Shortsighted Politicians Over Defence.

[William51]

 An unstable world with a major war in Europe which the mad Putin has control over Russias nuclear missiles, a war in the Middle East, global conflicts. But against the experts our politicians will not fund properly our depleted armed forces. This dangerous time should be the signal to fund our services properly. Discuss please.

[Untitled]

it is idiotic in the extreme to take criticism of the country personally toratoratora... you are acting like a crybully again

[andy-hughes]

TTT - You have been asked repeatedly not to refer to other AB'ers by that term.

If I see it again I will suspend you.

[andy-hughes]

Untitled - I agree entirely. 

There is a phrase about patriotism bring the last refuge ....

But since I am not personally rude as a rule, I will not be applying it here. 

[ToraToraTora]

another example of running the country down....

"Why on earth would he want a little decaying island like ours?"

[ToraToraTora]

Great now we have an anti British love in!

[andy-hughes]

OK TTT, you've made your point.

[Ellipsis]

> The water companies are doing well though ... //

>> I  think that depends what you call 'doing well'.

>> If you see them as a private company making money for their executives and shareholders, then yes, they are doing very well.

>> If you see them as a public utility, which is what they should be, providing a public service, them of course they come up woefully short.

Yes, that's the point. Water companies are one example. There are others.

The point is that under the Tory government lots of people are making lots of money for doing not a lot, while the rivers and seas are full of sewage, the trains don't run properly, the NHS is failing, potholes are across the country etc etc etc.

And on top of that, the security of our nation is the first duty of government. It is the foundation of our freedom and our prosperity.

The point: rich people are getting richer, while the fundamentals are not even being funded properly.

[jno]

where's the money to fund our depleted armed forces going to come from? From our depleted schools, our depleted health service, our depleted police forces? Britain doesn't have a lot of loose cash to spare at the moment.

[andy-hughes]

TTT - then you have a seriously exaggerated sense of your own importance, if you seriously think the country needs you to defend it 

I shall make a point of ignoring all your nonsensical self-important statements on the defence of 'your country'.

If you want too look like a deluded egotistical fool, don't let me stop you, but you will not be able to point your bucket in my direction while you shout into it.

Have a good evening. 

[andy-hughes]

Jno - That is entirely and exactly my point, I'm glad someone  else's sense of reality is not smothered under a cloak of self-righteousness. 

[ToraToraTora]

AH: "TTT - then you have a seriously exaggerated sense of your own importance, if you seriously think the country needs you to defend it " - I don't think it needs me to defend it. I choose to.

[Ellipsis]

I choose it too. I find it disgraceful that defence is not being properly funded, while water companies are paid huge dividends ... don't you?

[jourdain2]

I've just scanned through pages of posts that seem to have very little to do with the point at issue (again).

Re. OP - OH and I have been very concerned for several years nown about the underfunding of our armed forces.  Perhaps you have to be older to remember when we existed in an uncertain, inimical world.

OH lived through WW2, watched bombs falling on Swansea and London, his mum's house was bombed and destroyed (she lived thanks to a Morrison shelter). Then he marched up and down the Iron Curtain in Germany, ahead of his platoon during his Nat. Service. I was born just post-war.

The world is not nice. Others will hurt us and take us over if they can. We need strong defences and this has been obvious for some time, but ignored.

These simple facts seem to have disappeared - been lost because they were in the past. History matters.  Patterns repeat.

Massive efforts should now be put into restoring our armed forces and educating the populace to understand that security is our primary need. It's probably too late (again) and OH and I, like others, have been aware of the configurations predicting wars for some time. No one listened - as usual.

[ToraToraTora]

the problem is jourdain you are up against a load of anti British lefties that think we live on a "decaying island" that is not worth defending.

[Ellipsis]

> you are up against a load of anti British lefties that think we live on a "decaying island" that is not worth defending.

Are you talking about the Tory government?

[jourdain2]

TTT, that is what I meant by educating the nation to the reality of the risks in the world.

[Untitled]

the principal cause of decay in the uk is bad government... since 2008 precious little investment in infrastructure or in improving public services has taken place... the result is we have crumbling schools, record waiting lists, crummy roads, everything is rubbish and nothing seems to work. it goes much further than defence. this country requires a strong state in order to thrive. 

[Old_Geezer]

Where does the money always come from ? The public ultimately. (Where did the money for a 2% NI reduction come from ?) There are always priorities to be decided upon. Non-priorities tighten their belt and do their best to hit their goals with the budget they're allocated. Unsure what our national reserves are presently, nor how good a position we are in to borrow temporarily, or sell bonds; but failing the free world isn't something we should be risking, or it may not matter what else we funded.