British Soldiers

[xoxoxoBruce]

I thought some of you Brits, and possible others, are curious just how good British soldiers really are.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

There will be more parts to follow, so I'll post the links as I get them.
Cheerio.

[TheMercenary]

Good stuff... Glad they are on our side.

[be-bop]

Last year at a party i was talking to a young Squaddie who was on home leave from Iraq he was telling me some stories about how bad it could get there I'll spare the gory stuff but one story cracked me up.
He was on duty at a relief station handing out food rations and he said it was getting ugly as the local gangsters were pushing to the front trying to grab as much for themselves( they then sell it back to the poor civillians) he said they were shoving old women out of the way and the headmen there were to scared to say anything.
Well the squad leader had had enough of trying to keep order and gave the order to fix bayonets,all that was heard was the clatter of bayonets being fixed and the intake of breath as one from the crowd as they all stepped back.
Anyway the upshot was the crooks vanished and peace was restored and the food packets were handed out.
I asked him if he would have used the bayonet if he had to,he just gave me a smile but didn't answer

[Cloud]

hmm. new word:

"Telic:A central argument of Teleology says that the world has clearly been constructed in a purposeful telic rather than a chaotic manner, and must therefore have been made by a rational being, i.e. God"

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Cloud

hmm. new word:

"Telic:A central argument of Teleology says that the world has clearly been constructed in a purposeful telic rather than a chaotic manner, and must therefore have been made by a rational being, i.e. God"

Someone's been using psychatelic drugs, methinks.

I'm familiar with teleology and telos, but telic is new to me. Is sounds like an adjective but was used like a noun. Any guidance?

[xoxoxoBruce]

It's explained in the article.

[ZenGum]

All I could find in the article was that Telic (with capital) was the code name for the British operations in Iraq. Off to the Wiki for me, I guess.

[classicman]

Great read Bruce - thanks!

[Sundae]

Thanks Bruce.
I'm essentially a pacifist. In the same way I am essentially a liberal.
However if you mess with someone I care about (or blow up someone because they were born in the same country as me) I advocate unleashing hell.

Brits do have a different attitude to our armed forces here. It's a shame, I suppose, that they don't feel as well supported as the American troops. But Americans are so much more effusive than the British in many aspects. When things are back on the straight and narrow in my life I might think about writing. No gifts though - it would feel wrong to me when they are in a paid job and there are people in this country living below the poverty line. I'd rather give to the National Children's Society - means they won't grow up and break into my house when I'm a rich old lady.

It's funny - Americans believe it important to look after people who choose to put their lives on the line. Nothing wrong with that, I'm pleased they do so. But they can't bear the idea (generalisation) that people might be trapped in poverty, choosing instead to believe that they choose to get pregnant at 14 to an older drug addict boyfriend and have no idea how to bring up a child and support it through school.

Not an exclusively American attitude of course. But more noticeable in a country of extremes.

Back to the OP - I found it very interesting and can barely imagine ever living life in constant danger like that. I am so happy National Service was never brought back despite all the letters to the Daily Mail. It might have brought us The Goon Show (forerunner of Monty Python and The League of Gentlemen) but I can't bear the idea of people being there who hadn't signed up for it.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Part 4.

[xoxoxoBruce]

This post is not part of the series but related.

[lookout123]

I asked him if he would have used the bayonet if he had to,he just gave me a smile but didn't answer

if he and his men were anything like the brit soldiers in bosnia... yep. there would have been a couple of dead thugs and not a word would have been said.

[aimeecc]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

It's funny - Americans believe it important to look after people who choose to put their lives on the line. Nothing wrong with that, I'm pleased they do so. But they can't bear the idea (generalisation) that people might be trapped in poverty, choosing instead to believe that they choose to get pregnant at 14 to an older drug addict boyfriend and have no idea how to bring up a child and support it through school.

Americans look after the returning soldiers (who chose to serve) because they were doing a job for the nation. Uncle Sam told them to go fight. Many signed up for education benefits, not because they actually thought they would be shipped off to war (pre-9/11 recruits). America feels sorry for them, but also feels proud that they do not abandon ship and they go off and fight for a nation when they really only wanted money for college. Not saying these soldiers don't have patrioitism - they most certainly do. Its just that when they joined it was quasi peacetime. Many stay out of sense of duty and obligation, some see no other options that pay as well, and all want to go kick butt for 9/11. The post 9/11 generation (2001-2004 recruits) have a sense of patriotism and want to get back for 9/11. America applauds them. The greenest are ones that are either ultra patriotic and far right, or really have very few options to advance. America feels sorry for them, in different ways (ones naive and ones caught) and thus America supports them as well. You really don't see an outpouring of support for blackwater soldiers, who are viewed as hired guns/mercenaries for big corporate America that's making a buck (or two, or a million.. or billion) off the American taxpayers.

If you take a look at the girl caught in a cycle of poverty, Americans believe the various welfare programs as supporting her. They feel sorry for her, but there is no outpouring of support because she has not sacrficed her life for the nation, and there are several programs designed to assist her. The programs designed to assist vets are being overwhelmed, and thus need help. It can be argued the programs designed to help the girl are overwhelmed... but they've always been overwhelmed, so its no change to the status quo for one more girl to end up on welfare.

Just my perception...

[DanaC]

Goose Green was a bayonet, close combat battle. I've heard that's what our lot are best at.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Part V.