Attacking politicians? Unpicking the ethical dimensions.

[chilango]

Allende? Nasser? Kimathi?

Gadaffi? Ceaucescu? Idi Amin?

 

[Clair De Lune]

If it's funny and doesn't cause any physical harm I think it's just.

 

[Serge Forward]

Mussolini met a sticky (but righteous) end. It seems that these days some on urban would frown at such goings on.

Milkshakes? The rotters!

 

[Dogsauce]

Violence is people being forced onto planes because of the shit stirred up by the likes of Farage, or a permissiveness about people having their homes and civil infrastructure bombed because they’re the wrong religion to give a shit about. Milkshakes ain’t nothing.

 

[Silas Loom]

I think that British politics would be better off if Nigel Farage was dead, but significantly worse off if he were assassinated, or seriously assaulted. The same applies in other countries.

So I’m only in favour of lethal hits on populist right wing politicians that are carried out by professionals and end up attributed to natural causes. That means that one should be allowed a maximum of one per year, to avoid triggering conspiracy theories, and it should be obvious that Trump, Putin, Lukashenko and Orban take precedence over Farage.

 

[ElizabethofYork]

It's not you his goons will be coming for once he's in charge though is it?

I don't know how they feel about elderly feminists, to be honest.

But in this country, in this general election, I'm not comfortable with the idea of politicians being physically assaulted as they go about their business.

In times and places where there was genuinely no choice, it was a different matter.

 

[Pickman's model]

I don't know how they feel about elderly feminists, to be honest.

But in this country, in this general election, I'm not comfortable with the idea of politicians being physically assaulted as they go about their business.

In times and places where there was genuinely no choice, it was a different matter.

do you mean 'no choice between political parties,' 'no choice about whether to attack politicians or not,' or some other 'no choice' thing, in which case pls specify

 

[Pickman's model]

I think that British politics would be better off if Nigel Farage was dead, but significantly worse off if he were assassinated, or seriously assaulted. The same applies in other countries.

So I’m only in favour of lethal hits on populist right wing politicians that are carried out by professionals and end up attributed to natural causes. That means that one should be allowed a maximum of one per year, to avoid triggering conspiracy theories, and it should be obvious that Trump, Putin, Lukashenko and Orban take precedence over Farage.

means, motive and opportunity are famously the way police analyse murder cases. very few british assassins have the opportunity to take out trump, putin, lukashenko and orban, and most people would, i feel, suggest that those would be targets better attacked by people from their own countries. a british assassin killing putin, for example, could have great and nasty consequences for everyone. so by default, the only person likely to be killed by someone from this country is farage. and a car 'accident' would be the easiest and perhaps best way of achieving that objective.

 

[Pickman's model]

Mussolini met a sticky (but righteous) end. It seems that these days some on urban would frown at such goings on.

Milkshakes? The rotters!

the duke of clarence was drowned in a butt of chocolate milkshake

 

[Pickman's model]

No politician, of whatever stripe should be assaulted as they go about their business.

but at other times they're fair game

 

[Serge Forward]

the duke of clarence was drowned in a butt of chocolate milkshake

Indeed, twas a Macdonalds McMalmsey.

 

[Dogsauce]

means, motive and opportunity are famously the way police analyse murder cases. very few british assassins have the opportunity to take out trump, putin, lukashenko and orban, and most people would, i feel, suggest that those would be targets better attacked by people from their own countries. a british assassin killing putin, for example, could have great and nasty consequences for everyone. so by default, the only person likely to be killed by someone from this country is farage. and a car 'accident' would be the easiest and perhaps best way of achieving that objective.

Pillars in underpasses are a well established method. Is the Reform battle bus going anywhere near the Dartford Tunnel in the next couple of weeks?

 

[Dogsauce]

Actually I’ve changed my mind about the precise method of vehicle-based assassination. Can we bribe the bus driver to low-bridge the cunt?

 

[Dogsauce]

Or piano wire at the right height between some Clacton lampposts.

“Sorry guv, I was just going to put some bunting up. Buses don’t usually come down here so didn’t think it would be a problem…”

 

[campanula]

edited - rambling rubbish

 

[Rob Ray]

I think that British politics would be better off if Nigel Farage was dead, but significantly worse off if he were assassinated, or seriously assaulted. The same applies in other countries.

So I’m only in favour of lethal hits on populist right wing politicians that are carried out by professionals and end up attributed to natural causes. That means that one should be allowed a maximum of one per year, to avoid triggering conspiracy theories, and it should be obvious that Trump, Putin, Lukashenko and Orban take precedence over Farage.

Oh I dunno, the men you listed and their apparatchiks are themselves quite strongly in favour of the efficacy of deterrents and the importance of consequences, and one reason for that is they never think it applies to them. We'll never know of course, as no movement exists capable of such activites.

 

[hitmouse]

It really doesn't. I'm asking you for the ethical foundations upon which you wage your 'class war'. Presumably the foundations are that Farage's politics need to be defeated. Why then would you deliberately advocate an action that advances his politics by making him seem sympathetic, and therefore increasing the number of people supporting him. As I said, I think you are just operating on an emotional level.

I'm anti-racist and support rejoining the EU, but someone threw a milkshake at Farage, so I'll be voting Reform now. Does anyone actually think like this? Does anyone have any proper polling showing Farage/Reform's support compared to a week or two ago?

There are (at least) two separate arguments to be had here, firstly about whether the weakening of the taboo against violence in general is a bad and counter-productive thing and secondly about whether what's been done to Farage strengthens or undermines his appeal. I think there's probably interesting things to be said about the first one, as for the second I dunno if it actually makes anyone change their mind at all?