The most off topic thread of all time... Would You Go To War?

I can't be the only concerned by Putin's Russia? I realise that appeasement and limited economic restrictions will most likely be the order of the day for the next many, many days, however, if the UK and the US declared war on Russia, and the respective governments asked for all able-bodied persons to volunteer for military duty, would you join up?

It's a question I've wondered of myself in the "time machine" hypothetical nonsense we usually discuss, whether I'd have joined up for WW1 or 2, and I think the overriding sentiment is yes, because that was the culture. These days there's not that same sense of pride in country. I'm inclined to believe my generation have willfully disassociated ourselves from our country's politics, because we've been heavily disenfranchised by the collective failures of societies past, which have effectively abandoned the younger generation, instead of allowing us to bare the greater responsibility of pulling Britain out of the financial meltdown. We were actually buried, with older generations forced to work longer, meaning even fewer opportunities than ever are available to the up and comers.

I'd say we're better informed than years gone by, and the new propaganda and agendas aren't as obviously government directed, they stem from social network and media. There's obviously the same kind of sub-conscious conformity, and no doubt the government have tried to use them to influence our lives, but distinct leftist and anti-traditional-government-politics are the fashion. Yet, ultimately, if it came to the question of whether I'd be inclined to proudly bare the British uniform in battle, I'd genuinely have to say that, after I'd thought long and hard about the morality of the situation and decided it was right, I would.

 

All day long.
The uniforms are mint and the chicks dig them too.
Plus you get to pop lots of caps in asses.

I'd specifically choose the intelligence corps though.

 

No redheads in Russia though mate... So unless the fighting is (very weirdly) solely located in Ireland, you'd have to put up with attracting horrid, skimpy, beautiful blonde model types. Yuck. I hate that.

 

Cough cough

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.... okkkkkk.....

 

im ex RN i went to the falklands in 1982,would i join a queue to fight russia ?no i wouldnt why bother,id be in the trench with david cameron ,right next to him and all the other lying b4stards

 

I did say "able-bodied"... Spilling himself awkwardly, and just about, into a unitard for a three second Youtube clip to show off to hippy voters (who'll never vote for him) how little the berk frequents a bicycle, doesn't mean he's able-bodied!

Unless he sucks off Putin, Cameron, and pretty much any modern day politician, is virtually useless in this hypothetical situation

 

No way I'd fight in a war. I recently read All Quiet on the Western Front and it made a big impression on me. War is awful and there are no heroes.

 

To think you could have been typing this auf deutsch.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQHUAJTZqF0

 

The Russians don't even have to invade us to screw us over. They can fleece us just by selling their gas to us at inflated levels.

And their dodgy billionaires can help to push up property prices in London by buying everything in sight.

 

I'd only go to war if I was a member of a tribe, called Frankie and was going to Hollywood.

 

Relax Jim, the power of love will see you board the love train.. Fancy an Americano?

 

As there are lots of Brits on the costas... And applying Putin logic.... Are we allowed to annex Spain now?

 

This actually neatly converts this to an on-topic discussion... The UK and US have imposed economic sanctions on Russian politicians, and one of their next potential moves is limiting the powers of ordinary Russians. What could that mean for Abramovich? If his financial clout here is legally diminished, does that affect Chelski?

 

Surely this will push the fracking debate on at great pace. Lets get our own gas and import more from the likes of Norway & America. Then tell the Russians to F..k Off. Without their gas sales Putin will become a lot poorer, especially if others followed. The average Russian is still poor and sanctions will hit them hardest and eventually they will come to realise that Putin is just a greedy, self centred thug.
The Russian billionaires face asset freezing so may find money hard to come by from the EU countries.
Ex Royal Navy and I say face up to bullies.

 

Putin has had his eye on a lot of the big movers who profited from the communist fall as well as Abramovich, there has been a lot of arm twisting to get them to put money into various areas of Russian infrastructure and "Charity" work, I think that Abramovich has moved his main wealth out of the reach of Putin and is less a target in this issue than some. If he were targeted for sanctions though you would presume that they would freeze all accounts and assests held in the West, this would leave Chelsea in a precarious state if it was for any extended period as they are only operating because of his wealth. My understanding is that up to last years published accounts he has written off more than £600 million in loans and converted a further £164 million in loans into equity in the club, if all his money was frozen then Chelsea would struggle to continue to operate as they are, on their operational revenue streams. Wages alone must tear through any matchday revenue or commercial revenue, the big tv money only gets paid once the season is done as this is calculated on the final placing in the PL.

 

I don't think you had a choice of joining up, all able bodied men and some not so able bodied men were called up and had to do military service. Even after the war over 18's were called up for National Service.

 

But would he have shot himself in the foot?

 

I think he has done on several occasions.