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Punch on: Open thread 07/09/2010

Lucy Kippist

by Lucy Kippist

07 Sep 05:00am

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Filed under: London, Open Thread, Ww2

27 comments

The city of London was blitzed by the German airforce today in 1940. It was the first strategic attack on British soil and aimed at destroying industrial targets and civilian morale. Approximately 43, 000 people were killed.

Blitzkrieg. Picture: AP.

And it’s Tuesday, so what’s on your mind?

Most commented

27 comments

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    • acotrel says:

      06:37am | 07/09/10

      I don’t entirely agree with Bob Katter that we shoud reinstitute tariff protection for our industries. Last night on Q&A he raised the very issues, in his attack on Nick Minchin and the coalition’s policies, that I’ve often mentioned on this forum.  We’ve had the ‘freemarket/neoliberal ideology’ ad nauseam.  The Liberal party has continually promoted it, and allowed Australian industry to dwindle.  It’s obviously time to restore some balance, and provide an environment which will promote industrial growth, and allow our rural sector to survive!

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      12:01pm | 07/09/10

      I thought the ‘Free Market’ and ‘Private Enterprise’ were supposed to be the saviour of the general public? A bit like how ‘deregulation’ and ‘Privatisation’ were supposed to provide more ‘choice’ and drive prices down for us all.

      Its worked wonders so far with the Power Industry and Banking, and our telecommunications infrastructure is world leading.


      ....... no wait…I think I may have got it wrong somewhere…...

    • annie f says:

      01:47pm | 07/09/10

      thst okay instead of base model cars costing $12k i wonder what the price would be without a free market. your obviously too young to remember having to save up for just going out for a meal or a couple of beers, forget wide screen TVs or blue rays recorders, overseas holidays. most things you now take for granted are affordable today because of the Hawke/Keating/Howard Government changes. And here in Queensland the government regulator set the minimum price the suppliers can charge for power.

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:00pm | 07/09/10

      Thats probably why these power groups band together to lobby the government every few months to raise the prices. The only competition I see from deregulation and or privatisation is the competition to see who can screw more out of the public for less.

      No wonder our infrastructure and basic needs etc are falling apart and not being met.

    • T.Chong says:

      07:49am | 07/09/10

      Lucy, the history books often attribute the week including August 15, 16, 17 as when the blitz and the ariel combat “battle of Britian ” as being the turning point-( German losses ) of the battle.
      Guess different historians take diffrent perspectives.
      The first strategic air attacks occurred in 1916 by German airships , then bombers, Gothas- ( for all the military arm chair experts )
      But fear not, because Britian quickly retaliated with its own bombing of German cities.  Isnt war grand?

      Reply

    • Reg says:

      08:55pm | 07/09/10

      According to the British, the bombing of Berlin was in retaliation for the bombing of London.

      The Americans put an ever so slightly anti-British slant on it. “The British used the bombing of London as an excuse for bombing Berlin.” I often wonder if the Americans understand the nuance in their choice of words.

      From Yes Minister, “Yes we’ll need and interpreter for each of the languages, except American which we’ll regard as English.”

    • stephen says:

      08:07am | 07/09/10

      Apparently one in five Oz males get themselves waxed.
      Dummies.

      Reply

    • MarK says:

      08:24am | 07/09/10

      Ahhh Tuesday. What a fine day for the “Independents” to collude together to collectively come up with a decision no one voted for. Independently of course.

      I love the irony of the “independents” being the kingmakers as long as they come to collective agreement.

      Once again I publicly apologise for my local member Mr Oakeshott who has shown a gross delight in the spotlight being on him and a decided preponderance to utter the absurd and weird at every opportunity.

      Good luck with all of this today (as we learn of a $8billion black hole in Labor’s revenue but hey who cares) because the 2 weeks of indecision and stupid behavior is only the beginning of 6 months of the same.

      Personally I can’t wait for the main game now anyway where, regardless of the outcome of the 3 Warhol acolytes, we will see Turnbull stalking Abbott, Bishop staring at Gillard, Gillard watching Shorten who watches Combet who is wary of Rudd who wants to depose Gillard with Ferguson and Crean sitting on the sidelines wondering where it all went wrong. Oh and those funny Greens watching more Derwent River home births adding their homilies and inanities into the mix.

      Lets do this thing. It sounds a hoot.

      Reply

    • P. Darvio says:

      08:33am | 07/09/10

      Why are Christians and the Vatican protesting the possible stoning of that Iranian women when the Christian Bible advocates and endorses the stoning of Women under similar circumstances – see Deuteronomy 22:13-21. I mean it’s the Pot calling the Kettle Black. Maybe they are just so embarrassed that their belief system is just as repugnant?

      Reply

    • Bertrand says:

      09:08am | 07/09/10

      Have you had a check of any Vatican policies to see how they compare to the Old testament? (that question was rhetorical, clearly you havent)

      You may be surprised to find that the major Christian denominations in Australia draw the inspiration for the vast majority of their policies from the New testament. Thats the part of the bible that talks about turning the other cheek and feeding the poor etc.

      This translates into all those volunteers from Anglicare and St Vincent De Paul feeding the homeless kids and doing activities with the drug addicts.

    • Macon Paine says:

      09:28am | 07/09/10

      Well regardless of what you think of their belief system surely you can appreciate that stoning is barbaric, inhumane and uncivilised and must be opposed. Could also have something to do with some guy who said something along the lines of “let thou who has not sinned cast the first stone”.

    • AFR says:

      11:06am | 07/09/10

      On my mind today is how much of a knob Stephanie Rice seems to be.

      Reply

    • Simmo says:

      11:50am | 07/09/10

      Not to defend her or anything but to be honest she’s a swimmer…. all she needs to know is when to turn around at each end of the pool and swim fast.

      No-one would have offered her sponsorship based on her political acumin or theroies on trans-particle separation surely?

    • Hetzer says:

      11:55am | 07/09/10

      The first bombing of London was actually an accident on August 24 by a few German bombers off course

      The RAF launched a retalitary bombing orf Berlin the next night causing 10 deaths.

      This caused the decision to bomb London on September 7, 1940

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      12:40pm | 07/09/10

      Off course from where…the golf course ?
      What, may I ask, were german bombers doing over London on August 24th, 1940 ?
      (Next time the Lufftwaffe accidentally fly off course, Mr Hetzer, please inform your local incendiaries…er, sorry, that should be ‘constabularies’.)

    • Biggles says:

      01:49pm | 07/09/10

      Aerial navigation was not an exact science in World War II, especially at night.

      There are plenty of cases of planes on all sides bombing the wrong city.

    • Rohan says:

      01:50pm | 07/09/10

      Stephen the original plan for the German Bombers was to focus their attacks on Brittish Airfields.  Thier plane was to make to Royal Air Force unable to support any defence against German invasion.  When the Bombers accidently hit london instead of its orignal target the RAF retaliated causing the Hittle to begin the blitz.

    • stephen says:

      01:58pm | 07/09/10

      Does that mean Mr. Biggles, that Londoners are worth more than, say, Lancashiremen ?

    • Reg says:

      09:17pm | 07/09/10

      The dummies. Do you reckon they ever found their way home or are they still circling up there somewhere. They’d be 90+ by now if they haven’t run out of fuel.

      The German rescue boats and aircraft were little help with picking the crews out of the channel. The usually died anyway which is why they did so many freezing immersion experiments in the concentration camps.

      They never did solve the problem but after the war the British, using the information gathered as a memorial to the victims, discovered that all they had to do was keep the victim HORIZONTAL as they hauled them aboard.  Apparently lifting them vertically from the freezing water cause many to have a heart-attack.

    • TheRealDave says:

      01:58pm | 07/09/10

      @Stephen - its was all those unsporting Poms fault! They turned off all the lights at night and the darn Jerries couldn’t see anything. The Germans also didn’t have the advantage of radar and radar guidance either unlike their allied counterparts.

      You should google it, you might learn a thing or two -eh wot?

      Tally Ho!

      Reply

    • T.Chong says:

      03:34pm | 07/09/10

      As of 3:32 , its LABOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Aitch B says:

      04:48pm | 07/09/10

      No it’s not, Chongy…... it’s Labour, the Greens and a few Indies thrown in.

      You cannot possibly call this a Labor victory!!!

    • Harriet says:

      06:03pm | 07/09/10

      @Aitch B

      Well it is Labor (mind the spelling)  But definitely not Coalition!!!!!!!!!!

      yeah

    • Felix says:

      08:20pm | 07/09/10

      Harriet,

      The Labour Party originally started out as Labour not Labor.

    • stephen says:

      10:05pm | 07/09/10

      What’s that Mr. Chong… yer wife’s having a baby ?

    • Paul says:

      05:47pm | 07/09/10

      Lol Aitch B… as opposed to liberals, the nationals, and a few indies thrown in?

      Reply

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      07:25pm | 06/01/11

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      Feeling Happy & great to be a part of this site. I have a question and would be delightful if someone would aid me answer this. myself is searching to diminish dark circles under my eyes. I came across the following <a >order hydrozole online</a> portal and these people believe it is good. Has anyone have any reviews about this cream or any other opinion?

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