Originally Posted by SASless
Harrogate,
At what cost to the taxpayer vice the civvie model being proposed?
It doesn't really matter, because if the government want to do this, they will. They'll present some figures to back their argument up, even if they are a product of the usual 'bent' accounting / manipulation.
You could argue that all roles carried out by the services can be carried out by private companies - but you need to draw a line. Where you draw that line depends on what you value as an individual; I'd rather the RAF or RN plucked me from the water - that's just a personal choice. They're good at it - I've seen them. With my eyes.
Ask people what they begrudge their taxes being spent on and they say things like - unnnecessary wars, 7 layers of management in their local NHS trust, politicians making unnecessarry flights on the royal jets or big white domes in central London. When a SeaKing flies over my house in Cleethorpes on a busy afternoon in the summer, I don't hear anyone saying "I wonder who the hell is paying for that?".
If someone's complete and utter idiocy results in a avoidable call-out, then the MoD aren't scared of sending them the bill and making them pay. I've seen them do that too.
There's an undeniable feel good factor in having the armed forces fulfilling this role too. Our taxes have paid for us to have the best armed forces in the world (despite Labour Plc's best efforts) and the tax payers deserve to benefit from them.
Still, resistance is futile, I fear. Privatisation is the order of the day... I've no doubt whatsoever that in 15 years time UAVs from the Tesco Squadon will be dropping bright red 'Coca Cola' emblazoned bombs on a bunch of pathetic peasants in some far corner of the globe and your rescue from the sea by the Vodafone SAR Flight will entail a compulsory 24 month phone contract.