Why blame the politicians

[WorkingHard]

At the risk of being severely injured by all and sundry I will still pose the question.
Yes of course Blair and Hoon are the figure heads but surely no one believes they see to the detail, is that not the job of the "planning committee" under the chairmanship of the CDS? If so why don't you blame them? The politicians are transient and can be voted out but your senior officers cannot (at least by yourselves). So this squadron goes and this ship is mothballed etc; do you really think Hoon et al do this? Is it not the role of the planners to make the best use of avilable funds? If funding is to be limited (we are all taxpayers and do not have bottomless pockets) then surely the is a proper role for the planners is to decide where the money is to be spent. £3,000,000 on office chairs for example seems a good defence spend!!!!!!!!!!

[CatpainCaveman]

Why blame the politicians?

Because they are a bunch of idiotic self-serving :mad: :mad: :mad: with no concept of what we do and have no idea how much damage their madcap ideas are doing and think we can't see through the utter pile of manure they spout every time they open their mouths.

The Chiefs of Staff aren't much better, refusing to stand up and fight the collective corners for fear of their Knighthoods or next stripe. But at the end of the day they are implementing political directives.

And I'm so angry, I can't even get the words out to decribe my total and utter contempt for them.

Right, rant over, Im off for a medicinal beer.

[Axel-Flo]

Its true 3,000,000 is a lot for chairs but which polished trouser seats will sit on them? Politicians and civil servants (higher echelon and remfs) have this whole thing stitced up a treat, the uniformed numbers generally have minimal input in the big decision making process. Also since your on their side could you perhaps explain the shortperiod in office completed by politicians as a requirement comared to the vast pension entitlement and expenses levels so exceeding of the uniformed members...:E

[WorkingHard]

Axel-Flo - I am most certainly NOT on the side of the politicians, far from it, as the political decisions affect me as much or as little as anyone and I am of the view that we have NO CHOICE in who we vote for. We can only vote for those the parties put up for election. Back to the point.
Is it a fair view that the "scrambled egg" lot are a self seeking self serving bunch of political creeps? So I asked the question that started this thread. I genuinely wanted to know the views of the serving uniformed personnel and why it is usually the politicians who are blamed. Please re-read the original question. and then perhaps someone may offer a resolution (without a blank cheque) to the state of our armed services.

[RonRandom]

Everything will be fine until we have to go to war with someone with a credible air threat; then any aircraft (which are "10 times as capable now as during the first gulf war") which get shot down will be the equivalent of having 10 aircraft shot down in '91. THAT doesn't appear in any of the government documents....

[Ali Barber]

Had the dubious pleasure of meeting Buff Hoon a couple of times and seeing him "work" a miltary crowd. The look of utter boredom on his face has to be seen to be believed. If CDS did go and see him and say these cuts are going too far, within 5 minutes of CDS leaving Buff would be asking who was that last guy and what did he want?!!!!

[JessTheDog]

Buff Hoon - the idiot that fell asleep whilst being briefed "in-theatre" on attacks on British troops.

Says it all, really.

[polyglory]

JessThe Dog,

Yep I agree, the biggest Prawn of them all
:mad: :mad:

[WorkingHard]

It's all very well to have your views of the politicians, but the central question remains unanswered. Whoever is in power politically will still have to accept the advice of the joint Chiefs of Staff will they not. Utterances from the esteemed general this morning indicate they are still in charge so what say ye all

[LoeyDaFrog]

Working Hard,
I think the point is that whatever their airships (or generals etc etc) say to the politicians, be it standing up for us working types or not, the politicians simply don't listen. That is that!

[fagin's goat]

Not a line we want to accept... but the fact is that there are few votes in defence spending right now. Even with the spin on the so called increase in defence spending, Buff was given a slice of the cake that is simply insufficient to maintain the current level of UK forces and associated spend for new/future kit. Pity the current batch of 3 or 4 star officers are tarred with the same spin brush and are unwilling to tell it as it is. A few falling on swords would have done no harm whichever way you look at it!!