Yes, winter is coming along and we all need to start a flame war...erm, have a nice civilised chat. Politics. Dirty word, but there we have it. I've been watching the news with mild interest this last few weeks. We've got the Labour party conference drivvling along with so much spin they have successfully created manmade gravity through centrifugal actions. We've had the Lib Dems with all of their hot air and pontificationg, and somewhere the Conservatives. Possibly. In America we have Obama refusing to meet Brown over the release of the Lockerbie Bomber. Uproar in Scotland after it came out Brown actually ordered the Scottish First Minister to release the man due to a back room deal with the Libyans. The on going cock-up that is Afghaistan and the failure to supply decent equipment to the troops, then the news coming out Labour are going to cut MOD funding. Again. And get rid of one of the four Trident subs. This in a world where China/India/Pakistan/The man next door now has nuclear capabilities. America in an ongoing wrangle about the creation of their version of the NHS that won't be the NHS honest guv. The suing of the American Armed Forces by a very capable individual who was drummed out as he was openly gay with a very long term stable relationship as it conflicted with their Don't Ask, Don't Tell rules. Not sure what is happening in Australia right now as not heard anything coming out of it, so I assume its fairly quiet right now? Probably not. OK folks, here's your soap box in the electronic worlds Hyde Park Corner. Have fun :high5:
Just a tsunami that has devastated Samoa and American Samoa (eight metre waves) for us to spend our money on at the moment. Samoan prime minister knows most of his countrymen who were lost (100+ so far)Heart-breaking scenes and stories over the past 24 hours. We've sent off a Herc with medical supplies and a 737 full of doctors already. Both should be there by now. Kiwis are into it too. I imagine our LSTs, the Kiwis and the USN will sail too. Earthquake in Indonesia too so it's all happening down here. I get very frustrated when I read about your govt's defence cuts. I always think our armed forces are something to be proud of so the more we spend on them, the better job they can do. The depletion of the FAA and RN escort forces...ridiculous. Two new carriers to come but the fixed-wing FAA has to start all over again. Hopefully the new Daring-class of DDGs will prove more effective than originally designed.
want to hear something really fun? Our boys in afghanistan need the proper armoured vehicles as of yesterday. The MOD Civil Servants say they can't have them until after christmas. These vehicles are currently sat in a store house in the Middle East waiting to be shipped out. But paperwork first dontchaknow. Seen some of the tsunami/earthquake/volcano on the news, but I don't know if much is being done to help from this end of the world. Mind you we can't help ourselves right now.
Don't you just love the way the press make a story where there isn't one? Yes the vehicles were held in storage 'somewhere' in the middle east, but it has nothing to do with 'paperwork'. The soldiers in theatre aren't trained on what are really quite complicated weapons systems on quite complicated vehicles. The next units out on Op Herrick have been trained, are currently being deployed and issued with the vehicles as they arrive in theatre. There were three options. 1. Take soldiers off operations to train them. There wasn't really the manpower to make this, the ideal option possible. 2. Issue the vehicles to untrained crews, making the systems ineffective and causing damage to the new vehicles, the systems and possible death or injury. 3. Keep the 'in theatre' troops using the equipment they were trained on and allowing a full pre-operation training package to the crews who would be using the new vehicles. Everyone wants the best equipment 'now', but I'm sure that everyone would agree that even the best equipment is useless if the soldiers using it are not properly trained in it's use, maintenance and safety procedures.
PP! Long time no see! You know I just love the way you phrase your responses. Flame War but so damned precise, I've missed it so much. OK am with your arguments, I understand it all once it is set out in black and white. cool. but what about the continued cuts?
Hey, I've been busy I agree cuts shouldn't happen where there should be increases. The way this bunch of incompetent idiots have handled everything there are going to have to be a lot more cuts all over the place no mater who gets in the seat. Defence, health, social care education..... everywhere. But my hop on the 'soapbox' was more against the inaccuracies of the press, of all shades, TV, radio, magazine, 'redtop' or 'broardsheet', who would rather make news where there is no real story.
true, i don't generally read the papers, just got the thread ball rolling. What i cannot understand is where all the money is going? Taxes are the highest i've ever really known them, yet the NHS and Education are screwed, and the Forces are being stretched thinner and thinner to do more and more yet they are having their budgets constantly cut. I know cadets and new recruits are being given lists of what they need to buy for themselves from shops, that the MOD used to give them as part of their kit. Whats happening on the ground?
The money is going to pay of the deficit they have built up from the huge surplus they inherited when they came to power 12 years ago. The Labour trait of throwing money at any problem without actually worrying too much about how it is spent. They are constantly boasting about the increases they have made in the spending for education, health etc. but for some reason nothing seems to get any better and savings are constantly having to be found despite the increases in order to try and improve things. They will always be the same. As for soldiers buying their own kit.... it has always been so and no matter how good the issue kit is, will also be so. The kit issued now is probably as good as it can be and to be honest, a lot of the kit that is now issued was once on the private shopping list of those who wanted to spend their own money. Camelbaks, protective goggles, lightweight boots, leathermans, assault vests etc were all once common extra purchases and are now issue. But never forget..... what one soldier thinks is 'must have' is another's 'waste of space' and no matter what you issue, someone is going to leave it at home in favour of that 'gucci' bit of kit they bought themselves. Steps down from the soapbox
Steps back on the soapbox..... Oh yes, I forgot to mention that our 'beloved' unelected leader Gordon when pretending that the world's boom was of his own engineering made one of Britain's most expensive errors ever. Back in 1999, while gold prices were at a low, he had the 'brilliant' idea of selling off over 400 tons of Britain's centuries old gold reserves. The very secure backing to the value of the pound and the basis that the British Government could secure loans in times of trouble (like now?) sold off in one very large 'bargain basement' sale. This sale went ahead despite warnings from the Bank of England that it wasn't the wisest move. The arrogant 'I know better than you' attitude brushed aside the protests of banks, financial advisers and anyone else who knew even the slightest bit about the economy and how currencies are propped up. Needless to say, he was the only one wrong, the cash raised and much much more has been spent. The price of gold in 1999 was around $370 per oz......... the price today, gold is on the market for $1025 per oz We shouldn't be selling off the gold reserves anyway, but exactly 400 ton of gold in 1999 would have raised $5,220,552,000, a cool 5 billion. The same sale at today's price would have made 14,462,340,000! He lost this country at least $9.24 billion and has still managed to lead the country into a debt of more than $260 billion. And of course he is still telling us that he knows best and refuses to admit that there have to be cuts in services to try and clean up the mess he has made. Steps down from the soapbox before a blood vessel bursts :help:
Ooh the gold reserves, I'd forgotten about that one! I can feel my teeth wearing down as I grind them. You know they are tryingto close all our doctors surgeries and build one big super surgery in the centre of town, thus demolishing the police station, council offices and library that the NHS doesn't own by the way, to make way for it. They then expect these three major services to find their own accomodation afterwards. To pay for all of this they want to knock down the cottage hospital with minor A&E and out patients clinics, and sell the land for building. The builders will then build the new super surgery and rent it back to the NHS, which has already admitted it doesn't have the money. This is ignoring the fact the town paid for hospital years ago through subscriptions. it is also demanding that the big hospital in the next town over is closed, along with the maternity ward for a very large area, thus making sure all emergency cases will be dead by the time they reach the next hospitals. i suppose that shortens the waiting lists. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
I like standing on my soapbox and airing the worlds ills...... just doesn't do much for the blood pressure, well it does... the wrong thing. ainkiller:
nothing wrong with raising the bloo pressure, makes you feel more alive. Also gives me a major headache but it allows me to vent.
Talking about blood pressure - mine has just gone thrue the roof. We just found a snake (Eastern Brown) in our kitchen and it went behind our wall unit. We had to get the snake catcher in to remove it. A lazy $75 later the snake was caught and is on it way to a new bushland. My oxygen machine is working overtime as I am terrified of snakes :help:
Oooooooooooh my blood pressure is right up! Gordon Frackin Brown and even David Cameron went against the ettiquette at St Pauls on Remembrance Day and used the Field of Remembrance for their own personal political campaigning. The Tories have at least apologised for not getting the required permission to take photos and release them and promised not to do it again. Labour and No 10 on the other hand have literally fobbed it off as a last minute decision of the PM to visit and there was no time to get permission. So which is the people's party?
Pity the Monster Raving Looney Party isn't still going or i would vote for them. Afraid Gordon Brown is an ignorant, arragant C********r and i would gladly hand him over to Bin Ladin Sniper
Do you think Bin Laden would actually want him? He might catch Labour Cooties off him! I thought the MRLP was still going, but a shadow of its former self.
Since Lord Sutch left us it is a shadow of its former self which is a pity because they could give the Labour Party a run for thier money at the moment. However i will be voting for the BNP. Sniper
