Chilcot

Chilcot has told us in a scholarly and detailed way what we already knew, and some of us remember clearly. Weapons Inspectors were not finished when Blair and the Tories rushed headlong into line behind the Yanks. Yes we were appalled at 9/11, it doesn't mean two wrongs make a right, it doesn't mean that when America says jump we ask how high? The peaceful options had NOT been exhausted FACT,.

British troops had inadequate equipment, fact. I remember how one soldier was killed after lending his body armour to a comrade. DISGRACEFUL.

There wasn't a plan to win the peace. Obvious to us all by now. Al Qaeda weren't in Iraq till we opened the door, let alone IS. And by the way Bush Junior (never was an epithet more fitting) gave the so called rebuilding to his buddies to profit from, stripping the job from the more experienced State department. A fine friend eh Tony.

I'm not knocking Chilcot, just saying we knew it really. Chilcot stops short of calling for Blair to be prosecuted, but the one really good thing to come from his report is that never again can a British Prime Minister afford to be so blind, so stupid, so arrogant as Tony Blair, because they will be scrutinised and may be prosecuted.

The 'special relationship' just got a little thinner and if Trump gets in (not that Hilary's so great either) then thank goodness for that.

Malcolm Snook is published on Kobo , Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Worth The Cost

Whether Chilcot clears Blair of criminal intent or action he still ignored all the protests, cost 179 British service men and women their lives and spent ten billion pounds to bring about 150,000 Iraqi deaths and the chaos of IS terror. Would you have him as an after dinner speaker?

Malcolm Snook is published on Nook, Kobo and Amazon

End The Wild West

What will it take for America to learn that the free and easy availability of guns costs innocent lives. Last year there was more than one mass shooting per day in the USA, 173 I believe so far this year, so nothing has changed and it's only in the news because a terrible record has been broken, no doubt tomorrow or the next day someone will try to break that record.

I've heard some American interviewees saying the answer is more guns so they can shoot it out with the bad guys, heaven help anyone in a pram that's in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm all for personal rights and personal responsibility but the wild west is history and they didn't have assault rifles back then either. It's not my country, but please end the carnage, most Americans I know are lovely, lovely people and I'd rather they stayed around. Whole.

Malcolm Snook

What Are They ON!

I'm strongly in favour of remaining in the European community, for a host of reasons, from peace to economy, right of abode, the fact that the world's problems need more co-operation not less and several more. I've made my feelings known, so now I get a request by e-mail to donate to the 'in campaign'. The bloody Tories cannot make their own minds up, need us to do it for them, at huge cost to the taxpayer and now people want donations to campaign as well. I imagine the 'out' mob are asking for donations from their supporters too. This country has lost the plot.

Malcolm Snook - Writer

Local Government Ripoffs

Elderly gentleman in a tiny retirement flat in Diss paying £1300 plus in Council Tax so that local councillors, who in the UK are officially unpaid but who in fact receive 'allowances' of up to twenty thousand pounds a year, can spend his money on  their pet projects. That gets my goat, Hastings is another council that's expensive, but I'm sure Diss and Hastings are not alone, just two that I happen to have experience of.

What is this passion for devolution and more and more layers of expensive bureaucracy? Has the UK has gone completely mad?

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Hillsborough Lies

I'm sure some late arriving fans at Hillsborough arrived with a few drinks in them, in fact I know so because a friend was in a local pub before the game. However a police force that lies for nigh on thirty years is a disgrace. The victims were probably all people who arrived in a timely fashion, they were always innocent sports fans. I've said before that the British Police Forces  in general are not fit for purpose, but South Yorkshire are quite possibly the worst of a terrible bunch. It's not just Hillsborough, but child abuse victims too. A Police Complaints official was making the point on television last night that an entire generation has come to mistrust the police. Before trying to change their minds we need to create a police force that is fit for purpose.

Malcolm Snook

Rhino Poachers Get My Goat

I find poaching of Rhino and Elephant more than a little distressing, I abhor whaling too, just for the record. Why human beings want to destroy the most amazing creations of nature is beyond me. I mean, I can understand the profit motive in the hey day of whaling, even though I don't like it, and I can understand that ivory can be beautiful, although no carved ivory can possibly invoke the wonder inspired by a fully grown elephant, but when it comes to Rhino you have to add in the absurdity of the fact that the monetary value of Rhino horn comes from grinding it down, to pander to a stupid superstition still held by large numbers of Asian people who now have the money to pay ridiculous sums for a worthless, in terms of efficacy, powder. All at the expense of dwindling stocks of magnificent animals.

I hope the Chinese and others coming to Western Universities really are learning something and taking it home because whilst I'm all in favour of more armed and physical protection of animals in game reserves, surely education is the only long term cure. There is no such thing as a cure all and I seriously doubt that Rhino horn cures anything. And if anyone can show that it does I'm sure we can make any active ingredient synthetically.

Malcolm Snook