I know we are and it's about time we got our priorities right and while food banks are springing up on a daily basis and an average of 60 people for 1 job then Its about time we curb our spending abroad on wars and foreign aid to countries that don't need it and put our own house in order....
You sound totally different to other people ive talked to about all of this Dai, 99.9% join up knowing they are a blunt instrument to serve what ever government is in power, what made you think you wernt going to get screwed ?? The inquiry of the cover up is something you've not mentioned either which is a bit odd, anyway, im not going any further down this road, sport and politics dont mix end of story .
I can only speak from the experience of my schoolfriends who joined the Navy in the late '70's - they basically joined the Navy for a world cruise, drinking and shagging in each port. Apart from the Suez Crisis in the early 60's it had been a "quiet" period in terms of military conflict and the thought that they would go to war didn't really enter the equation. So in the early '80's when they had to abandon their cruises in the Med and Carribbean to journey to the South Atlantic they weren't impressed. Most would have jumped ship if they had the chance. Would they do it all again? Most wouldn't - because once you've seen the carnage of war most normal people realise it's a mugs game. At the end of the day, it's working class lads protecting the economic interests of the ruling classes. Times have changed now. If you join the armed forces you are almost certain to feature in some form of military conflict. But 32 years ago things were different.
Was in the Canadian Army in 1970 and the only real "hot spot "you could get sent to was Cyprus for us and it was a 6 month stint without much danger involved .. like PGF says , its a whole different story these days for enlisted men , no matter the country .
Dai, do you actually know anything about this issue whatsoever? I'd take the Argentinian's opinion on this with a pinch of salt, because they will call ANY activity on the islands a provocation. Hell, we rotated the destroyer on patrol there last year and they threw a **** fit. EDIT - By the way, the cost of giving the islands small but appropriate defences is actually quite minimal, and may well be cancelled out by oil revenue in the future. The Falklands also has a successful fishing industry. Wasn't a criminal act whatsoever. Do you even law bro? Senior figures in the Argentinian military to this day accept that the sinking of the Belgrano was a legitimate act.
Were they ? The official MoD figure of 763 servicemen who died as a result of terrorism includes serving and former members of the Ulster Defence Regiment. Of the 300,000 troops who served in Northern Ireland since 1969, 6,116 were wounded.The number of British soldiers who died during the Northern Ireland conflict is substantially higher than previously thought with more than 1,000 dead, An unacknowledged cost of the conflict has been the estimated 100 soldiers who committed suicide during tours or soon afterwards and a similar number who died in accidents.Civilian casualties were 3,725 people killed as a result of the conflict. ,Approximately 47,541 people were injured.There were 36,923 shootings. 16,209 bombings were conducted.A different war but as stressful believe me , at least there were definable combatants during the Falklands campaign not that not takes anything away from what that conflict stood for in terms of misery
Why can't they be devolved and then they can look after themselves ? Land is nobodies to own. Borders are man made.
