How far has democracy taken root in Europe? Retired Spanish generals advocate shooting 26 million.

[Filthy_contract]

Anyone recalll the halcyon days of the late 90s?

Bosnia in the mid 1990s. Kosovo in 1999. Yep, really quiet for British Forces. Oh, and Sierra Leone?

 

[Dashing_Chap]

Bosnia in the mid 1990s. Kosovo in 1999. Yep, really quiet for British Forces. Oh, and Sierra Leone?

I was referring to the strange new world at the end of the Cold War when no-one was sure who the new enemies might be, iirc someone described it as 'the end of History'. Bosnia and Sierra Leone were rather small fry compared to a Russian invasion of Western Europe.

The End of History and the Last Man - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[velcrostripes]

The Spanish Socialists keep on confronting the Franquists head on.

They should just let the last supporters of el Tio Paco die and do what needs doing peacefully rather than orchestrate divisive events like the removal of Franco's remains from the Valle de los Caidos.

I have yet to meet a Spanish officer who is not an admirer of Franco and a partisan of moral order.

Military speaking, the man was a genuine hero, having won most of Spain's gallantry awards before he was a Colonel. He was known to have zero consideration for his own safety when operating.

Michel del Castillo, the son of a Franco opponent, wrote a very balanced account of Franco's life which was unfortunately not translated in English I think.

Michel del Castillo - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The officer class lived very well under Franco .
Excellent accommodation , servants , cars and high salaries , plus all sorts of sinecures and job security on leaving the service via the old boy network .

 

[velcrostripes]

I used to moan about weapon cleaning after an APWT, bollocks to putting that many rounds down range

And getting dicked for the burial detail ?
Or would that be an RE task ?

 

[velcrostripes]

The Greeks invented radical democracy in Europe, but for most of modern history many major European states have not known it.

Italy had Mussolini
Spain had Franco
France had Napoleon
Germany had Hitler and the Kaiser
Romania had Ceaușescu
Poland had Józef Piłsudski
Yugoslavia had Tito
Russia had the Tsars, Stalin and now Putin.

The English speaking world has never really known a dictator (other than Cromwell) and we have traditionally governed by parliamentary democracy.

This goes a long way to explaining how Brexit and the vote for Scottish independence was able to go through without the country resorting to bloodshed.

It also explains why every other English speaking country in the world has a high regard for democracy and that our own future should lie with the Anglosphere.

Remainers and Europhiles keep harping on about the wonderful EHCR ...Not sure if it's still the case , but a few years back there were judges on it who had signed death warrants under Communist regimes

 

[hackle]

The Greeks - they don't understand the meaning of democracy.

But do they have a word for it?

 

[Wee Hawken]

cough - 'That Rifle' - cough

Spanish Police Issued with Obsolete Rifles -

Their army still use MG42 so why not?

 

[endure]

Remainers and Europhiles keep harping on about the wonderful EHCR ...Not sure if it's still the case , but a few years back there were judges on it who had signed death warrants under Communist regimes

Is that the ECHR that has nothing whatever to do with the EU but that was proposed by Churchill and whose charter was written by the British Deputy Prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Trials?

 

[ancient]

Goldman were their creative advisors.

The Greek mantra was.........Δεν ξέρω τίποτα

That’s easy for you to say ......

 

[Ortholith]

Is that the ECHR that has nothing whatever to do with the EU but that was proposed by Churchill and whose charter was written by the British Deputy Prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Trials?

Would you stop bringing up your inconvenient facts.

 

[exbleep]

Is that the ECHR that has nothing whatever to do with the EU but that was proposed by Churchill and whose charter was written by the British Deputy Prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Trials?

That's the one. The one that has 47 members.

 

[Fat POM]

And getting dicked for the burial detail ?
Or would that be an RE task ?

Sappers are above that sort of thing. Pioneers I believe?

 

[fantassin]

The officer class lived very well under Franco .
Excellent accommodation , servants , cars and high salaries , plus all sorts of sinecures and job security on leaving the service via the old boy network .

Exactly, one way to guarantee loyalty.

Spain was also the last country were Nazi Iron Crosses earns by veterans of the 250 ID of the Wehrmacht ( Division Azul) were still worn in their original version (not the denazified version used post 1957 in Germany) on official uniforms of serving Spanish soldiers well after WW2.

The third officer from the left is sporting an EKI

 

[velcrostripes]

Is that the ECHR that has nothing whatever to do with the EU but that was proposed by Churchill and whose charter was written by the British Deputy Prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Trials?

Iron Curtain countries weren't in the EU in 1945 , and their judges were too busy having people shot .

 

[Ortholith]

weren't in the EU...and their judges were too busy having people shot .

Sensible policies for a happier Britain.

 

[velcrostripes]

Exactly, one way to guarantee loyalty.

Spain was also the last country were Nazi Iron Crosses earns by veterans of the 250 ID of the Wehrmacht ( Division Azul) were still worn in their original version (not the denazified version used post 1957 in Germany) on official uniforms of serving Spanish soldiers well after WW2.

The third officer from the left is sporting an EKI

View attachment 527827

I met a Division Azul veteran back in 80's , he was the uncle of a Spanish girlfriend . I believe that they did very well in the winter of 1942 ?

 

[Fiona_TG]

Front or back?

Maybe both, at the same time as well.

 

[Dwarf]

I read that some active members of the military are giving support to the advocators of 'protecting' their concept of Spain. Interesting.