDs will be made highly visible so that we can find them. Any politician wanting to start a war will be shipped off to the country in question with a bag of conkers. They can then conker the country by themselves. (From the defence ‘manicfesto’ of the Monster Raving Loony party.)

The Perfect Autocrat

A defeat at the next election would not just be a defeat for Labour, but for me personally. (Tony Blair, in a speech quoted in the Guardian, 7/11/05)