The national mood (The nation that is PH at least)

[mrsd]

How's everyone feeling today, at the brink of war. I am, in turns:
angry-I don't know why we're going to war and what it's going to acheive.

confused-Don't know how to reconcile wanting Saddam out, with not wanting war.

worried-Is this going to push terrorists to greater outrages

relaxed-Can't see that it's going to impact me much (although I do have relatives in the DoD)

Is everyone else feeling like this ? Does that go anywhere towards explaining the foul mood in several threads (ie. practically all of them) today ?

[gargamel]

A little worried - a little excited - i think we are doing now what we should have done in 1992 and finish the regime once and for all

World security isn't always gained through talking

I just hope they surrender quickly and not too many people get hurt

[Graham.J]

TBH, I'm not that bothered about it, I'm worried if anything because my brother-in-law and people I know are out there, that's about it really, can't say I'm that worried about the war itself, just the well being of friends and family.

[ultimasimon]

yeah my feelings too. My old neighbours just bought two gas masks today and I don't know whether to laugh at them or go and buy one.

B-liars anti-terrorist web site says go stock up on water and tinned stuff just incase.. Great, I feel for the poor sods that get locked in a bunker with me after I consume a case of baked beans I live about a quarter of a mile away from Heathrow airport so if "they" are going to do anything their then I would probably get it as well.

The way I see it is there's no point in worrying about it or trying to predict what could or will happen. Best to just carry on unflinched and not to let the situation get the better of us.

I never wanted "us" to get involved in with the yanks as I reckon their big enough to deal with soddem and crew on their own without us holding their hand, but now that we are I just pray it's all over very quickly with as few casualties as possible.

Rather than stock up on tinnies, I am going to fill up all my vehicles with Ultimax while I can get it...I know where my priorities lie

[yertis]

I've got that butterfly's feeling (slightly) that I used to get when I had a fight scheduled on the way home from school. God knows what the guys out there must be feeling. Especially the Iraquis.

Definately a different atmosphere generally to the Football match that was Gulf War 1.

[cat women]

I'm feeling a tad patriotic, and thinking that it's about time.

Howay the lads!

[phib]

Well maybe I am the only one worried then, never been worried before with Falklands,previous iraq or any of the other wars but I must say this one feels a little to close to home.
I guess the second point as I have no faith in the goverment and their ability to manage any kind of crisis, just look what happened when we had snow let alone a chemical attack !!!!
It makes me a little worried and I have to admit buying extra tinned food, cat food and bottled water so you may think I am mad but for the sake of a few £ I would kick myself if I didn't have it!!!!
And finally the last most worrying thing it is making me feel is a tiny bit racist, which can't be good.

[apache]

cat women said: I'm feeling a tad patriotic, and thinking that it's about time.

Howay the lads!

well said that Lass! bout time someone showed a bit of spu.....spirit

[mrs fish]

I just hope they do it bloody right this time round, so we are not in the same position in another 12 years time, when Uday is in power.

Plus I am worried for people I know are out there.

[mrsd]

phib said:
And finally the last most worrying thing it is making me feel is a tiny bit racist, which can't be good.

Yeah, I've got that too. For the first time in my life I'm looking at people with suspicion, based on their clothes and the color of their skin. It's not rational and it's certainly not right, but I can't shake it off.

[agent006]

Call me shallow and selfish, but i'm quite pleased we've stopped nonceing around and actually made a decision. Lots of my (I.T.) clients are in financial services, and at least the markets are looking up a bit. So they'll have more money to pay me with.

On a serious note, i'm fairly intreagued, the last major war we fought (gulf war), i was 7 years old. As such i didn't take much notice, except drawing pictures of tanks mroe than before. This one should be more of a learning experience.

[gargamel]

Phib

Without wishing to be mean ....how is extra cat food going to help ? You can get equally good fray bentos meat chunks which are a lot nicer, especially once the roasted cat meat has run out

[cnh1990]

mrsd said:

phib said:
And finally the last most worrying thing it is making me feel is a tiny bit racist, which can't be good.

Yeah, I've got that too. For the first time in my life I'm looking at people with suspicion, based on their clothes and the color of their skin. It's not rational and it's certainly not right, but I can't shake it off.

I would not feel too bad about it. We had an issue with racial profiling here after 9/11. After all the terrorist here anyways have been middle eastern. We do not look at a white person from Europe or a Chinese guy as likely terror suspects. Thats the way it has been since the terroism alerts have been going on.
Calvin

[polar_ben]

Apologies if it's old news, but I've just been sent this - www.zen15631.zen.co.uk/bb.mpg

[anonymous-user]

On a serious note, i'm fairly intreagued, the last major war we fought (gulf war), i was 7 years old. As such i didn't take much notice, except drawing pictures of tanks mroe than before. This one should be more of a learning experience.

---

I was in my last year at school during the last Gulf War.
I remember one guy bringing in one of those mini Casio T.V's, and we put it on the window sill behind a book so the teacher couldn't see and we sat there watching Chinooks & other Helicopters landing whilst in the middle of a geography lesson

[CarZee]

Surprising as this might seem, we were talking about this in the pub earlier.

I'm against everyone's position. The poeple who are for the war are blinkered belligerants and those against it are spineless submissives.

That'll be the confused option then

Seriously, I hope it turns out that these men who none of us trust are doing the right thing. If it doesn't, whether we've bust a gut arguing about it or not, we're all going to be picking up the pieces - even if it's only by enduring Gordy as PM.

If it's any help, can we add "Killing an Arab" by The Cure to the PH album?

[Thom]

CarZee said:If it doesn't, whether we've bust a gut arguing about it or not, we're all going to be picking up the pieces

...and pay higher petrol prices

[atg]

I would not feel too bad about it. We had an issue with racial profiling here after 9/11. After all the terrorist here anyways have been middle eastern. We do not look at a white person from Europe or a Chinese guy as likely terror suspects. Thats the way it has been since the terroism alerts have been going on.
Calvin

We could all take a leaf out of the London Metropolitan Police book, "Racial Harmony, Spreading the Prejudice". During the time when the City was under fairly serious IRA threat, to the extent that you could only get into and out of the square mile through a handful of armed checkpoints, rather than exclusively target dodgy looking white males in Murphys builders vans, the MET seemed to spend a huge amount of time pulling over west indians. Jamaica has always been a hot bed of Irish nationalism .

[t1grm]

CarZee said:If it's any help, can we add "Killing an Arab" by The Cure to the PH album?

During GWI the beeb banned several songs for fear they cause offence. The aforementioned Cure number and In the air tonight by Phil Collins were among them. Does anyone know if they've done the same for GWII?

I was at Uni in Newcastle during the first one and I rember going down the river side club and the DJ was playing the Cure and Chemical Warfare by the Dead Kennedeys among others

I must admit I'm not too bothered about the war kicking off. If anything I'm a little excited and relieved it's finally starting (does that make me a sicko ?) - I've had BBC world on all day. I think I'd be a little bit more concerned if I lived/worked in Central London or Downtown New York though. Or Baghdad for that matter...

[Psychobert]

Thom said: ...and pay higher petrol prices

We will.. Will our friends across the pond?

Worried, as have friends out there. Not convinced its going to be over as quickly as we are told. Sure, we'll have a pretty good chance of steam rolling into Iraq and deposing Saddam, but not sure this won't give others an excuse to take a pop at us.

Spoke to a chap yesterday who is recently very senior in the forces. He commented on how sad it is that so many people are wanting to take a crack at others in the world, but if only we concentrated on making sure everyone has somewhere safe to live and enough food and water, there would be so many fewer with an excuse. Good point, and one that surprised me from someone at the forefront of that last time we got our tanks sandy..