Comments on: Lord Guthrie attacks government for severe underfunding in defence sector

By: Jason Rose

Jason Rose — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:05:52 +0000

We did a brilliant job in Kosovo, we did a better-than-average job in Afghanistan and the first Gulf War… but there is no way that the latest Iraq war has been beneficial for the nation. The other western nations see us as Americanised fools that will rush in headlong into situations that we aren’t needed in: the Islamic nations see us as the second-worst nation on the planet after the USA. We are still staying high-profile but it isn’t beneficial to us.

We should not build up our army further. If we were to double or triple our equipment costs then we would have to get money from taxes… and we’ll have to borrow more. We’re in enough difficulty in those areas as it is, apparently, so I wouldn’t recommend more.

Well, I guess we could sell the NHS to private investors, make the health service as completely efficient as it is in the USA, help the poor and then put all that money to the army Oh, and my maths was fine.

By: Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:42:43 +0000

Oscar, I refuse to see any logic in the agrument that Iraq has opened us up to terror attacks. We have been targets of Islamic extremism before 2003. 9/11 was before Iraq and Afghanistan and numerous terror attacks have undoubtedly been foiled before and indeed since. There is simply no foundation in your claim.

Terrorists use Iraq as an excuse for their aim to wipe our very civilisation from the pages of history and if you think this is mindless scare-mongering, I suggest you visit the websites that promote such acts and see the threat is very real. By using Iraq as an excuse, it plays on our conscience that this terror problem is somehow our fault. It is not and the sooner we get out of this self-flagelating culture, the better.

Failing to do much good overseas:
- Gulf War- protecting an Arab ally from invasion by Saddam’s forces.
- Kosovo- Preventing ethnic cleansing by Bosian-serbs on ethnic Albanian (majority) Muslims.
- Sierra Leone- protecting the democratic government from savage warlords.
- Afghanistan- remove the Taliban. Enough siad on that really.
- Iraq, well you debate that.

The point is we have achieved lots overseas contrary to yet another unfounded point you make. Our armed forces must continue to uphold British foreign policy and our interests. Government cannot have it both ways as it attempts to by underfunding some of the bravest men and women our nation has to offer.

By: Oscar

Oscar — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:01:56 +0000

I think I speak for quite a lot of us when I say that going into Iraq in the first place has harmed our security. I’m one of many who view it as a mistake; one which was pretty obvious at the time. I resent the projection of power on a global scale. It has basically opened us up as a target. We’re not nearly as powerful as the USA, but by tagging along with them, we’ve made ourselves an equally desirable target. We’ve failed to even do much good overseas.

Nonetheless, it’s immoral for a government to send their troops out with a lack of equipment. The MOD’s response to it so far is pathetic. It’s people’s lives they’ve been playing with, and innocent family members paying the price.

By: Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:20:13 +0000

Jason, not so sure about your maths there, but I will not be a pedant. Essentialy we need to treble our defence budget to keep up with our committments overseas and fund future projects like the carriers, F-35’s etc. Our status as a great power with the ability to project global power depends on this and it is essential the idiots in the Defence department recognise this.

By: Jason Rose

Jason Rose — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:08:04 +0000

If you want to improve their equipment then raise the taxes. Double-funding from 2% would only need an extra 1% on the income tax. No problem with that for our servicemen, eh, Dan?

I only wanted to comment on the awesomeness of the photo but meh :p

By: Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:24:51 +0000

Indeed. It is a very serious point. For years the armed services have been at the brunt of budget-cuts. Budget cuts that play with people’s lives and our security. The Iraq war is not a ‘crime’. Sending the soldiers into it ill-equipped is.

By: Chris Northwood

Chris Northwood — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:48:56 +0000

Oh my, Dan Taylor just made a good point, and it’s not controversial.

By: Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:03:46 +0000

Soldiers dying from lack of body-armour, from to few helicopters, from ageing and tired equipment and from lack of numbers. This is a disgrace for the British government. Whatever your thoughts on the war, these people are employed to essentially defend us against aggression and the way that they are treated by this government cannot be put into words. We boast when our defence spending goes above 2% of GDP but fail to recognise the need to double funding to give these brave men and women the equipment they need to do the job assigned.

Anyone that in any way appeases the government for the treatment of these troops doesn’t deserve the protection these troops give to them.