All those who oppose Heathrow expansion are not moronic NIMBYs ...
No they are not. I reserve that epithet for those who feel that causing deliberate disruption to public services is a reasonable way to air their grievances.
... for whom protest is just a knee-jerk reaction.
a common characteristic of a NIMBY.
FWIW I don't support LHR expansion. In fact I think it reached critical mass some years ago. As others have posted, this is just the latest manifestation of the complete lack of any concerted policy. I have watched from near and far over the last 40-odd years the same saga played over and over, followed by ad-hoc, patchwork solutions. Promises from the government, any government or its agents, generally have a lifespan not extending beyond the next election. Anyone putting more faith in them than that is bound to be disappointed.