Save The Navy!

[aytoo]

The text of an e-mail I received is self explanatory:

Subject: Fw: Fw: SAVE THE NAVY

Every so often we, the people, have to let the government know that
there is a point beyond which we will not let them pass. In 1908 it was
"We want eight and will not wait" - a plea to build more dreadnoughts to
counter the threat from Germany - just as well and just in time, too!
Last year the Government sold 8 more destroyers and frigates off to
Chile, Romania and other foreign governments. Some of them are just over
10 years old. What is going on, you may ask? Who knows, but it is not
well publicised and the Navy is in grave danger of being less able to
cover it's commitments since the 1930's.

Believe it or not there has been a petition set up, through the Prime
Minister's Office, to gauge the public concern on what is going on. If
few people respond, then the Government will be able to say the public
are not worried.

I would ask you to click on this link, or copy and paste it in to your
address box at the top of the page and proceed to the web page to
register your concern (Petition closes on the 5th April 2007). You will
need to provide your name, email address and postal address and then
confirm through an email they will send to you. (Heaven forbid that
people might vote twice - it's not a postal vote in a General Election,
after all).

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/savethenavy/

I hope you will take time to register your concerns. The government are
playing around with the security of the nation and the next generation.
We are due to have two new aircraft carriers built and they are keen not
to do it. We are an island nation. Our future will increasingly return
to the sea as we realise that flying carrots in from California damages
the ozone and is wildly risky as well as uneconomic.

[6Z3]

There appears to be no link?

[Gnd]

Someone seems to have nicked the link?:confused:

[aytoo]

Sharp replies! The link failed to appear, but is now there. Thanks.

[Whirlygig]

Worked for me!

Cheers

Whirls

[BEagle]

And yet... (from today's Sunday Times):

THE cost of the London Olympics will be more than double the price quoted in the bid document that helped Britain to win the 2012 Games, according to the official budget to be released next month.

The increase to £5.1 billion will provoke controversy because the government will have to raid at least £1.7 billion extra from lottery good causes and public funds to bail out the Games.

The idea of pissing money down the sink for the glorification of a few people running, jumping, splashing about and throwing things whilst the nation's defences collapse in on themselves is frankly outrageous.

[6Z3]

people running, jumping, splashing about and throwing things

Believe me, its what a JMC is all about!

[Gnd]

Now that is a cool site, could cause a whole lot of hurt if (as I am sure there are not!!!) people watching who posts???:cool:

[BEagle]

6Z3, how true, me old....

And all 'communications' 'twixt oggin and sky courtesy of that well-known and utterly useless naval wireless operator, Roger Waitout RN!

Seriously, I hope that everyone reading this thread signs up to the petition.

[Two's in]

From the website;

Petitions have long been sent to the Prime Minister by post or delivered to the Number 10 door in person. You can now both create and sign petitions on this website too, giving you the opportunity to reach a potentially wider audience and to deliver your petition directly to Downing Street.

So let me get this straight - The man who can lie about anything he chooses, from WMD's to Peerages for cash, has set up a website to save you, the taxpayer, the trouble of generating those old fashioned paper petitions. You know, the ones where you get to frame the question the way you want it, you get to keep the evidence of signatures, you don't have to provide your name, address, and contact details to a Government body confirming the extent of your planned sedition.

to stop the destruction of the Royal Navy and spend the defence budget more wisely

"More wisely" ...what does that even mean and in who's opinion? "Destruction of the Royal Navy" - are we talking about capital assets, manpower, morale, fighting spirit? For goodness sake, this is so vague and generic, when some anonymous MoD spokesman announces that the sale of some rustbucket to El Hondoragua has been cancelled, as a direct result of a public petition signed by X people, and henceforth the Royal Navy has been saved, should we all be pleased with ourselves? The Government can simply use this anyway that takes their fancy. "Signing" the petition simply lends credibilty and and currency to a morally bankrupt Government that has proven on many occasions that it will do anything it damn well pleases.

If it walks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck, it's probably a Duck.

[WE Branch Fanatic]

Agreed. An online petition really not worth much. If people want to express their concerns then writing to their MPs, contacting any politician (including Ministers) or posting on online forums such as PPRuNe or writing to a newspaper or other publication are better ways of speaking your mind.

Of course, it involves effort....

Meanwhile, perhaps these links will show that not all is rosy with the RN?

Sea Jet (PPRuNe) (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=98152)

Future Carrier (PPRuNe) (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=221116)

Defence: Public ignorance, the media, and cutbacks (PPRuNe) (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=111156)

Navy to downsize to 20000 by 2015 (Rum Ration) (http://www.rumration.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/viewtopic/t=2762.html)

[An Teallach]

Two's In wrote:
If it walks like a Duck and quacks like a Duck, it's probably a Duck.

Or, as at present: If it quacks like a Duck, hobbles like a Lame Duck and has SpAds squealing like pigs, it is probably a Dead Duck.