Uk defences

Everyone

Really?
Are you kidding me?!

I do know things are not always as secret as people would like to think.

The dark web is just a mini example.
And no I dont go on there.
Hackers.
People who talk who shouldnt.

I will say no more.

I dont know those emoijs Allira.
Doesnt help I cant see them properly at all, either!
They all look the same to me[and I dont know what they mean either], no matter how hard I squint.

From ^Allira I am getting accused of knowing too much[which is strange when she quotes that I dont know things[s

And from Doodledog that we dont know things.

I think I will leave things there!

plus how many secrets are really secrets nowadays
What do people think goes on at Vauxhall Cross.
Our SIS didn’t build that huge complex just to entertain foreign dignitaries.
I met a spy in the 80s through a friend.
We were in a yacht club in Burnham on Crouch. Our friend saw someone at the bar he recognised. He went over to talk to him. When he came back to our table he explained who he was.
In the 80s my friend was on nuclear submarines. One night he was told to prepare the inflatable to take someone ashore.
That was the man in the yacht club. They dropped him off at an east European country.
He always referred to Vauxhall Cross as the office 😉

Allira

Doodledog

fancythat

^What I genuinely don't understand is why people, often 'top brass' types from the armed forces and security services so often tell us (and therefore the world) that we are vulnerable to attack, and how we would struggle to survive if Russia or Iran decided to launch an offensive.
^

I imagine a quick google informs anyone.

Plus, how many secrets are really secrets nowadays?

I imagine that a lot of things are secret from all who don't need to know. Why else do we have MI5 and MI6?

I am more than capable of 'a quick google', but I imagine that state secrets are not readily available on there. Do you somehow know differently?

There is really no need to be so dismissive. Are you deliberately setting yourself up in opposition to everyone?

That is why I used that emoji 🤫 which fancythat misunderstood.
Perhaps 🤐 might be clearer.

If she/he has somehow stumbled across State Secrets by accident, then really, she needs to not spread them on social media.

I don’t think there’s any fear of that. 😂

RosiesMawagain

^And he who gratuitously gives offence deserves all he gets^
RosiesMawAgain 2026

Love it 👏👏👏

From ^Allira I am getting accused of knowing too much[which is strange when she quotes that I dont know things[s

No, I'm not accusing you of anything! It is you who keeps telling us that everything is easily googled.

Which is why I advised you to 🤫 which means Shhhhh!
Careless Talk Costs Lives.

Do you honestly think that we can get to 'know things' by looking at google? If you do, I will leave it there, I think.

He always referred to Vauxhall Cross as the office
I remember hearing that too . Then I found out one of my book group worked for The Office too.
(FIL and aunt were both 6) 😉

Doodledog

Do you honestly think that we can get to 'know things' by looking at google? If you do, I will leave it there, I think.

No me, Doodledog!

Not me!

I think, only my opinion of course, that’s there’s plenty which goes on “behind the scenes” about which many of us will never ever become aware, and, imo, this is how it should be.

Whilst I see no easy way to end any of these current wars, I’m sure some form of compromise will be reached eventually.

However, I simply cannot buy into both believing these drones etc are highly accurate AND that they are prone to “accidentally” wiping out civilians and buildings such as schools, offices and hospitals.

The other thing I struggle with, is how the buildings blown up are so easily identified as “important” buildings or some form of munitions factories, do they have big notices on their roofs? Blow Me Up?

Cossy

I think, only my opinion of course, that’s there’s plenty which goes on “behind the scenes” about which many of us will never ever become aware, and, imo, this is how it should be.

Whilst I see no easy way to end any of these current wars, I’m sure some form of compromise will be reached eventually.

However, I simply cannot buy into both believing these drones etc are highly accurate AND that they are prone to “accidentally” wiping out civilians and buildings such as schools, offices and hospitals.

The other thing I struggle with, is how the buildings blown up are so easily identified as “important” buildings or some form of munitions factories, do they have big notices on their roofs? Blow Me Up?

That’s why countries have secret operatives in certain countries.
This is how they killed the last leader and his family in Iran.
It takes years to build up the intelligence needed to carry out these moves.
Anyone with internet access could find yours or my house.
Saterlite imaging.

Cossy

I think, only my opinion of course, that’s there’s plenty which goes on “behind the scenes” about which many of us will never ever become aware, and, imo, this is how it should be.

Whilst I see no easy way to end any of these current wars, I’m sure some form of compromise will be reached eventually.

However, I simply cannot buy into both believing these drones etc are highly accurate AND that they are prone to “accidentally” wiping out civilians and buildings such as schools, offices and hospitals.

The other thing I struggle with, is how the buildings blown up are so easily identified as “important” buildings or some form of munitions factories, do they have big notices on their roofs? Blow Me Up?

I agree is hard to understand how civilian buildings like hospitals or schools can be hit when highly specialised tech is used which can target individuals quite successfully as we see with individual members of the regime being hit.
Either those launching the attacks aren’t too bothered about civilian casualties or this high tech weaponry is not always successful.

Hospitals nearly all have undercrofts, where all the wiring and plumbing is, underneath concrete floors, below ground level. I think that’s why they choose them as an undetectable location.

nanna8

Well before that they defeated the Spanish Armada but these days they would probably have just hidden away and admitted defeat.

What a disgusting thing to say, you should be ashamed.

Petra I do get that us normal folks houses are all easily identifiable on Google maps, however, I don know about you, but I’m neither building illegal weapons nor advertising that I am.

I also understand about intel, and that the entire world probably has “spies” or “cells” in the countries of their perceived enemies.

However, that doesn’t really answer the question about why these highly effective and efficient people, along with their drones, continue to destroy civilian areas, unless it’s intentional.

Trump stated, very loudly and coherently (for once), that once the “leaders” in Iran were “taken out” he’d pull out along with
Netanyahu, this clearly didn’t happen any like it or not innocent Iranians are being killed.

Macaydia

The Four Oxen and the Lion:

"A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen lived. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn each other, so that whichever way he approached he was met by the horns of one of them. But then the oxen quarreled and each went to their own corner of the field. The lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four. United we stand, divided we fall."

What if one of the Oxen is actually a lion or tiger or a penguin?

nanna8

Well before that they defeated the Spanish Armada but these days they would probably have just hidden away and admitted defeat.

The Spanish Armada was mainly wrecked by bad weather in the Channel.

Here is an article from a reputable source France 24,about modern warfare using AI:

Streamlining the Kill Chain, how AI is changing modern warfare.

f24.my/BoaP

Look. Just to set the record straight I would never, ever criticise serving military personnel. My parents both served and both put their lives on the line numerous times. So just pull heads in. What I meant was that the British armed services have been allowed to wither through lack of funding and support by governments of many persuasions and now they would not be in a position to fight as they once were. To say that I was criticising actual serving members is gaslighting in my book. I have the utmost respect for the lot of the. I think my time here is gradually coming to an end because I’m finding it hard to cope with being told to butt out. I love the UK but I detest your government and I thought I as entitled to say so. Clearly not.
👋 see ya.

nanna8

Look. Just to set the record straight I would never, ever criticise serving military personnel. My parents both served and both put their lives on the line numerous times. So just pull heads in. What I meant was that the British armed services have been allowed to wither through lack of funding and support by governments of many persuasions and now they would not be in a position to fight as they once were. To say that I was criticising actual serving members is gaslighting in my book. I have the utmost respect for the lot of the. I think my time here is gradually coming to an end because I’m finding it hard to cope with being told to butt out. I love the UK but I detest your government and I thought I as entitled to say so. Clearly not.
👋 see ya.

Thank you for acknowledging this.

It’s actually previous govt’s, of all persuasions, who’ve failed to find our armed forces properly.

Macaydia

If one of the four oxen were an orange-haired defective tiger in disguise, it might befriend the attacking lion, kill the remaining three oxen with his pack-mate then prohibit the regular lion from participating in the prey that was conquered.

That was my entire point, lions in disguise of Oxen!

That’s how I see Trump (not the USA), except that Trump is pretending to be an Oxen, thinking he’s a lion, but in reality he’s a baboon!

Nanna8, your post was not clear that you were referring to governments and sounded very much like you were referring to military personnel, so to tell those to 'wind their necks in' is unnecessarily aggressive. You are, of course, entitled to comment on any threads, but most do so with a modicum of knowledge. Maybe best to stay away from threads where you only have opinion, not fact, to back you up

Grandmabatty

Nanna8, your post was not clear that you were referring to governments and sounded very much like you were referring to military personnel, so to tell those to 'wind their necks in' is unnecessarily aggressive. You are, of course, entitled to comment on any threads, but most do so with a modicum of knowledge. Maybe best to stay away from threads where you only have opinion, not fact, to back you up

Probably I have a lot of knowledge about the uk. more than most because of various close connections and contacts which I would not divulge here. Anyway, you are free to think what you like, go for it. I agree that I should not have said ‘ wind your neck in’ but I was angry that people were thinking I lacked respect for those in the armed forces because that is very wide off the mark in my case.

Re reading but I didn’t say wind your necks in but to pull your heads in. There is a difference - here at least. The neck comment is a tad more rude.