Strollin' Johnny-

Claification accepted and apologies offered in return.

What you were saying "...led by a band of religious-lunatic arseholes, in turn led by a scruffy, unkempt, lying, religious-lunatic arsehole..." still seems to me like an undiplomatic jinguistic statement but it may be an accurate one. But none of us, that I'm aware of, holds diplomatic credentials. Let the shit fly!

Back in the 19th century the U.S. sent soldiers ashore onto a disputed island in Puget Sound, a dispute generated in part by the shooting of a pig. The U.S. forces were led by a former Confederate officier who had led a dramatically unsuccessful charge at the Battle of Gettysbug in our uncivil war. The British sent in major naval units from neighboring Victoria but before the island (or the fleet) was blown to bits cooler heads managed to achieve a compromise. Hopefully a settlement will be achieved in the above incident, the British soldiers and sailors appropriately court martialed for being sensible rather than maintaining the traditional stiff upper lip.

Charley Noble