Paul A H Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) I agree.. But the bankers seem to be almost untouchable in this whole mess, despite the promise of levies and taxes on them.. Free market economy... Edited October 19, 2010 by Paul A H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) I agree.. But the bankers seem to be almost untouchable in this whole mess, despite the promise of levies and taxes on them.. Because, maybe, who finances a certain political party.... And this whole mess also harks back in part to the wilful destruction of our manufacturing industry over the past three decades by political parties of both colours- personally I've thought for years that glibly building an economy on financial & leisure services could not be in any way sustainable in the long term (especiallywhen with the global communications industry being the way it is now means such 'financial services' can be done from any country in the world & don't need to rely on 'the City' any longer). Seems that some of the nonsense I learnt about economics in uni actually stuck..... Edited October 19, 2010 by keefr22 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius at Home Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 From the BBC News website article:- One Harrier pilot, Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Kris Ward asked the PM: "I have flown 140 odd missions in Afghanistan and I am now potentially facing unemployment. How am I supposed to feel about that sir?" Sums it up really. Spivs in suits destroying good people. I also wonder whether the "£4bn earmarked for alleviating poverty in Pakistan" will have any lasting effect given that that country is more interested in spending its money on nuclear weopons and terrorism than alleviating the poverty of its own citizens. Maybe we could export the bankers and financial whizzes to Afghanistan - AQ and the Taliban would be welcome to chop off whichever bits of them they feel like. Darius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan the rabbit Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 From the BBC News website article:-One Harrier pilot, Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Kris Ward asked the PM: "I have flown 140 odd missions in Afghanistan and I am now potentially facing unemployment. How am I supposed to feel about that sir?" Sums it up really. Spivs in suits destroying good people. I also wonder whether the "£4bn earmarked for alleviating poverty in Pakistan" will have any lasting effect given that that country is more interested in spending its money on nuclear weopons and terrorism than alleviating the poverty of its own citizens. Maybe we could export the bankers and financial whizzes to Afghanistan - AQ and the Taliban would be welcome to chop off whichever bits of them they feel like. Darius And as we all know, foreign aid is woefully mismanaged, siphoned, directed to the wrong pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocksAway Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) Coming back to the world of models for a second - not to say I disagree with current thread of conversation .... Out of context - removed by author Edited October 19, 2010 by ChocksAway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Will there be ANYTHING left? MRCA Must Refurbish Canberra Again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 It's difficult to comment on this thread without going off in a political rant but I am honestly considering emigrating somewhere now. Anyway, with that off my chest, a new series of early Harrier kits would be wonderful! Got a few Airfix 48th SHARs in the stash that I started trying to upgrade with scratchbuilding and aftermarket but it's going to be a lot of work. Imagine if Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter etc. did a new series of GR/T/AV/FRS/FA to current standards instead of yet another incarnation of the usual subjects? Oh bliss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike7451 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Coming back to the world of models for a second - not to say I disagree with current thread of conversation .... Sorry mate,but this thread is NOT about modelling.it is about the way the armed forces,and the RAF in particular,are being cut to the bone.I couldn't give a toss about models right now! I'm more concerned about my friends who are still serving & how this will impact them,not to mention this nations defence & commitment. Save the model talk for another thread please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Hmm, surely we could keep the Harriers AND have JSF if the MP's got half their wages and the bankers got 10% of theirs And if we reviewed the foreign aid budget. Currently the vast majority of our foreign aid goes to China and India. These are two countries which have their own nuclear weapons programmes and their own space programmes. Why do they need our aid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocksAway Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Sorry, didn't mean to reduce the seriousness of this in any way shape or form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike7451 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Just seen CaMoron on the news explaining why we wont have carrier aircraft for at least ten year...I can see the purchase of FA-18's getting closer for the interim... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 And if we reviewed the foreign aid budget. Currently the vast majority of our foreign aid goes to China and India. These are two countries which have their own nuclear weapons programmes and their own space programmes. Why do they need our aid? To say nothing of massive manufacturing capacity that must bring in huge quantities of revenue from across the world. Sorry mods, know this is getting political but it seems impossible to resist at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasman71 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 And if we reviewed the foreign aid budget. Currently the vast majority of our foreign aid goes to China and India. These are two countries which have their own nuclear weapons programmes and their own space programmes. Why do they need our aid? Presumably to keep the call centres well-staffed? I have no idea, but I'm sure things could be done a LOT better (at the risk of sounding political!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob P Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Just seen CaMoron on the news explaining why we wont have carrier aircraft for at least ten year...I can see the purchase of FA-18's getting closer for the interim... More to the point, leasing? Think about the C-17 whilst we wait for the A400. On the subject of which, all has been strangely quiet about that one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twentyten Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Pure speculation on the BBC's part I'm sure, But "The BBC has learned that at least one of the new carriers will be redesigned so that it can deploy normal fighter aircraft that do not need a Harrier-style vertical lift capability. Dr Fox said that there would be "interoperability" so strike fighter aircraft from allies such as France could land on UK aircraft carriers, and vice versa. " Interesting? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 One Harrier pilot, Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Kris Ward asked the PM: "I have flown 140 odd missions in Afghanistan and I am now potentially facing unemployment. How am I supposed to feel about that sir?" Cameron's relpy was a corker. Mr Cameron thanked him for "everything" he had done for his country, but said there had been long discussions about the review and the military advice was that "it was right to keep the Typhoon as the principal ground attack aircraft, working in Afghanistan at the moment, and right to retire the Harrier". When did Typhoon deploy to Afghanistan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dylan the rabbit Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) And if we reviewed the foreign aid budget. Currently the vast majority of our foreign aid goes to China and India. These are two countries which have their own nuclear weapons programmes and their own space programmes. Why do they need our aid? Aid is a form of protection money.. Giving to China and India, as we do, will secure business and favour from them when they become the worlds superpowers within the next twenty years. As for the defence cuts, it's all a step towards full European integration, where individual countries will not have sovereign power any more, and we'll all be one (forced) European Union, and all defence will be pooled under a European Defence Force. A God dammed disgrace, but we're too far down the line to reverse it. I'm very sorry for all the good folk in our Armed Forces that are caught up in all of this and face an uncertain future, as we all seem to be facing these days. Edited October 19, 2010 by dylan the rabbit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenko Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 (edited) Aid is a form of protection money.. Giving to China and India, as we do, will secure business and favour from them when they become the worlds superpowers within the next twenty years.As for the defence cuts, it's all a step towards full European integration, where individual countries will not have sovereign power any more, and we'll all be one (forced) European Union, and all defence will be pooled under a European Defence Force. A God dammed disgrace, but we're too far down the line to reverse it. I'm very sorry for all the good folk in our Armed Forces that are caught up in all of this and face an uncertain future, as we all seem to be facing these days. I don't think it could have been put any better Nick. Dick Edited October 19, 2010 by jenko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I'm very sorry for all the good folk in our Armed Forces that are caught up in all of this and face an uncertain future, as we all seem to be facing these days. Me too I just hope that pensions are safe. I wouldn't put it past them to save money by stopping paying pensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaseGill Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 How is this happening? With a serving RAF Officer as Chief of the Defence Staff too. I wouldn't mind but he was my old boss. Sir, what have you allowed to happen? All of this less than a couple weeks after the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Scrap Nimrod? Good idea with every tin pot dictatorship in the world currently developing (or buying old Russian) submarines. Not to mention the loss of some surface ships that will themselves impact our ability to protect our own new carriers - In 9 years! Scrap Harrier? Yes that's a good idea. The Navy hasn't had a CAP since the Sea Harriers went and now god forbid there is another Falklands and we cant Force Project either! How are the future JSF guys going to keep current? Or are we about to fire the top 1% of our RAF Pilots (Harrier guys always say that!) too. Madness. Typhoon is good, world class in fact, but please for CAS the Harrier still cant be beat. Multi-role Carrier for joint Anglo-French Operations? This wouldn't be the same French who have politically avoided all of the police actions of late would it? The French after this will have a better equipped (though not trained) Navy than us. Sir Francis Drake is spinning right now... Shame on you Coalition Government. fair enough I'm biased, having served my 12 years in the RAF proudly. I still think we have some of the best, if not THE best, armed forces in the world though even those left will have a hell of a job proving it now though. Its a sad day for the Armed Forces of our country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Can see me doing a lot more What-if modelling in the future as I try to think how our armed forces would be equipped if successive governments hadn't progressively butchered our defence industry and services Shame to see the same mistakes being repeated for what seems the same reasons. Nick; I never thought about it that way but makes sense. Well, sense perhaps isn't the best word to describe it but sure you know what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 BBC News just reported that the Nimrod MRA4's have been canned and Kinloss will close. I don't think they said that with certainty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 I've turned the sound off on the telly as I'm so p'd off with the whole lot of them. But I can tell they're still lying. Their lips are moving..... So we're refurbishing Puma. What feckin good is that when they aren't combat capable any more? What a farce. 22 new Chinooks now down to 12 - oh but the total number will go up to 60. Except 75% of those are knackered. And our troops on the ground now say they have enough helicopters?? Which troops are they - the ones in Germany or the ones in Yorkshire??!! Well done you lot, your platitudes about supporting the Armed Forces are just so much K I don't think they said that with certainty... I think you'll find they have judging by a question that Cameron's just been asked about how cancelling Nimrod will significantly increase the vulnerability of the Trident fleet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike7451 Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 What got me was the statement he made about the Armed Forces being overstretched...so we reduce the numbers by 17,000....so does that mean our allies are going to take up the slack?.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Van Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Lunacy...Still, think of how much more ring fenced money for plowing into the EU sinkhole, sending abroad and educating immigrant kids the "Government" will be able to earmark as a result of slicing up our Armed Forces.. But then, most people shrug it off and go back to watching X-Factor.... Sorry. Politiks. I am sure not educating immigrant kids will save a squadron or two of Harriers. What is wrong with "immigrants"? They (and the EU) tend to be the scapegoat for everyhing. With respect aren't you an immigrant in Dubai? Are you integrated into the host community? My experience of ex-pat communities is that they tend to stick together , don't observe local customs or practice the local religion and don't learn the local language beyond an absolute minimum. This may not apply to you, though. Shame about the harriers, though... Van I've turned the sound off on the telly as I'm so p'd off with the whole lot of them. But I can tell they're still lying. Their lips are moving.....So we're refurbishing Puma. What feckin good is that when they aren't combat capable any more? What a farce. 22 new Chinooks now down to 12 - oh but the total number will go up to 60. Except 75% of those are knackered. And our troops on the ground now say they have enough helicopters?? Which troops are they - the ones in Germany or the ones in Yorkshire??!! Well done you lot, your platitudes about supporting the Armed Forces are just so much K I think you'll find they have judging by a question that Cameron's just been asked about how cancelling Nimrod will significantly increase the vulnerability of the Trident fleet.... I was referring to the lunch time news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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