tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post2980690613024679624..comments2024-03-28T09:55:42.123+00:00Comments on Capitalists@Work: Where there's muck there's military brassCityUnslickerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15929544047783163175noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-61421731201701596562010-10-25T14:34:38.454+01:002010-10-25T14:34:38.454+01:00I completely agree with Bill. It is all about the ...I completely agree with Bill. It is all about the money and the resources.divisashttp://www.igmarkets.es/cfd/forex.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-13786770533026037302010-10-24T20:24:24.413+01:002010-10-24T20:24:24.413+01:00Anon: Don't know quite what that magic might b...Anon: Don't know quite what that magic might be. Lottery tickets?<br /><br />ND: quite right I'm sure. Sierra Leone, Kosovo. All wars achieved on a budget. <br /><br />Marchmont: Your granddad had broken so many anti-terror and weapons laws <br />If the police had turned up he'dhaver put away for a million years. I bet he had a whittling knife too.Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-8209778463632020222010-10-22T23:59:29.898+01:002010-10-22T23:59:29.898+01:00My Grandad was a military communications expert in...My Grandad was a military communications expert in WWII.<br /><br />Once a month he had to drive his van to the New Inn up on't moor tops, and release the Home Guard carrier pigeons.<br /><br />How could Jerry have coped with that.<br /><br />Right into the 60's he still had a Winchester rifle he'd been issued with (and a hand grenade in his dresser drawer) but nobody knows what happened to them. <br /><br />Still, the old lad had survived the Somme, and we still have his trench club.Marchamontnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-69719097183855021612010-10-22T19:47:56.238+01:002010-10-22T19:47:56.238+01:00One of my favourite books is Alistair Horne's ...One of my favourite books is Alistair Horne's "To Lose a Battle" about the fall of France. I would not be surprised if some of the contributors have read it. <br /><br />As for Blair's Wars, it was a constant source of intrigue to me as to why it seemed the military did not speak out against New Labour's lunacy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-59249260343186111002010-10-22T19:34:39.288+01:002010-10-22T19:34:39.288+01:00Super post BQ, I love a good history lesson
like ...Super post BQ, I love a good history lesson<br /><br />like Andrew B's comments as well<br /><br />(@Laban - and Stalin ..?!)<br /><br />one more comment re 2003: need to recall that Kuwait 1991 was a great little war, enjoyed by all (except a large number of hapless Iraqi conscripts): the genuine coalition assembled by Bush Snr (now there's an under-rated President if ever there was one), fighting under NATO doctrines - yes, even a small French brigade on the left flank - fought a stunning set-piece assault with some genuine tactical innovations, and the first actual deployment of a number of NATO procedures, which worked brilliantly<br /><br />(incidentally, leaving the Russians absolutely gobsmacked and very fearful, as they'd been assuming the said NATO doctrine was inoperable) <br /><br />and of course medals all round<br /><br />given this recent history, you can see why the military signed up for Bush Jnr's crazy scheme quite so readily<br /><br />there were of course one or two important differences ...Nick Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670594203660051701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-18717155682815299932010-10-22T18:40:17.944+01:002010-10-22T18:40:17.944+01:00I fear you are getting caught up in the last war, ...I fear you are getting caught up in the last war, whilst missing the important stuff about the next one.<br />Ultimately security comes from wealth and from rewarding the best. Cameron is increasing the states wealth and power, thus making the people poorer and less free. This will make us weaker. The only enemy I ever hear anybody talking about is Islam, so it seems like the people understand, but the politicians would rather avoid it.<br />We don't have some automatic right to live in a peaceful and wealthy society, such things have to be fought for, hence I believe people are relying on magic to get us out of our current mess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-86468355122822456012010-10-22T18:08:19.667+01:002010-10-22T18:08:19.667+01:00Andrew B: Very good analysis. I can only agree tha...Andrew B: Very good analysis. I can only agree that you are entirely correct on the points of old world generals, their families and backgrounds and the contrast with the modern army.<br />But would you not think a commander who has covered another 2 miles in a fuel convoy and watched another twenty bombs being removed from the road and considering his next 50 miles to travel might not have thought to speak out. Or wanted to?<br />And the men at the top might have wanted to speak out more. British army has been a long time in Afghanistan now. Surely this wasn't intended from day one.<br /><br />Laban: Another excellent example. Gort's single decision to leave the French to themselves saved the army {and gave The French a perfect excuse for their defeat that they have used ever since.} Gort's orders were key but Brooke's handling of them was brilliant. <br /><br />I seem to recall Brooke was not Churchill's first choice. He was very cool with him when they first met. I'm fairly sure it was Dill who insisted that he was the man for the job. <br />Brooke was another of those incredibly personally brave soldiers. It was Churchill's good sense to understand that appointing the best man for the job, despite personal opinions, was the right course to take. <br />I would guess that Churchill was so convinced of the power of his own personal charm and intellect and humour, that he could talk anyone round.<br />He was never close to Brooke, but valued him highly. He also later lamented his decision to boot out Dowding without acknowledging his contribution.Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-36848718506922469692010-10-22T17:30:57.523+01:002010-10-22T17:30:57.523+01:00Similarly Churchill pressed Alan Brooke to use his...Similarly Churchill pressed Alan Brooke to use his forces to support the French and fill gaps in the front in western France after the German breakthrough - when he discovered that Brooke was working on evacuation plans for the Brit troops (this was within 3 days of the French surrender) and directing his troops to the ports. He rang up Brooke, who'd never spoken with him, and argued with him for half an hour, trying to persuade him to continue the fight. Brooke refused to alter his dispositions and eventually convinced Churchill, who at the beginning of the conversation had been implying that Brooke was afraid to fight. <br /><br />Events vindicated Brooke, and on his return to the UK Churchill put him in charge of Home Defence, promoting him to C.I.G.S a year later. So not everyone who crossed Churchill suffered. <br /><br />(Hitler sacked generals who disagreed with him - fortunately for us)Labanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12031578024191117985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-54388864973459837882010-10-22T17:27:47.930+01:002010-10-22T17:27:47.930+01:00Everything is economics.
Back then, Lord Gort was...Everything is economics.<br /><br />Back then, Lord Gort was not completely reliant on his job as a senior officer to provide a house / food etc for the family. After the first world war he was not dependant on the opinion of churchill/the govt for his place in society<br />In other words he had nothing much to lose by speaking out.<br /><br />Now, with no really good wars since '82, little prospect of a big war to provide rapid promotions and the rise of meritocracy, the chances are that senior soldiers do rely on their income to provide housing / food, and do depend on the current government for future promotions and do not have an extensive war record.<br />In other words modern soldiers can have everything to lose by speaking out.<br /><br />I am disappointed in BQ's unstated assumption that soldiers are somehow morally better than us. They are just people and if you effectively reward them for staying quiet, and punish them for speaking out, the obvious will happen.<br /><br />I need to remind everyone that as a group, benefit claimants were more honest than the last group of MPs.<br />Not necessarily because one group is more honest than the other, but because the benefit claimants were/are being checked up on and penalised if caught and until recently, MPs were not checked up on and and not penalised.Andrew Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17537364534559092034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-15533070388972256302010-10-22T15:54:56.045+01:002010-10-22T15:54:56.045+01:00JH: Someone must have raised some objections. Only...JH: Someone must have raised some objections. Only a few junior members of the armed forces have said anything.<br />In reverse, during the Falklands crisis, the general staff originally told Mrs T. it was no go, and the task force couldn't sail. Another commander who had a plan piped up and said 'actually, it could work if X and y' <br />Hellish gamble that it was, it worked.<br /><br />Jer. Thanks, corrected.<br /><br />Demetrius. Thankyou. Will have a look after hours.<br /><br />Anon: Sorry, too cryptic for me.Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-38742078576487786352010-10-22T15:40:03.897+01:002010-10-22T15:40:03.897+01:00U.K. - Common sense - Fail. Balls of Steel - Fa...U.K. - Common sense - Fail. Balls of Steel - Fail. Understand economics - Fail. Know arse from elbow - Fail. Believe in magic - Pass.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-40582584724760696332010-10-22T15:03:53.993+01:002010-10-22T15:03:53.993+01:00"German's had punched a whole"
Rath..."German's had punched a whole"<br /><br />Rather undermines an otherwise thoughtful article.Jernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-51774049888121529812010-10-22T15:02:56.265+01:002010-10-22T15:02:56.265+01:00Great minds think alike, it is said. If you look ...Great minds think alike, it is said. If you look at economicroadmap dot com today headed "When Giants Fall" you will see a parallel analogy to your own. Not the same but based on the same events.Demetriushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198549581667363991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32841798.post-38534162453228401942010-10-22T14:31:04.641+01:002010-10-22T14:31:04.641+01:00So, when a Pm asked the army to undertake an invas...So, when a Pm asked the army to undertake an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, did any senior officer object?<br /><br />Well, they were hardly likely to at that point. The sun shone out of young Tony's proverbial.James Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.com