A man of few words

John W

As for Lord Foulkes, have a look at this article from the Scotsman last December:

http://news.scotsman.com/politiciansexpenses/Lord-Foulkes-caught-in-54000.4825769.jp

Chuck Unsworth

Expect rear-guard action from Ainsworth etc any minute now. Dannatt has clearly shown what the problems are, but we know that the political response will inevitably be that 'more money has been spent'.

Never mind whether it's be spent wisely, on the right kit, whether that kit is available immediately or is simply 'being' produced, or whether it is actually available in theatre.

The pity is that the politicians have failed to support the military and are now reduced to slandering and smearing simply in order to cover their ghastly political hides. No wonder there is such a high turnover at Ministerial level - moving targets and all that.

Frank P

Someone sent me this pertinent email today:

After Kipling:
Written by Patrick Campbell

They flew me 'ome from Baghdad with a bullet in me chest.
Cos they've closed the army 'ospitals, I'm in the NHS.
The nurse, she ain't no Britisher an' so she ain't impressed.
It's like I'm some street corner thug who's come off second best.
Yes, it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "You're not welcome 'ere".
But when Saddam was collar'd, they was quick enough to cheer.

They're proud when Tommy Atkins 'olds the thin red line out there,
But now he's wounded back at 'ome, he has to wait for care.
Some stranger in the next bed sez, "Don't you feel no shame?
You kill my Muslim brothers!" So it's me not 'im to blame!
An' then the cleaner ups an' sez "Who are you fightin' for?
It ain't for Queen and country 'cos it's Bush's bloody war!"
It's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, what's that smell?"
But it's "God go with you, Tommy," when they fly us out to 'ell.

O then we're just like 'eroes from the army's glorious past.
Yes, it's "God go with you, Tommy," when the trip might be your last.
They pays us skivvy wages, never mind we're sitting ducks,
When clerks what's pushing pens at 'ome don't know their flippin' luck.
"Ah, yes" sez they "but think of all the travel to be 'ad."
Pull the other one. Does Cooks do 'olidays in Baghdad?
It's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, know your place,"
But it's "Tommy, take the front seat," when there's terrorists to chase
.
An' the town is full of maniacs who'd like you dead toot sweet.
Yes, it's "Thank you, Mr Atkins," when they find you in the street.
There's s'pposed to be a covynant to treat us fair an' square
But I 'ad to buy me army boots, an' me combats is threadbare.
An' 'alf the bloody 'elicopters can't get in the air,
An' me pistol jammed when snipers fired. That's why I'm laid up 'ere.
Yes, it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, "We 'ave to watch the pence";
Bold as brass the P.M. sez, "We spare them no expense.

"But I'll tell you when they do us proud an' pull out all the stops,
It's when Tommy lands at Lyneham in a bloomin' wooden box!

TrevorsDen

I agree but Dannatt is coming a bit late to the game.

The Army have allowed themselves to be used politically - we have put troops into Afghanistan with too little resources (both numbers and equipment) to do any sort of a job never mind the increasingly active role pressed onto them by the government.

No senior military figure has warned of the problems - if they have then its been in private and it has been ignored by the government.

The reality is that despite the billions being spent on our defence budget we are ill equipped for an extended conflict in Afghanistan and we are reacting very slowly to change all that.

Our defence expenditure is riddled with flaws.

jon dee

Sir Richard Dannatt's courage exposes the cowardice of the fellow travelers who snipe from behind the cover of off-the-record briefings and nauseating cronies like Foulkes.

The General is admired widely, not just by "friends in the Tory party" as Foulkes sneeringly suggests, for showing leadership and vision on behalf of our forces, when vacuity and spin is all the government seem to offer.

Brown's bumbling appointees at the MOD need clearing out, lock stock and barrel to allow people of stature, like Dannatt, to make the big decisions on Afghanistan.

Playing peurile party politics is not good enough.

logdon

Frank P
August 21st, 2009 1:57pm

Perfect!

Some things never change.

Not so much, 'back to the future', but 'forward to the past'?

Then it was The Great Game, denying a Russian route into India.

Now? No point asking Miliband or Ainsworth, all we get is denying terrorists a haven from which to attack Britain.

So when do the troops move into Bradford?

Frank P

David B

What happened to my reply to logdon's post (4.27pm) which I posted earlier this evening, when I used an extract from the Rev Dawes book on Queen Victoria to amplify his point about The Great Game? The vicar's essay on the Afghan War circa 1878 -80 is pertinent and thought provoking, exposing the failings of yesteryear dressed up as victories and echoing right into today's geopolitics/religious strife.

John Page

The army's procurement policy has been expensive and disorganised for years. It's killed people. And St Dannatt is blameless?

He's another specialist bureaucrat who's got it wrong. He's just more mouthy than most and so less popular with ministers. Ergo Tories like him.

David Blackburn

Frank P,
I've been through the system and we never your response to Logdon and the great game - a pity, as it sounded intersting. If you have a copy please send it again.

logdon

"David Blackburn
August 22nd, 2009 10:23am

Frank P,
I've been through the system and we never your response to Logdon and the great game - a pity, as it sounded intersting. If you have a copy please send it again."

Frank P,

I get similar problems from time to time.

Having endured the failings of IT over the years, (and costing me mucho money), it has to be said that this technology is still in a stage of infancy. And far from the infallibility many of the youngsters claim.

Please resend it, nice to get a spot of erudition on the subject.

Was the Rev Dawes referring to the final, (before our latest futile effort) Afghan Campaign?

Spin is nothing new, I guess.

The difference is, then it was patriotic jingoism needed to support our skirmishing and imperial wars.

Now it's fabrication to support a party whose purported thirst is overseas development.

The former put British interests to the forefront.

Now? I think our interests are the last thing they'd consider.

Frank P

logdon

I sent it again today and it still hasn't appeared. Perhaps GCHQ blew it out as "likely to spread disaffection among the armed services."

Mind you from what I hear about the funnies these days, they are just as likely to do that themselves. (Only joking chaps!)
Anyway, I'll try just once more.perhaps it's still up the pipeline; it is a bit more lengthy than a normal post, but it is worth reading.

Frank P

What's more I laboriously typed out the whole extract, as my scanner is not really appropriate for the rather delicate pages and I didn't want to damage the book.

David Blackburn

Frank P,

I haven't received your post. I don't know what the problem is.

The Laughing Cavalier

Dannat's expenses have been just a small fraction of thjose of the troughers Bunglin' Bob and Jones'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208413/Anatomy-smear-General-Dannatt-claimed-19-291--Bob-Ainsworth-claimed-394-306.html