Friday 28 May 2010

The Wild Geese

We are the children of Britain. Recruited from her Council estates - Our arms are covered in ink. Panthers and Snakes coil around each other. Dragons fly above love hearts emblazoned with the word 'Mum'

The London boy next to me grins. White teeth flashing through an oil stained face as the War machines engines whine and groan slowly lifting us into the air.

'It's like the Wild fucking Geese' He screams into my ear. His laughter drowned out by the helicopters rotor blades. I am 11 years old again. On the television I can see Richard Harris limping down a runway, pleading with Richard Burton in the Film. 'Shoot me... Shoot me...'

I look back at Sven. An unlit cigarette hangs from his mouth. He has an imaginery friend called Mr Far-Far and in his Vehicle is a bow and some arrows. He jabs a finger toward a small window. Other Chinooks are in formation with us. Red Tracer fire spews out from them smashing into the desert floor below.

We land heavily. Hundreds of troops pour out of the aircraft. We run to the cover of fortified positions. No rounds come in. Safety. Laughter. Then we stand to.

Above us B-52's smudge vapour trails into the blue sky. Night falls and is broken by the man made daylight of carpet bombing. Flashes erupt on the horizon. Then the rumble of High Explosive is carried across our trenches.

Across the front line Britains children ready themselves for war. Charms are kissed and prayers are whispered. Night remains day and the enemy dies. I smoke a cigarette as I watch a hundred lives ending. Sven is talking to Mr Far-Far 'This shit gives me wood' He chuckles. I laugh too. The world has gone insane..

Friday 21 May 2010

Veteran

My Girlfriend sits at the bottom of the stairs. Her red eyes spill out tears as she sobs on the phone to her Mother 'I can't take anymore of it Mum - I want to come home'

I stare at the broken, smashed bedroom door. An obscene metaphor reflecting the inside of my mind. Blood trickles between my knuckles; Split almost to the bone from pounding the heavy wood.

Back at Mum and Dads now. Mum is a crumpled heap on the floor her body racked with inner pain. She cries out to Dad 'What's wrong with him? What did they do over there?' I sit staring at the wall in the room I grew up in as a child. Where I played war and broke toy soldiers.

I'm so very tired, but the dead wont let me sleep. Alchohol numbs the daylight memories - but at night they creep into my room and then my dreams. Their twisted bodies clamber over me. The rotting teenage bodies fumble with their insides. Trying to push them back in.

The burning soldier screams in silence. His flesh falls away and his bones bubble as he claws at the flames. A pair of legs try to stand. They stagger around like a new born giraffe before collapsing into a heap.

A young man sits silently rocking back and forth - I tap his shoulder and he spins around. His face has gone, just teeth and splintered bone remain. I try to scream but it wont come.

Death is so very close. One pull of the blade and some pain... Then nothing. But I can't. I can hear Mum crying. I walk past her in silence. The pubs have opened again...

Bombs

Best Video about War ever...

Thursday 20 May 2010

Programme for Government

There's a band from Newport, Gwent called Goldie Lookin' Chain, who did a song once called "The Manifesto". David Cameron and Nick Clegg have formed a coalition government which appears to have published a manifesto after it was elected. Good trick chaps!

For those of us who are insomniacs, it can be read in full here. Be warned, however, it's 36 pages long and at the end of it you might - as I did - come away with a great deal of head-scratching and "WTF?"-ing.

As you're aware, CSR and I are both veterans of the Army and of conflict and thus I've copied out the section on defence and have made comments below each of the paragraphs within the document in italics. Feel free to counter-comment in the comments back.

Much love,
John


DEFENCE

The Government believes that we need to take action to safeguard our national security at home and abroad. We also recognise that we need to do much more to ensure that our Armed Forces have the support they need, and that veterans and their families are treated with the dignity that they deserve.

Damn straight, and about bloody time.

We will maintain Britain’s nuclear deterrent, and have agreed that the renewal of Trident should be scrutinised to ensure value for money. Liberal Democrats will continue to make the case for alternatives. We will immediately play a strong role in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, and press for continued progress on multilateral disarmament.

Good idea scrutiny and ensuring value-for-money. It may be an area of disagreement between CSR and me (TRIDENT) but having scrutiny and / or possibly no requirement for constant on patrol presence (as suggested by RUSI) might work.

The nuclear NPT is a great idea but unfortunately with countries like Israel (are you listening in Dimona?), Iran, Pakistan and India all nuclear it looks like the next time CSR and I go to the Arabian desert instead of having to worry about sand there will have been such heat created we'll need only take window-cleaner with us (for the non-scientists: if you heat up sand, you get glass).


We will aim to reduce Ministry of Defence running costs by at least 25%.

Bloody right. MoD uncivil servants, time to start looking for a new job. PR department at MoD? Ditch it. That's what we've got CIMIC for and the Army has it's own journalists in uniform - use them.

We will work to rebuild the Military Covenant by:

– ensuring that Service personnel’s rest and recuperation leave can be maximised;

No more waiting for the airbridge at Bastion? Good.

– changing the rules so that Service personnel only have to register once on the Service register;

Good idea. Postal voting for all service personnel, no matter where in the world they are.

– exploring the potential for including Service children as part of our proposals for a pupil premium;

No "exploring the potential" - do it. I was a RAF brat and was at seven schools by the time I was sixteen: did it contribute to the ballsing up of my education? I'm not sure - but it certainly didn't help.

– providing university and further education scholarships for the children of Servicemen and women who have been killed on active duty since 1990;

Great idea. But hold on, are they going to be full scholarships? It should also be extended to those who have suffered life changing mental or physical injury, such as Captain Norton GC.

– providing support for ex-Service personnel to study at university,

Good one. But why not help service personnel get degrees in-service? At the moment only a small number of senior officers get them via DEFAC at Shrivenham: why not extend it to everyone and have an Army Education Corps officer scrutinised on the number of members of the regiment or battalion he's posted to achieving advanced levels of education: education that can be used when they come out.

Army education really gets my goat (sorry, all, this is going to be a rant). With the exception of prison, the Army is one of the few places where there's a captive audience - the AEC should be offering opportunities to soldiers to get GCSEs, AS/A2 levels and in-service degrees - all the way up to PhD.

– creating a new programme, ‘Troops for Teachers’, to recruit ex-Service personnel into the teaching profession;

See above on AEC - but it's a good idea. Some of the best teachers I've ever had in terms of their commitment to the cause and the imagination they put into their subject material were at RMAS and at regiment and battalion level: the indiscipline in some schools would also be improved dramatically if the kids misbehaviour was punished by the call "One squillion press-ups, exercise ... begin."

– providing extra support for veteran mental health needs; and

Absolutely, 100%, definitely YES. CSR and I've both needed the services of Combat Stress in the past and the disjoint that has required for 100 years that a charity (note: NOT the government) provide this service is appalling. Good work on the coalition that they are providing this, and shame on the past government for not noticing that despite 48 UK fatalities as a consequence of GRANBY, ~200 have committed suicide since.

– reviewing the rules governing the awarding of medals.

OK: I'm not sure what they mean by this but I suspect it's uncivil serpents earning campaign medals for sitting on a beach in Cyprus chilling out with a beer whilst the rest of us sweat our knackers off in the Saudi desert.

We will double the operational allowance for Armed Forces personnel serving in Afghanistan, and include Armed Forces pay in our plans for a fair pay review.

Good, and whilst we're about it:
  • why are there more Admirals than ships in the Royal Navy?
  • Why are there more Maj. and Lt. Generals together than regiments in the British Army?
  • Why are there more Air officers (Air Commodore and above) than fighter aircraft in the RAF?

We will ensure that injured personnel are treated in dedicated military wards.

About bloody time. Also: when it's affordable, reinstate Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot, where I did my first posting after GRANBY. Yes, it's a shithole, and yes it was difficult to manage but if soldiers wanted an easy life, they'd be civilians.

We will look at whether there is scope to refurbish Armed Forces’ accommodation from efficiencies within the Ministry of Defence.

True, and again, about time.

We will support defence jobs through exports that are used for legitimate purposes, not internal repression, and will work for a full international ban on cluster munitions.

Why not have a placement scheme for resettlement of service personnel within the defence industry?

Sunday 16 May 2010

Scorched Earth Policy


It seems as is being reported in todays' Sunday Times that there's been knowledge in the No.10 bunker that Gordon Browns days were numbered he decided to take the way out that most created trouble for his successors in government, so called "scorched earth".


Sgt CSR and I saw the effects of this in 1991: the black columns of smoke with occasional flames visible together with a roaring noise as made by the flaming oil wells. One of my most constant memories of being in Kuwait was standing on the al-Mutla ridge (الجهراء, الكويت for our Arabic readership) ‎and hearing a roaring noise from burning oil wells - then looking through binoculars and realising that they were 15 miles away, and yet the noise was carrying. Should Hades exist, this is what it will look like (above).

Brown and parties' view of the election, their jaundiced view of the British public - the state they created, a client-state of the government - that they would blame their successors for the state of the UK economy cannot be criticised enough. Failure by the electorate to blame Brown, Balls, Voldemort et al for this would be a mistake.

During the election campaign, Ken Clarke talked about bringing in the IMF to the UK. I suspect that there's a greater need to do it now than ever. Gideon has suggested that we need to have an emergency budget but I believe he needs to go further - open the books to *public* inspection and we can see, as did the Marcos regime in the Philippines in 1986:

"People power movements have been an Imperial Manila phenomenon. Their playing field is EDSA. They have excluded the provincianos from their movement with their insufferable arrogance and snobbery ... ignoring the existence of the toiling masses and peasants in agrarian Philippines."

When I started ranting on here, I thought that talking about the arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of the last government was mere kite flying. Now? I'm a lot less sure.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

What Happened Next

Yes I know - It's childish in the extreme... But it made me smile...

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Victory

My heart is beating like a fucked clock. Tick-Tick-Tick-Tock Tock-Tick Tock. My breaths are short, rapid and violent. My eyes dart around the hole in the ground in front of me and I tighten my grip on the rifle I am aiming at it.

'Get out of the hole' I scream the words. They become broken, distorted. 'Get out of the fucking hole' Small arms fire cracks away in the distance. Its staccato thump as irregular as the pounding in my chest.

A face appears in the dark slit. Foreign words fill the air - frantic words. Incoherent words. 'Get out of the fucking hole' I scream the words 'NOW' My finger takes up the triggers pressure.

A soldier scrambles out - He is wailing. Crying. Tears and snot combine into a sickly mess on his lips. My rifle barrel swings from his face to the hole. From the hole to his face.

'Weapon' I scream at him. Pushing my rifle into his face. 'Where's your fucking weapon?' He falls to his knees. I don't speak his words but know he is pleading for his life. His eyes wide - fear pouring out. He shakes uncontrollably.

I grab his jacket and drag him along the sand. He begins to moan. From the bottom of his stomach a pitiful wail pierces through the gunfire in the far away distance.

His war is over. I hate him for that. He is going to live - go home - see his Mum. See his Girl. I drop my rifle to my side and fumble for some smokes. I offer one to the trembling creature who is now curled into a ball.

He shakes his head and the moans take on a new ferocity. He clasps his hands and his tar black eyes plead with mine. 'He thinks it's his last cigarette mate' My friend chuckles. 'Poor cunt'

I realise the man has been destroyed by our Army. I sling my rifle behind me - take a knee and then smile. I take a cigarette for myself and throw the half full packet in front of him.

My enemy has been defeated. The war still rages. I give him some food and point toward the South. As I walk past his dead friends I look back. He is still sat there. Rocking back and forth as he smokes my cigarettes.

He looks up at me and waves. I don't wave back - the war still rages.

The State Vs Me

I'm Fifth Generation British Army. My family have been involved in just about every war our Nation has fought in.

My Great Grandfather was a Fusilier in the Trenches in France - My Great Uncle was awarded the Military Medal at Paschendale - losing his life in the process. My Grandfathers fought against the Nazi tyranny on both the land and the sea and my Grandmother crewed an Ack Ack Battery during the Blitz.

Korea, Ulster, The Falklands and Iraq have been walked upon by the boots of my forefathers and myself. At this very minute my Nephew is training for Afghanistan.

We fought for Democracy. The right for men to have a say in their lives - to be freed from oppression and tyranny.

NuLabour now pour scorn upon the duty and sacrifice that my family and so many countless others have given and still give to the Crown. Their unelected Puppet Masters have been spinning a shady back room deal with the Harlot Clegg - a desperate bid to cling to power despite the Nation wishing otherwise.

Mandelson, Campbell and Adonis... Unelected and unaccountable. These are the men who sneer at Democracy and the voices of Britain. Their systematic destruction of the Nation will not be stopped by something as inconvenient as losing an Election (let us be clear on this - Labour lost it)

These men have plans. We are merely insignificant people to be used for whatever purpose suits their need. How they must laugh, as we stand in heartbroken silence as our dead soldiers come home. Perhaps they snigger at the irony of the Union flags draped over the lifeless children who are dying for 'Democracy'

NuLabour would be unwise to assume they can steal Democracy without protest or challenge. There are those of us who believe freedom is worth fighting for...

Another Prediction

So Democracy is being stolen.

I found a video that I think sums up what will unfold if Cleggy jumps into the sack with Brown...

Monday 10 May 2010

BBC Impartiality?

As I'm writing this I'm listening to the 1715 BBC package with Huw Edwards interviewing:

- Andrew Adonis
- Bad Al Campbell

...alongside the ultra Brown-ite Nick Robinson.

Whatever happened to BBC impartiality? Here's my complaint:

The recent interview with Huw Edwards and Nick Robinson of Alistair Campbell and Andrew Adonis was a complete Tory-bashing fest and I fail to see how the BBC can justify its' licence fee income as a consequence of this impartiality.

Elements such as the Tory party policy (e.g., described by Alistair Campbell as "deeply right wing") were accepted as fact rather than being critical of something that is solely subjective.

I believe that Campbells' past as a spinner-in-chief for previous PM Blair makes his commentary on other parties' policies and views moot and he should not be receiving payment from my contribution as licence fee.

Feel free to use the form at https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/.

Go to it, fellows.

A Prediction...

Gordon Brown should have resigned on Friday. His party was obliterated in the Election - But he stayed put. Why?

NuLabour have one desire and one desire only. To remain in Power. Those of us who rightly claim NuLab were soundly defeated are relying upon a misguided hope of fair play if we think NuLabour are finished.

This is the Party that sent hundreds of British troops to their deaths on a lie. They are prepared to kill nor just one or two people in shady circumstance but untold hundreds of thousands - think Iraq.

The current LibCon talks are a smokescreen. We are now learning of secret meetings taking place between the LibDem negotiators and the higher ranks of NuLab. Lord Mandelson... Now there's a man for whom honour is but a trait of the men he sends to war to fight and die.

Cameron should have been allowed to form a minority Government - But this would mean opposition for NuLab, so it was never going to happen. I suspect Clegg is being promised his dream of PR but its cost will be Brown remaining at the helm for 6 months.

NuLab will then give us the boy Milliband as their Leader. Clegg is a fool and the taste of power has him drunk. His foolish wrangling as he attempts to put Party before Nation will cost us all dearly.

I do hope I'm wrong on this...

Sunday 9 May 2010

The World Is Watching

As a Tory I've got used to losing elections. Three times I've put my cross in the box and three times I've watched Labour claim the Crown.

I'm a former soldier - I don't like losing. However, I have accepted those three defeats with dignity and a resolve to try and win for my Party next time.

There is no one who can deny Gordon Brown and NuLabour lost on Friday. The result was an overwhelming decision by the electorate that NuLabour had come to the end of its tracks. The Torys had a mountain to climb to gain a majority and despite a swing rivalling Thatchers in 79 they failed to clinch the deal. So close but no cigar.

The Torys did however gain more seats. So although it wasn't an outright victory it should have been enough for Brown to have accepted defeat. I have no love for Gordon Brown but his desperation to cling to power is now not only nauseating - it is perilous for our Country. The economic crises has taken a back seat as Journalists walk past CGI mock ups of Electoral reform.

A handful of hard left protestors seem to have taken our eye of the ball. Unless decisive action is taken immediately, the Markets will punish us and they will punish us harshly.

JFK once said 'Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.' Sage words indeed. This media spectacle must end. Brown must resign. Anything less in the current economic climate would be an act of treason.

Saturday 8 May 2010

Combat Stress

Another Doctor came today to peek inside my thoughts
He asked me lots of questions about the war in which I fought,

He listened with his stethoscope but did not hear my heart
Nor the silent screams inside a mind torn wide apart,

Once shiny boots now gather dust and medals hide away
And death creeps into dreams when the darkness steals the day,

It isn't nice to have to beg the country you once served
On bended knee with cap in hand a fate quite undeserved,

Be the best the small screen cried enlist and serve the Crown
But how many of the best are now locked up in iron towns,

And dare not mention names of those who could not bare this strife
Who with rope or blade or happy pills did away with life...

65th Anniversary of VE Day


Today, May 7th 2010 in the UK we're celebrating the sixty-fifth anniversary of VE Day, the defeat by Allied forces of the influence of the Third Reich across Europe. As many of you know, I'm a data-fiend (love data) and from British and Commonwealth forces fighting in World War II (1939-1945) the following figures are relevant.

- 580,351 Killed / Missing

- 475,000 Wounded

- 318,000 Prisoners of War

Since yesterday morning we've seen the three main parties in the United Kingdom fail in their duty to attempt to form a government to manage the way in which Britain is run, to make the decisions that are necessary to provide for our service personnel in Afghanistan.

The people KIA / MIA, wounded or PoW total nearly 1.4 million.

To put that in context, imagine the new Wembley Stadium, filled.

Sixteen times over.

And yet, and yet - the squatting Labour government (and in particular the Cyclopsian one) have not resigned. They might claim to be using parliamentary privilege to do so but in reality, for every hour they spend in power without democratic mandate, they are metaphorically spitting in the eye of every man, woman and animal in UK armed forces and the whole UK electorate.

As the chap on the left in the picture above might say, at the very top of his voice:

Jail 'em!

Carlsberg Don't Do Own Goals

I never really got into UKIP. I know lot's from the right did and I have to be honest - I did flirt with the idea of them. Their canvasser was astute, well motivated and passionate about his cause. But ultimately I thought better of it. I gave my little kiss to Mr Camerons merry bunch.

UKIP fought a lacklustre campaign (no doubt crippled by the biased MSM) and I didn't expect them to make any great gains. Although I did hope Mr Farage (get well soon) would give Bercow a kicking.

It is therefore a most ironic situation we now find ourselves in. iDave failed in his bid to win a majority and we have ourselves a hung parliament. The Tory effort was scuppered by UKIP gaining votes that tipped the balance to Labour in 21 constituencies . Nick Clegg has become the maker and breaker of would be Kings. Despite an awful showing at the ballot box, Clegg holds our future in his hands.

Nick clegg wants Proportional Representation. So does Billy Bragg and so a lot of Labour supporters are realising - do they. Clegg must surely realise this is his last best chance at power. The Tory meetings I suspect are merely a smokescreen while Labour remove Cleggs only hurdle - Brown.

PR is being punted as more democratic. Fairer etc etc... Sure more peoples vote will count. The BNP will get some seats - the Greens a couple more. But Labour - well they'll have a few less than the Conservatives. The same as the LibDems.

PR means coallition. It will be a coallition of the Left. The Conservatives will be finished in all but name - and those dreams of UKIP getting out of Europe and its coming Superstate. Well they'll be drowned out by Billy Bragg and his lefty chums screams of delight at knowing the Left can't be defeated. Ever...

Carlsberg don't do own goals - They couldn't hope to compete with UKIP's

N.B. For those that wish to know - the Squatter Banner comes from the excellent The Talking Clock Blog - Tip of the Titfer to that outstanding effort!

Friday 7 May 2010

Stand Down

It remains to be seen what will happen with the hung Parliament. As we tweet, blog, text, poke and email our hopes, fears and concerns - young men from these Islands are gearing up for combat patrols in Afghanistan.

They will not be thinking of swingometers, LibLab, LibCon or Brown or Dave. They will be thinking about life as they walk into the valley of the shadow of death.

We have been told time and again they are there - fighting and dying - to bring Democracy to another nation. With a courage and dedication that humbles me they risk life and limb day after day to achieve this.

The nation has spoken and the nation has firmly rejected NuLabour. Now is the time to salvage whatever dignity and decency (if any) remain in Browns party. They must stand down. Brown must resign.

Too many troops have died attempting to give others a taste of Democracy to ignore it here. The covenant is broken - NuLabour I urge you not to spit on it.

Come On Sir

What are we waiting for... If Brown wont go...


Thursday 6 May 2010

May 6th 2010 - the Aftermath

This post is going to either:

(a) appear worryingly prescient, or
(b) seem like the rantings of a conspiracy theorist

_______________________________________________________________________

There are reports from Ealing, from Chester, from Hackney, from Lewisham, from Leeds -- all over the major conurbations of the UK -- of people being intentionally disenfranchised of their right to vote.

In Ranmoor, an affluent suburb of Sheffield, voters are refusing to allow the dispatch of ballot boxes. As Sheffield Hallam is the constituency - and Nick Clegg the sitting MP - there are reports that he has gone to the polling place himself to apologise to people and try to reach resolution. For those of the electorate scoffing at Nick Cleggs' statesmanship - eat your words.

I am fearful, however, when I look at the conduct of Lord Voldemort and his cabal of Johnson, Harman, Millibands (plural), Darling and of course Brown. For a member of a Labour government who are - exit polls suggest - being metaphorically bent over and taking their punishment from the electorate - he looks remarkably relaxed.

Such relaxation can only be as a consequence of information asymmetry: the sort of information asymmetry which makes markets imperfect (and, perversely, makes them work effectively).

What might Voldemort know? I fear that there may well be evidence that will be well hidden until all voters who have cast their vote today are long since pushing up the daisies that Voldemort was in some way instrumental in this.

In short - a coup d'etat, the theft of democracy. Stalin is alleged to have said:

"it's not who votes that counts, it's who counts the votes"

So. What to do?

There are mutterings of former soldiers (including this one) about getting the tanks out, drawing personal weapons and taking back our country. How much I would love to do so. Climb back into my uniform, last worn some years ago, and lead a squadron like the old, retired officer that I am.

Were we to do this we would be Greece - and we're not. We need a civil uprising. We need to be Czechoslovakia in November 1989. The story of the Velvet Revolution has been used before as an example of how best to have a peaceful uprising.

As and when it comes to this - possibly as early as tomorrow - let's get ready to march. We will march on Millbank, we will march on Downing Street and if as with Thich Quang Duc (go look it up) - again, paraphrasing -

"it takes blood to resolve this, then please - take mine"

I hope that we wake up tomorrow morning to a new government, committed to the following objectives:

1. Reform of the polling process - bring us PR

2. Prosecution of the current Labour cabinet

3. Slashing of the deficit, a bonfire of the client state

If not, prepare for uprising. Who's going to be our Lech Walesa, our Vaclav Havel? Answers on a postcard, please.



May 6th 2010 - Election Day

In the spirit of impartiality I'm not going to start banging-on about the fact that people should vote one way or the other. Your vote is yours, and the way you vote is a secret, held in three places - between you, the ballot box and your conscience.

For those of us who at 0838Z have not voted yet, I would ask this however: whichever way you vote, please - PLEASE - vote.

Many millions gave their all for us to have the right to free and fair elections - and to thank them today, all you have to do is pop down to your nearest polling station and make a cross in a box.

I forget the author but someone wrote the following stanza and it's particularly apposite today:

When you return
tell them of us and say
"For your tomorrow
We gave our today"

I, CSR and millions of others continue to suffer ill-health as a consequence of our service. When you're considering which charity to support - try a veterans' organisation and, if I may be so bold as to ask your indulgence - Combat Stress are particularly good. Go, look 'em up. They've been working to help veterans for nearly 100 years and are a truly brilliant organisation.

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Lest We Forget

NuLabour have been more than willing to send young Brtish troops off to fight and die for them. Not one member of the current Government has served as a soldier. Yet they throw our kids into foreign wars at every opportunity.

Soldiers do not moan about this, it is after all their job. It's a nasty job, but our fighting men and women do it better than anyone else in the world. All they ask is that the covenant be honoured.

Nu Labour care little for the covenant. They see it as something to be ignored, cast aside (look at Johnny Gurkha and his treatment at the hands of NuLabour) and treated with contempt.

I've known this for some time - it is a sad reflection of who our Leaders are. However... I have today discovered something about Ed Balls (Hard Core Nu Labour) that has made me feel ill.

Ed - Who earns a princely sum as an MP decided he'd reclaim the cost of a Poppy Wreath... In Ed's world the life of a fallen soldier isn't worth 33 quid. It would appear it's worth nothing.

I collect money for the Legions Poppy Appeal every year and something that always renews my faith in my fellow Countrymen is the amount of people who put pennies into the collection bin. Old folk, young kids, black, white, rich and poor. They all seem to find a couple of quid to help out the Men and Women who keep and have kept them safe at night.

Ed Balls is a disgrace. There is no spin that can be put on this story. There are no lies that can undo this complete and total lack of respect. Hang your head in shame Mr Balls. You are without doubt - a complete tosser...

++++++++++ UPDATE ++++++++++

Video Below...

The Ultimate Betrayal

The Postal Vote scandal is beginning to gather momentum. Al Jahom blogs about it over at his.

It would appear NuLabour likes the Postal Vote - It not only allows them to gain plenty of fictitious votes in key marginal seats with imaginery bogus voters - it also means they can deny the vote to that part of society they despise so much. The Armed Forces.

There are British troops who have risked their lives fighting NuLabours many poorly planned wars who will have no say in the next Government. This is obscene. It is not enough to under-equip them. Or to discard them once they are wounded. This disgusting, corrupt and shameful Government now wish to deny some of them their voice in our (pitiful) Democracy.

What was once a beacon across the world has been turned into a Banana Republic by Gordon Brown and his chums. How they must laugh at the growing casualty list - casualties made up mostly of  the working class Brown has made it so clear he despises.

It is not enough it would seem to merely break the Military Covenant. NuLabour wish to drag it through the mud, spit on it, bury it and then piss on its grave. As soldiers continue to die - Brown continues his desperate cling to power. How truly sickening the NuLabour experiment has become.

Sunday 2 May 2010

Music, Lyrics and Reactions

Reading CSRs last I was reminded of some pieces of music that make me think of different times in my life.

The Last Post being played at Remembrance never fails to bring me to the position where I stand, at attention, wearing my medals and my beret, convincing myself that I'm not crying when tears stream down my face.

I thought I'd take the opportunity to write up a piece of these - feel free to add your own in the commentary.

Get Here - Oleta Adams

The US claimed this as their unofficial theme tune to Granby and it's also got lines which make me think back to this time. Examples include:

"cross the desert like an Arab man"

and (particularly relevant)

"cross the border in a blaze of hope"

Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

Naturally, even the title's a dead give away of this being a soldiers' song but it's still a good tune and I can't hear it without a shiver going down my spine. Again, as well as the tune it's also got the lyrics, examples of which would be:

"Through these fields of destruction / Baptisms of fire"

and

"I've witnessed your suffering / As the battled raged higher"

and (particularly relevant, given that it was the Army v Navy rugby yesterday when serving and former soldiers, sailors and airmen get together socially)

"And though they did hurt me so bad / In the fear and alarm / You did not desert me / My brothers in arms"

Queen - Who Wants to Live Forever?

Again this song is pre-1991 but has a real resonance for many of us who have suffered from MH concerns in the past and especially for those of us who've had a run in with the reaper, especially when at our own hand.

All of the lyrics of this work for me so I won't quote any in particular, but I was pallbearer for a friend who'd died at his own hand as a direct consequence of our service on Granby and he'd insisted that this be played at his funeral.

Not a dry eye in the house, as they say.

Runrig - That Final Mile

I made a huge mistake some years ago and inadvertently hurt a number of people when I did. I would say that I regret it every day but the verb "regret" doesn't nearly do justice to it. The first song at our (short) wedding was this and the final verse is:

"Now the hurt has gone / Now the doubt has gone / I'm walking down / A clear way to your heart"



Saturday 1 May 2010

Angry doesn't come close...

Adagio for strings is playing - a song synonymous with the Vietnam war and the heartache it caused. A heartache Oliver Stone called 'Platoon'

A phone call is received. The words spoken are so distressing the person hearing them drops what they are holding and in High Definition Slow Motion screams 'NO'

The camera pans to a smouldering, broken and destroyed casualty.

So distraught are those around the burnt and shattered victim - grown men break down in tears - the victim is then covered with a cloth and wheeled away as the pain strikes home to those who cared for the lost...

A scene from Afghanistan?

No. An advert for Warburton bread.

It's been a long time since I have been this angry. I'm not going to write a letter signed angry from England. But I know this - If I live to be 100 I will never again eat their product.

Trying to tap into the emotions so many are feeling right now to attempt to sell a loaf of bread isn't just wrong. It's a disgrace. Angry doesn't come close...

Remember The Fallen

Every November I stand silently in thought. It is always cold and often raining. My arms are locked into my sides, my chest is pushed out and I am ramrod straight.

As the Bugler sounds last post it takes every last ounce of my self-discipline not to cry. I don't cry because remembrance day is a Military occasion. It dictates a formality of dignified mourning.

There have been so many Military funerals these last few years. All too often we see coffins draped in the Union flag. The dead soldiers comrades carry their fallen friends with a professionalism I am so very proud of. For I know that inside, these young soldiers hearts are breaking.

The incumbent Government has asked so much of our fighting men and women these last 13 years - and all the while they have starved them of the equipment and funds they need to carry out this most difficult of tasks.

It is with thoughts of the economy we will vote, as well as immigration and health care. But if you will, please remember those fallen soldiers. At this very moment British troops are fighting and they are dying - let them know that although the Labour Party cares little about them, to us the Covenant means everything.

Next Thursday we have an opportunity to place a cross in a box. I would ask you not to put yours against the Party that has put so many crosses above so many boxes.