That they should have saved more, or 'only 108 people who might have drowned'?
It means the right wing allegation of being a "taxi" service is a lie as the vast majority of people coming here on small boats do not get brough here by the RNLI.
Its not just a right wing allegation at all. Many people from across the political spectrum have adopted the nickname and there is a resentment of illegal migrants hijacking an emergency service with their constant crossings in unsuitable craft.
So what should the RNLI do? They are normally 'tasked' by HMCG who are alerted by phone/radio and who decide which resource to use, which lifeboat, coastguard team, helicopter, asking nearby boats to assist, etc. When they actually launch they often have incomplete information, they know where and roughly what, but possible not the actual information that it is a boat full of migrants. How would you feel if the RNLI decided to make the crew of a fishing boat wait in the sea somewhere near Dover whilst they established they were not a migrants?
It is not an issue. I am critical of migrants, but the RNLI does what it has always done, saves lives at sea. Any lives, and all the lives it can.
They're just another handy whipping boy to point fingers at when ideas don't actually work in practice.
* Who may actually never have run anything more complicated than a bath.
And a group of people who don't like change* are better positioned?
* unless it means working from home
Waaaaay too simplified mon ami. They've changed lots of things...and they know how difficult it is. Governments simply say 'We're going to do xyz', meanwhile Civil Service IT bods across the land weep gently, knowing how simple it sounds but what a bugger's muddle the systems are (and they're still dealing with the fall-out from the last half baked set of changes).
Government is easy, all you have to do is say 'We're going to....' - doing it is the hard bit.
If government walked out, how long would it be before anyone noticed? If the Civil Service did we'd notice pretty fast.
Like I say, they're the easy ones to point a finger at and blame every time something political goes pear-shaped - and that's what's happening.
Squirrel!!!
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
What we need is sensible politicians who ask the experts " Can we do this? How much will it cost, how long will it take?" before opening their mouths and suggesting bollox.
JamJar wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 8:19 am
It means the right wing allegation of being a "taxi" service is a lie as the vast majority of people coming here on small boats do not get brough here by the RNLI.
Its not just a right wing allegation at all. Many people from across the political spectrum have adopted the nickname and there is a resentment of illegal migrants hijacking an emergency service with their constant crossings in unsuitable craft.
So what should the RNLI do? They are normally 'tasked' by HMCG who are alerted by phone/radio and who decide which resource to use, which lifeboat, coastguard team, helicopter, asking nearby boats to assist, etc. When they actually launch they often have incomplete information, they know where and roughly what, but possible not the actual information that it is a boat full of migrants. How would you feel if the RNLI decided to make the crew of a fishing boat wait in the sea somewhere near Dover whilst they established they were not a migrants?
It is not an issue. I am critical of migrants, but the RNLI does what it has always done, saves lives at sea. Any lives, and all the lives it can.
I agree there's not much RNLI can do except their job of saving lives. But the whole migration issue puts a massive strain on many areas of UK life and I guess stopping that starts with the people smuggling gangs?
Taipan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 12:15 pm
Its not just a right wing allegation at all. Many people from across the political spectrum have adopted the nickname and there is a resentment of illegal migrants hijacking an emergency service with their constant crossings in unsuitable craft.
So what should the RNLI do? They are normally 'tasked' by HMCG who are alerted by phone/radio and who decide which resource to use, which lifeboat, coastguard team, helicopter, asking nearby boats to assist, etc. When they actually launch they often have incomplete information, they know where and roughly what, but possible not the actual information that it is a boat full of migrants. How would you feel if the RNLI decided to make the crew of a fishing boat wait in the sea somewhere near Dover whilst they established they were not a migrants?
It is not an issue. I am critical of migrants, but the RNLI does what it has always done, saves lives at sea. Any lives, and all the lives it can.
I agree there's not much RNLI can do except their job of saving lives. But the whole migration issue puts a massive strain on many areas of UK life and I guess stopping that starts with the people smuggling gangs?
Get used to it, it will get worse. Massive areas of the world are dogged by war and famine, people try to survive by moving.
The UK has a problem, so does most of the EU, the USA, Australia and some countries in Africa.
It's more than a little bit circular. The UK sells arms to Middle Eastern countries, which they then use to make life hell for the inhabitants of various neighbouring countries. With their houses bombed flat, the homeless then decide to head for war-free zones like the EU and UK. But it all makes money for UK plc and we can demonise the immigrants and try and stop them crossing the Channel. So that's alright then.
Cousin Jack wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 12:31 pm
So what should the RNLI do? They are normally 'tasked' by HMCG who are alerted by phone/radio and who decide which resource to use, which lifeboat, coastguard team, helicopter, asking nearby boats to assist, etc. When they actually launch they often have incomplete information, they know where and roughly what, but possible not the actual information that it is a boat full of migrants. How would you feel if the RNLI decided to make the crew of a fishing boat wait in the sea somewhere near Dover whilst they established they were not a migrants?
It is not an issue. I am critical of migrants, but the RNLI does what it has always done, saves lives at sea. Any lives, and all the lives it can.
I agree there's not much RNLI can do except their job of saving lives. But the whole migration issue puts a massive strain on many areas of UK life and I guess stopping that starts with the people smuggling gangs?
Get used to it, it will get worse. Massive areas of the world are dogged by war and famine, people try to survive by moving.
The UK has a problem, so does most of the EU, the USA, Australia and some countries in Africa.
I hadnt realised it was so widespread until recently. I knew the EU had problems, and thought Australia was turning them around, but I was amazed at the influx into the states! However, it appears we're on the brink of civil unrest. I see the Irish are counter protesting and the Americans are getting just a tad uppity about it too and we have an intended march in June. Looks like a case of the worm is turning...
Cousin Jack wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 2:40 pm
Get used to it, it will get worse. Massive areas of the world are dogged by war and famine, people try to survive by moving.
The UK has a problem, so does most of the EU, the USA, Australia and some countries in Africa.
Chuck in global warming and more crop failures...we ain't seen nothing yet.
All this toss about boats is like trying to deal with a missile just before it hits. The real trick is to stop it getting launched. But hey 'Stop the boats' is another handy 3-word catch phrase to stick on a lectern.
Doubt is not a pleasant condition.
But certainty is an absurd one.
Voltaire
Count Steer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:11 am
...
Yebbut, governments come and go and the Civil Service is the 'continuity candidate' that actually operates the machinery of state and have to keep stuff running so no wonder they resist knee jerk political change/stop politicians* doing something stupid.
...
Hey, when the Civil Service knows best as it always believes it does who needs democracy and elections, eh?
"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people." - Giordano Bruno
Count Steer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 11:11 am
...
Yebbut, governments come and go and the Civil Service is the 'continuity candidate' that actually operates the machinery of state and have to keep stuff running so no wonder they resist knee jerk political change/stop politicians* doing something stupid.
...
Hey, when the Civil Service knows best as it always believes it does who needs democracy and elections, eh?
When they have an electorate who don't vote or don't care, and politicians who are in it for short term gain, they may well be right?
Count Steer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2024 3:53 pm
... hey 'Stop the boats' is another handy 3-word catch phrase to stick on a lectern.
It's like playing spot-the-tosser when someone trots out that phrase. I recognise the intent behind but it just feels an unnecessarily glib way to phrase it. I notice Sunak says it a lot.
