Attitudes To (And From) Military Outside The U.S.A.

[rupertramjet]

Wow! Just read this thread, and it is a very interesting cross section. Perhaps if I could put the experience of a British Serviceman over a very long period!

When I joined Betty Windsors finest in jubilee year 1977, our only active service commitment, known to the public, was Northern Ireland. A very dirty and bloody terrorist war, were the Army stood between the factions, and got the shit kicked out of us, without the right to fight back. We were taking causalities on a regular basis, but the complicated situation for us, was that as far as we were concerned we were there to help the police to safeguard the public, we believed we had been sent to protect the Catholic minority population against the Protestants and we did not have the understanding of nationalist and loyalist factions as individuals. At home the left of the labour party supported the troops out movement, various celebrities from over the pond, gave voice to IRA propaganda, like the IRA set up schools and healthcare for the poor. Ignoring the fact that every British citizen gets free health care for life and education to eighteen. With this background this tale may make sense, I was walking in my home town, when a young lad decided to spit out of a bus window at me, I was in uniform. Big mistake! Twenty odd year old Paratrooper versus bus slowing down for bus stop, anyway, the young man decided to head butt my right fist with his nose!

After the Falklands War, we were feted and fed and got drunk everywhere, but this was very short term, and mostly from then on we were treated with respect, and given support by the public, but the public were not really conscious of the forces.

Blair's Wars changed everything. The public were massively opposed to the wars in the first place, and this continued throughout. BUT as the press highlighted the failures of basic equipment, including body armour, NBC suits and even the right boots! We were amazed at the public's reaction. They besieged the press, which put pressure on the politicians, then they found out we were short of helicopters, had the wrong vehicles, a pathetic compensation package and were being treated badly in accommodation,medical and pastoral care, especially for the wounded. They reacted by putting their hands in their pockets, big time! The change in attitude was incredible, many stories of servicemen, especially soldiers, being bought drinks, coffees and even having meals paid for by strangers, and many many more people saying thanks for your service. We also now have Armed Forces day once a year, and get lots of support for that. But the public are incredible if they find out an injured soldier is being badly treated by the authorities. A young soldier, who had lost both legs in Afghanistan, was placed in a tower block, when he pointed out that the only exit he could use was a lift in an emergency, the council just shrugged. Then the press got the story, he was relocated within the week.

We must thank the public for their service to us!

Arrogance, attitude, and reaction. There are arrogant, rude and obnoxious folk everywhere! The forces are no different, and whilst we should be respectful and polite, sometimes it doesn't happen. In our defence, sometimes we can be a bit, er rude. But uniquely we have a lot of people who make claims about what they did in the forces, I have lost count of the SAS men I have met! None of whom have ever served, and the reason I KNOW this is because they wouldn't tell me!We can be on our guard, we do suffer the odd insult still, in a march past in Colchester, a group decided to hurl abuse at the marching soldiers. The public reacted er, robustly, protest over.

I try to treat everyone as I would like to be treated, we don't always live up to that.

[rupertramjet]

Originally Posted by palo5

UK has its unique problem because it's in a time-warp. It's scared of Russia but doesn't know why, and is suspicious of Europe because it thinks it's still 1940, and only America can help it

UKRAINE?????

[rupertramjet]

http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poet...ing/tommy.html

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by palo5

Aaah, the saintly British again. How come the British have to fight for their country in other people's countries so often? Can saints get the map wrong?

It might be because we have been reading the same foreign policy manual as Mr Putin, but without the Polonium 210 how-to-do-it notes.

I never represented my country as being without sin, Comrade Palo; but it was not I who cast the first stone, was it now?

[palo5]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

I never represented my country as being without sin

That's good, because the British invaded or attacked every country on earth, except for 22

Only the saintly British could do that and still believe they were good and just



The trouble is, almost everyone on the planet knows exactly what they did, and they didn't like being attacked and invaded. And the British still think they're saints. What gives -- no reality checks down there?

[haroldeye]

Non Angli, sed Angeli.

Thought everyone knew that.

[SanteeFats]

Originally Posted by palo5

That's good, because the British invaded or attacked every country on earth, except for 22
Only the saintly British could do that and still believe they were good and just
The trouble is, almost everyone on the planet knows exactly what they did, and they didn't like being attacked and invaded. And the British still think they're saints. What gives -- no reality checks down there?

Yep Palo just like the forced conversion of all those SSR's. Oh wait that was mutually agreed on wasn't it.??? I mean you march an army in and say hey want to join us?

[knobby109]

Originally Posted by palo5

That's good, because the British invaded or attacked every country on earth, except for 22

Only the saintly British could do that and still believe they were good and just



The trouble is, almost everyone on the planet knows exactly what they did, and they didn't like being attacked and invaded. And the British still think they're saints. What gives -- no reality checks down there?

I'm wondering what they did this with , Britain always had a tiny army (what the Kaiser termed "contemptibly small " and in the early days it had to arrive in small wooden ships. Still a small nation managed to maintain a stable Empire with ten times its population for about two centuries and only one member opted out. And that opt out required French assistance.
On numbers alone, the locals could have kicked us out if they had so wished.