A modern parable for Bonfire Night

Seven year old AR-T stands at the crease, bat in hand. Wardy bowls...Full Toss! Two runs... two... four... five. AR-T stands now at the Pavilion end. 'Hey Wardy!' 'WHAT?' 'Do you know what you're doing wrong?' 'No!' 'What you should do is delay your release of the ball by a count of one!' 'Ta!' One run and your local hero returns to face a wiser Wardy and 'OUT!'

The morel? Send your answers to AR-T on a Five pound note... And while you're at it, answer this. Why has the Morning Mail announced to all the world and Bomb maker Ali-what's-his-face that he was 17 Minutes out in the calibrating of his air-freight bomb?

Hmmm. I have no idea. Anyone else?

Well, put it in a historical perspective.
During WWII there were posters everywhere...

What would have happened to certain newspaper publishers, some already on the radar as very suspect persons of dubious national loyalties and intent, if they had published in any paper, say, Our Winston would have shot them himself and made them pay for the bullets. Is this nation totally bereft of all common sense?
The link if you like...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1326552/Yemen-ink-bomb-defused-17-minutes-spare-Device-ready-explode.html#

...You may laugh or you might just cry,,,

According to that story the timing wasn't out, it was an unscheduled refuelling stop that enabled the device to be discovered. I see your point but I don't think it's a valid comparison. Had the stop not been made then the bomb would have gone off on schedule. Makes your blood run cold.

It makes me cringe when I read on the news about the latest military hardware we have and all the specs are on full view. How can we win a war when the enemy has the intelligence that we have?

What is the phrase? ... Knowledge is power? A legal phrase refers to 'Giving comfort to the enemy.'

I had a long and totally fruitless argument with a senior Royal Navy officer at the MOD.

I asked...

'Why do you, not only allow, but encourage all elements in the media to publish the names and personal details of servicemen and women in Theatre?'

'What fanciful gain to HMG could be weighed against the likely consequences of such blatant declarations?'

E.g. 'Corporal Bloggs, Son of Mr Bloggs Senior, Husband of Mrs Bloggs, Father to children Bloggs Junior and Minor, who attend the local Bloggthorpe School...' So it goes on and on... '

My point to him was completely lost.

He said, 'Such details attract new recruits and encourage good public support and empathy!'

I tried my damnedest to persuade him of the obvious and likely hurt to any captured serviceman or woman when they give 'Name rank and number'


'Ah yes Mr Bloggs... very interesting! Now we would like to have chapter and verse re your Troop numbers... deployment... planned future action?'
'Ah yes, of course, however we have your wife and children, back in UK! Ah! You do not believe me? Well we have your Father, Mother and your old pal spot the dog!
Any captured, isolated, service personnel would sit there in total dark, bagged, tagged and terrified. That MOD Officer told me I had too much imagination. I told him he was bereft of any.

Years ago my father worked at military installations as an industrial cleaner, he worked in the Gibralter Rock, and on several sensative UK Nuclear subs. He had to sign the official secrets act, wouldn't speak of his work, and we are still none the wiser to what he actually did for the MOD.

Mike, it could never be any other way. Be proud! Always be proud. They were a fine generation. They set the bar so very high, but God! How they spoilt us, eh?

I certainly agree with you about publishing all the details of someone's family and loved ones.