Thread: My Defence Correspondents Debut Opening Gambit required

How about getting someone to edit your own blog first? I got a headache trying to read it.

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

How about getting someone to edit your own blog first? I got a headache trying to read it.

And your specific problem is?

Black text on a white background is hardly unusual. More detail please.

Originally Posted by SwissBob

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

How about getting someone to edit your own blog first? I got a headache trying to read it.

And your specific problem is?

Black text on a white background is hardly unusual. More detail please.

Excuse him. He's (ex) CrabAir so expects somebody else to do eveything for him: clean his boots, tie his tie, read his newspaper out aloud. You know, that sort of thing. :D

Why thank you Mr city - I should employ you as my biographer. Your accuracy with the details is, as ever, wide of the mark.

My point was directed at the OP, but the Daily Politic blog is cluttered and bitty and quite uneasy on the eye. It detracts from what may well be superlative content.

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Why thank you Mr city - I should employ you as my biographer. Your accuracy with the details is, as ever, wide of the mark.

My point was directed at the OP, but the Daily Politic blog is cluttered and bitty and quite uneasy on the eye. It detracts from what may well be superlative content.

Humour not on your menu tonight then?

Originally Posted by Arrse-Bandit

Ok - I think I am going to go with military procurement and helo shortages - focus on the CH47 only - so give me your unadulterated views on this matter.

Quite big topics though - so maybe we need an overview:

1.) Helo shortage - yes or no - why? Solutions, please?
2.) Defence procurement - why do we decide to adapt functional kit, which delays route to frontline and invariably then doesn't work when it/if it gets there.

Who makes these decisions? Who do we blame? How can the system be improved? How do we affect change? What would make a difference? Army asset managed by the RAF? Discuss.

Thoughts please...

No digression please. Thanks for your comments Mr HC regards The DP - noted but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Originally Posted by whitecity

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Why thank you Mr city - I should employ you as my biographer. Your accuracy with the details is, as ever, wide of the mark.

My point was directed at the OP, but the Daily Politic blog is cluttered and bitty and quite uneasy on the eye. It detracts from what may well be superlative content.

Humour not on your menu tonight then?

No....he's got a headache.

Opening gambit....defence procurement.
Massive headache!

Procurement is a running sore.

A much less explored area, but worth digging into are the Tory proposals to freeze or cut the defence budget, whilst ring-fencing international development and the NHS.

What money is defence missing out on? What capabilities does that cut translate into? What does that mean for UK forces?

Seriously, and I'm writing this as a natural Tory voter, their view that defence spending can be reduced whilst other areas should be protected from cuts is at best politically naive, and at worst dangerous.

The more uncomfortable their position becomes in the run up to the election, the more likely they are to do something sensible.

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Why thank you Mr city - I should employ you as my biographer. Your accuracy with the details is, as ever, wide of the mark.

My point was directed at the OP, but the Daily Politic blog is cluttered and bitty and quite uneasy on the eye. It detracts from what may well be superlative content.

Much as I hate to agree with MCH, he is, IMV, correct.

Whilst reading is a personal experience, I personally prefer to tap the space bar and move down from article to article and not have to go top to bottom at least three times. My $0.02.

What with the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down, why not do a comparison between soldiers lives then and now?
You could mention the (at the time) vastly superior accomodation in many Germnay based units, decent adventure training, the fact that junior soldiers had, for the most part, decent travel arrangements including MMA and flights etc. A great logistics infrastructure designed to hold and keep stores for when they are needed and not brought in as an emergency measure several months after they were required. Military hospitals etc!
The list could go on quite a bit I think.

I'd be interested to know why the government claims there will be no more cash to spend on defence, but has agreed to inject another humongous sum into the banks?

If there is a shortage of cash, why is the government so tardy in collecting it's taxes?
According to this report, the Treasury has not collected 27.7 billion pounds due to it!

Originally Posted by PE4rocks

Originally Posted by Mr_C_Hinecap

Why thank you Mr city - I should employ you as my biographer. Your accuracy with the details is, as ever, wide of the mark.

My point was directed at the OP, but the Daily Politic blog is cluttered and bitty and quite uneasy on the eye. It detracts from what may well be superlative content.

Much as I hate to agree with MCH, he is, IMV, correct.

Whilst reading is a personal experience, I personally prefer to tap the space bar and move down from article to article and not have to go top to bottom at least three times. My $0.02.

The Daily Politics is a 'Blogger' blog. I have changed it to a three column format which allows me to add more content to the main page, blogs are always top to bottom.

Once I have a web designer, an IT department, an Editor and a few more writers, I can do what all good media moguls do, go for lunch while they do all the work.

Another question for you to ask…

Why is defence being cut while we give Billions in Aid to other countries so they can build up their armed forces?

Example: India and it's aircraft carrier programme.

Originally Posted by Oil_Slick

Another question for you to ask…

Why is defence being cut while we give Billions in Aid to other countries so they can build up their armed forces?

Example: India and it's aircraft carrier programme.

There's a nasty echo in here

Hmmmm - procurement and helos not popular with the editor. Looking for something fresh that links defence and politics. Was thinking 'leadership' watched Into The Storm last night, felt inspired.

I feel that we lack a strong leader in Downing Street - and I am personally looking for someone to put the 'Great' back into Britain. I feel like I am living in 'fairly average' Britain at the moment.

The Taliban are tribal warriors but so are the British. We are a tribal nation, stubborn, determind and resilient. We live in this green and pleasant land and despite the dreadful weather and love our country (sort of, in funny cynical kind of way).

The road to Afghanistan is full of flawed philosophy but should we just walk away? I think it's too late to do that - I think we need to find a solution that we can believe in so that we can pave the way forward. But we need strong, dynamic leadership with a clear strategy and an end goal. Do we even know what success looks like?

How do we stop the dis-illusionment within the armed forces? You have to believe to acheive. I believe in the British Armed forces - I think we are the best of the best - we turnout great soldiers, that are resourceful, innovative, strategically smart, tactically accurate, resilient and unrelenting. We don't have 'all the gear and no idea' and to some extent these limited resources creates a strong dedicated work ethic that underpins the British military. We have a unique sense of humour and spirit that does not shy away from adversity.

What I want to know is this - what makes Britain's Armed Forces great?

(Only positives please - can all the bah humbug, cynical, grumpy, old bastards, please bah humbug somewhere else.....................tumbleweed rolls across the thread as nobody responds................... )