the state

Ive recorded it but haven't yet decided whether I want to watch it. I've read the reviews, mixed, and listened to the director on Front Row tonight. My understanding is that the violence and savagery is going to get steadily worse so I'm not sure I'll ever want to see it.

Oops my ' hokum' comment was for Montelbano. I didn't see The State?

Scathing article in the DM this morning on the person who made the programme.
It's ok to look, the reading material police won't know

I believe some of the relatives who were executed at the hands of Jihadis, such as David Haynes' daughter did not want this programme to be shown.

It follows immediately after the murder of innocents in Barcelona, Finland and another today in Marseilles. Returning Jihadis are in the serious throes of a sustained campaign to terrorise Europe.

These people didn't go out to Syria led by any high ideals, once there they kidnapped, murdered, raped and tortured the indigenous people of the town and cities they occupied. The women were just as bad, glorifying brutality on social media and some took their innocent children with them. The bat shit crazy white woman, Sally Jones' child was photographed, aged about 11, shooting a kneeling man at point blank range in the back of the head. I haven't watched this programme so can't make a judgement but I'd hate to think the Jihadis were being portrayed in a sympathetic light, or even glamourised by some western apologist. I'd rather see a film about the westerners who went out to fight alongside the Peshmergers, they may have been misguided but at least they went to liberate rather than oppress.

I heard an interview with the program-maker, and he's obviously put in a lot of research, but it wasn't clear who with - presumably people who've decided to return?

I watched it too and had mixed feelings about it. At the beginning i think it said that it was based on some real accounts but haven't yet decided whether it would serve as encouragement for someone to go for the excitement or to discourage anyone thinking about it. I will watch the following episodes but its clear that some of the characters are going to be killed and all are going to be brutalised in some way or other. I couldn't get over the young woman doctor (a supposed intelligent person) taking her young son along. What did she think would happen?

In real life I would have no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who found themselves in this situation having travelled of their own free choice and then making the horrible realisation that it wasn't what they expected. Tough.

I'm still pondering what was the point of the programme.
Was it to say: look it's not so bad as you've been told.
Was it to make us feel sorry for the brainwashed when they realise they've been sold a pup and and wanted to go home.

Really enjoy this but I don't really know why. It's a load of hokum isn't it?

I hope to catch up with this .