International violence and UK security.

The superstitions of ancient man, in order to make any sense of his surroundings, created the Chimera legends of lion-headed beasts and griffin-winged camels. Beowulf, a book I read as a six year old, might seem a fantasy but it is based upon legend and the life and times of the people in the 6th century. Most of the 'natural' scenarios are as was flavoured with skin-movers, werewolves and all manner of weird creatures to add drama. Early Eugenics in the minds of the storytellers wasn't (because of all the other things they couldn't explain) unimaginable or impossible. Modern man has reached the point in his sciences and technology where such 'experimentation' could conceivably be possible as in resurrecting the dinosaur and other 'mythical' (as seen by the ancients) beasts. And so we move on to a 'better' world. Better - hmm - there's a word to conjure with.

Beowulf is on the telly at the moment, seems to be a cross between startreck and lord of the rings.

The story of Beowulf has some of its origins in early Iron Age histories. The hierarchy, the domestication, the weapons and modus-operadi of warfare are all based upon fact, but interspersed with mythical legends and fantasies (due in no small return to magic mushroom eating and self-induced intoxications from wild fruits and berries) that only make the whole seem to be science/fantasy fiction.

Once the Roman influences began to wane the original Druidic influences returned and the whole became a hotch-potch of what at first sight might appear to be 'nonsense'. It was far from that for the indigenous population, who HAD to believe in something tangible to explain their reasons for being. The present series is reasonably good although it strays considerably from the original stories.

Mr. Hollande announced that France is at war with terrorism after the Bataclan massacre, but after the Nice massacre, serious questions. They might be doing a lot, but are the French government and security forces doing enough to meet the realities?

I should ask my niece just that as she was at the Bastille celebrations with her son on the night in question.
I doubt she cares for the question, seeing how things were, but then it's the not caring and the 'I'm alright Jack' attitudes of most that eventually lead to such things happening. In a world of multitudes and a world of finite resource and the better served taking the lion's share, leaving the rest with next to nothing, the 'blow-back' from such will only get worse and worse.

I've said before  that the 20th century was the century for 'World Wars' and the 21st century the century of the 'Terror Wars' and the 22nd century, if man ever gets there, will be the century of either 'world government' or ' the century of the 'Emancipation of the species'. it's a headlong flight to the eradication of a very large portion of the species whichever road you go down in order that the 'species' survives.

If technology by then has progressed sufficiently towards colonisation of 'other' home-lands, the previous scenario may prove unnecessary. Only time will tell.

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France seems slow to protect it's territory and population, perhaps they will get more organised now? It's no use Hollande saying France is at war, then hoping the problem will go away. That's the thing about wars, once they start, you either win or lose.

An attack like the one in Nice is pretty much impossible to counter.  The best we can hope is that this is gesture killings, and not an attempt to obliterate large swathes of population.

The French people are naturally angry now, barriers on roads, tougher checks on lorry licences, increased policing, deportations, those sort of things will probably happen now. It's not clear whether France considers itself to be in under attack in a war situation as yet.

I'm more inclined to the 'gesture' killing, aided and abetted by a couple of ne'er-do-wells. The guns and explosives (of which we haven't heard much) were possibly provided by group or groups affiliated to so-called IS but not IS inspired.

There's always the possibility that this 'attack' was far more sophisticated than it appears. An attack that didn't fulfil it's total impact. For instance - how did the wagon get through the first barriers? Was the wagon expected to get further along the prom, where others were waiting for the chance to take part with the guns and explosives to increase the casualties and blood-letting?

There's so much we haven't been told - and probably never will be. OR, as johnb says was it a single mental-case with some sort of anti-social bent who wanted 'out' along with as many as he could take with him? Whatever the 'plan' they are the sort of 'plans' there is little to no defence against cry:

With the level of horror and death increasing, there is division in French opinion, between those understanding the attacks as unconnected crimes by deranged individuals, about which little can be done, and those who see it as an ongoing campaign, war of attrition, that can and must be defended against.

Of course there are plenty of other countries with similar or worse problems, but France is our next door neighbour whether we like it or not.

Well we have never been terribly happy about that. They do say - location, location, location -. Would be nice if France decided not to reside so close but I don't think Ms Hollande could move it on his own.
France has made rods for it's own back. It surprises me NOT.

That seems a bit harsh on France, yes they can be annoying, but a pretty decent lot really. France is something of a buffer country between us and the violence and turmoil of the middle east. It's in our interests that they put up a good defence.

I do have long standing friendships with some French people but in the main I find them somewhat deceitful and not a nation I would trust as a whole. Probably not as bad as some that can be found globally. Having said that - beggars cannot be choosers. They reside nearby and thus efforts must be made to co-exist - but keep the Channel patrolled at all times.
France wishes to expand its EU influence across half the globe and thus must put up with ALL that such entails. Mass immigration and cultures alien to its own. Good luck with that one. In consequence she leaves herself wide open to abuse - ergo - Paris. Nice. and wherever next !!!!

The French have the 'Système d’alerte et d’information des populations', to send instant warnings, information and advice directly to people’s phones if a bombing, shooting or other terrorist incident happens near them.

A warning message for the Nice lorry attack arrived three hours late, adding to the confusion.

President Holland now says he will remove French citizenship from convicted terrorists, and, ignore E.U. rules to massively increase spending on security and defence. That he will create a 'national guard'.

“The security pact takes precedence over the stability pact. France is at war,” he said.

President Hollande is talking the talk, can he walk the walk? So far he has given every impression of being pompous and ineffective. Former French prime minister François Fillon said Hollande symbolises a "lack of determination" to fight terrorism.

My advice to all British people would be - Only if your journey is necessary -. For holidays - what's wrong with your own country (apart from the weather). Holidays at home help our own economy and provides jobs - if you care at all.

For international business i would say that the world is no more dangerous now than it was when we were building an Empire across it - and it didn't stop us then.

As for the French. They always talked, incessantly, but they have never walked the walk since Napoleon and I doubt they ever will again. Whereas I know our lot can, if they put their backs into it.

A lot of British holidaymakers are spending their holidays 'at home', in Kent, but, that isn't really a choice, more of a motorway nightmare.

I have no sympathy for well-heeled trippers taking our money out of the country to spend it in other countries when it could be spent so much more usefully here at home. The more they have to spend on the motorway (to enterprising migrants) the better for our home economy. I just hope they are turning off their engines whilst they 'tarry'. Kent has enough to put up with as it is.

So you think the French are doing us a favour by encouraging our domestic holiday trade, perhaps the motorway to Dover could be developed as a sort of holiday theme park?

Rumours are, that traffic jams in Kent will be solid for the summer. Perhaps it could be arranged for travelling fairs, circuses and other entertainments to be set up? The present arrangement of people using the woods as toilet facilities and the children playing in the traffic isn't ideal.

The French are not know for their magnanimosity. If such has occurred it is purely by accident.  The idea of a Kent motorway resort will no doubt appeal to some and will have already been perused by enterprising immigrants who will have already cornered the market - and therein lies the rub.

Desperate people make for imaginative schemes and some are without doubt corrupt and downright dishonest but - that is the price you pay for social engineering gone wrong.

A million immigrants in one go to Germany will tip the balance there within 12 months, especially when the Germans themselves begin to suffer the effects. The French have had far too many colonials cousins within their ranks for years and are more acclimatised to such 'inputs'. This pisses them off. So much so that someone over there tweaked the 'machinery' for us telling them to put their EU where the monkey puts its nuts and casually withdrew a number of their border officials and told the rest to go slow. It's the way of 'people politics' when the governments get it wrong. Hey ho - grand world in'it!

Maybe traffic from London etc is a security threat the French can control, other borders must be more difficult. Is traffic on the other side of the channel also held up in huge jams? No mention of that in the news.

No. It's only in Dover. Piss orf the Brits time. Excuse - too many 'terror attacks' happening in France - withdraw security to the mainland - oops - not enough security officials to look after Dover - so who cares. Let the Brits sort it out. Brits sort it out. That's all right then isn't it?

The murder and bloody Islamic sermon at the altar of St-Etienne-du-Rouvray church today, was particularly gruesome, but that's the way of I.S., always something more horrible than before. The French seem slow and clumsy to react to evident threats, they need to get things under control now, before it escalates further.

Impossible to detect and foil all the potential criminal acts that will be planned and attempted. Anywhere. France is no exception although better integration and more attention to ethnic minorities over the past 50 years and less wielding of the stick on relatively unimportant matters may have enabled their security forces to do a far better job of detection prior to attacks. As you sow so shall etc etc etc -. We make rods for our own backs and are then surprised when shit happens -.

Quite so. Hollande is getting a lot of criticism.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/27/president-hollande-is-on-his-way-out-his-failure-to-stop-jacques/
They really need to . . . or is it too little too late? Events are moving quickly, not only in France.
Still, it's nice and peaceful here in cloud-cuckoo land, for the moment. For those going on holiday, mind the seagulls don't steal your ice-cream.