Controversial?

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Cunobelin
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Cunobelin »

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Spinners
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Spinners »

On the fake poppy goods originating from China, one would think that a good UK Foreign Minister would tackle this. Anyone know of such a person?
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djnotts
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Re: Controversial?

Post by djnotts »

He or she wouldn't want to lose their cut though.....
reohn2
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Re: Controversial?

Post by reohn2 »

Spinners wrote:On the fake poppy goods originating from China, one would think that a good UK Foreign Minister would tackle this. Anyone know of such a person?

Not in the present government,no.
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thirdcrank
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Re: Controversial?

Post by thirdcrank »

I see that the BBC - using a Press Association release, have demoted Lance Sergeant Beharry

Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry paraded with Chelsea pensioners


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41957783

It reminds me that the only time when I played any sort of official role on Remembrance Sunday, my rank was the source of some unpleasantness.

In the early Eighties, I worked for a while in Dewsbury, which up to 1968 had had its own borough police force, including a chief constable. After the amalgamation in that year, they had to make do with the local chief superintendent who was still top brass. By 1983, that had dwindled to the point where a chief inspector was down to do it. When I got to work for a 1000 start, it turned out he'd been called out to a firearms incident during the night so it was me. A long-standing tradition was observed whereby the chief constable, as senior borough official was on the order of ceremony as Mayor's Escort. That put me third in-line behind His Worship the Mayor and Lady Mayoress, but in front of some VIP's including a couple of MP's. While we were still in our front-row pews in the Parish Church, the organiser approached me beside himself with indignation, saying that when we got to laying the wreathes at the war memorial, I'd be called out in alphabetical order as in "W" for West Yorkshire. Not a big deal for me, especially as I was probably one of the few people there who were in work's time and therefore being paid.

(For anybody missing the point, a chief cconstable has more badges of rank on their shoulders than a field marshal. A police inspector has the same as an army lieutenant - two pips.)

In the afternoon, there was an even bigger event at Mirfield: a march said to be one of the biggest in the county. I was on the saluting base but the top VIP was the Lord Lieutenant who, by coincidence lived at Mirfield. The weather was really atrocious and the march past took some time. Towards the rear of the parade were the uniformed organisations like the Scouts and Guides. In particular, I remember the Brownies, whose uniform didn't include any sort of greatcoat or even a mac, so they were all in their little brown dresses, looking really perished. The Mayoress was shocked and said so but somebody remarked along the lines that they were there to remember men who had given their lives and a bit of rain wouldn't hurt them. (Not to mention the hail, wind and bitter temperature.)

The sequel to this was when I recounted my experiences a couple of days later to a different chief inspector. She said I should have told him I had paid for the wreathes (which I hadn't.) She had only recently taken up the admin post and was surprised when two large poppy wreathes had been delivered with an invoice for twenty-five quid. (Possibly the same as a hundred quid today.) No record of any order or such like, but in something of a quandary, she had got the committee of the social club to stump up. (They got their funds from a one-armed bandit - the next best thing to a money-printing machine.) I had wondered why I had had two of the biggest wreathes in that bit of Kirklees.
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Tangled Metal »

reohn2 wrote:
Spinners wrote:On the fake poppy goods originating from China, one would think that a good UK Foreign Minister would tackle this. Anyone know of such a person?

Not in the present government,no.

They got seized what's your problem with that?

BTW how much rip off stuff comes from China? Some harmful stuff including lead paint containing children's toys. It's probably not the foreign secretary's job to raise this issue of fakes from China but some trade official in the diplomatic service. However don't let that get in the way of making a political point on a thread about remembrance. Whilst soldiers fought for country and our way of life (including freedom of speech) do you not think politics should be left out of discussions over remembrance day and related matters?
reohn2
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Re: Controversial?

Post by reohn2 »

Tangled Metal wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Spinners wrote:On the fake poppy goods originating from China, one would think that a good UK Foreign Minister would tackle this. Anyone know of such a person?

Not in the present government,no.

They got seized what's your problem with that?

BTW how much rip off stuff comes from China? Some harmful stuff including lead paint containing children's toys. It's probably not the foreign secretary's job to raise this issue of fakes from China but some trade official in the diplomatic service. However don't let that get in the way of making a political point on a thread about remembrance. Whilst soldiers fought for country and our way of life (including freedom of speech) do you not think politics should be left out of discussions over remembrance day and related matters?


To put the record straight,the failure of politics is the reason for warfare.And whatever you do don't forget that lots of money is made from warfare.
It's why the UK is one of the world's largest weapons exporters,but dont let that bother you.

As for the fake poppies how many got in due to the cut backs in border policing staff I wonder.
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Quite possibly the same number that would have anyway. If you seriously think there's ppl opening every container from China, unloading them, checking contents and reloading... I doubt you're that naive but in case you are they don't actually check that many containers. Any one of which could contain counterfeit products. It's often automated systems and about detecting patterns. Intelligence led. Kind of more efficient acting smart rather than throw bodies at it.

Incidentally, one of the ideas over the Irish border is to use systems and ideas developed at container ports to control border crossings.

So wrt these poppies that caught them but more will have got through. However who's selling them? If there's that quantity then there's distribution. Which retailers are buying from dodgy distribution? I hope they followed the trail downstream.

Our course I take it you don't think there's a link between dodgy poppies and war being started. Plus the last few wars were labour ones. WWI was liberal, WWI was tory so I guess labour needed to catch up with their wars! :wink:
Tangled Metal
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Tangled Metal »

BTW it's failure of diplomacy not politics that results in war. I believe that's possibly a fine distinction.
old_windbag
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Re: Controversial?

Post by old_windbag »

It would be nice to think that one day all countries in the world will have no airforce, no army and no navy.

But we are flawed in that some are always wanting a bigger bite of the cake.

To have forces for humanitarian aid in times of climate crisis( as in west indies recently ) would be better use of our current military. I did not see any use of our army etc out there unless it wasn't reported.
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Re: Controversial?

Post by Vorpal »

Unless something in the gobal scheme of culture and politics changes, there will be more wars rather than fewer.

The numbers of people displaced or seeking asylum or refuge is at an all time high. Those who are well off continue protecting their pieces of pie, whilst global politics spend far too much resources in corporate shenanigans.

What we should be doing is working to rebuild the environment in countries devastated by drought, working for peace in those devastated by war, and bringing consequences, along with the international community, against those who begin conflicts.
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reohn2
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Re: Controversial?

Post by reohn2 »

Tangled Metal wrote:Quite possibly the same number that would have anyway. If you seriously think there's ppl opening every container from China, unloading them, checking contents and reloading... I doubt you're that naive but in case you are they don't actually check that many containers. Any one of which could contain counterfeit products. It's often automated systems and about detecting patterns. Intelligence led. Kind of more efficient acting smart rather than throw bodies at it.

Incidentally, one of the ideas over the Irish border is to use systems and ideas developed at container ports to control border crossings.

So wrt these poppies that caught them but more will have got through. However who's selling them? If there's that quantity then there's distribution. Which retailers are buying from dodgy distribution? I hope they followed the trail downstream.

I'm well aware every container isn't opened.
But there's more than one way to skin a cat and intel at distribution level is the answer,though I suspect like the police and H&S,Trading Standards staff are now much depleted.


Our course I take it you don't think there's a link between dodgy poppies and war being started. Plus the last few wars were labour ones. WWI was liberal, WWI was tory so I guess labour needed to catch up with their wars! :wink:

Labour in the form of New Labour,which was just a slightly less rightwing and corrupt version of the Tory party,my feelings about New Labour are well documented on these boards,and I maintain Blair is a war criminal,in the same way I regard Cameron similarly.
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reohn2
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Re: Controversial?

Post by reohn2 »

Tangled Metal wrote:BTW it's failure of diplomacy not politics that results in war. I believe that's possibly a fine distinction.

And who carries out the diplomacy,if not politicians?
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pliptrot
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Re: Controversial?

Post by pliptrot »

60% of the price of poppies goes to administration. That is why I won't wear one.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my SM-G900F using hovercraft full of eels.
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Re: Controversial?

Post by RickH »

Tangled Metal wrote:...Some harmful stuff including lead paint containing children's toys.

Now that's going to make your paint a bit lumpy unless you can fish them out! :wink:
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