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  • Plucky politician must take on Army

    Plucky politician must take on Army
    Irish Independent 29/12/2007 Letters Page
    By Bishop Birch Place, Kilkenny
    Saturday December 29 2007


    During times of belt-tightening or an economic downturn, there is a general slashing of government funding to one organisation or another. Lobby groups are formed, with huge money spent on promoting a particular point of view or denouncing it, depending which side the government is on.

    In the overall scale of things, nickel and dime arguments save little and only serve to camouflage the big spending departments, who waste taxpayer's money aided by a top heavy Civil Service overburdened by endless bureaucracy.

    Your article headed "Defence Forces have become Dad's Army" (Irish Independent, December 23) should open the wider debate; we're a neutral country, so why do we need an army? Is it an army or a defence force?

    Should, God forbid, our neighbour Britain decide to invade tomorrow, what would we do? Or more to the point, what could we do?

    Sure, our peacekeeping duties and obligations need to be addressed, our navy need to patrol our waters to protect the fish stocks, stop drug trafficking and to protect our borders, but do we need the present numbers to do so?

    History is littered with accounts of small groups of well-trained, well-armed, motivated soldiers who have thwarted armies. You could pare down the Irish Army to one quarter of its size or less, train them as an Elite Army Ranger Force, equip them with all the latest weaponry and still save the taxpayer not millions but billions having built a defence force that's the envy of the world in the process.

    This scaling down would take years but we save from day one.

    Do we have the political will to do it? The answer is a resounding no! Why? Votes -- pure and simple.

    But I put it to you that the real losers are the hard-pressed taxpayers of this country. Let's face it, in its current form, our Army is obsolete and we are paying millions every year to support it.

    I, for one, would gladly pin the next medal of bravery on the politician who has the foresight, guts and determination to deal with this issue, as he will need all three attributes to fight his way through the weak-headed politicians who presently populate Dail Eireann.

  • #2
    Moved from news as its someones opinion, not news.

    I notice we consider our Neighbours to be our enemy and the army should disband. I wonder who the writer votes for????
    Last edited by Goldie fish; 29 December 2007, 18:24.


    Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

    Comment


    • #3
      Whoever wrote it probably thinks there is two armys in the country.
      Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.sigpic

      Comment


      • #4
        Rubbish Basically

        I do believe a touch of the contributor being a Arm Chair General.

        As A Defence Force we form part of this country insurance policy like i remember a quote from a Army PRO before about the DF along the lines of

        "The Defence Forces is like a chimney, even though it goes all year round people only notice it when they need it"

        BMax.
        Last edited by The Blue Max; 30 December 2007, 00:45.
        British officer: You're seven minutes late, Mr. Collins.
        Michael Collins: You've kept us waiting 700 years. You can have your seven minutes.

        [As the British flag comes down]

        Michael Collins: So that's what all the bother was about.

        Comment


        • #5
          I agree, absolute Rubbish.... by the way he was referring to them, youd think the Army Ranger wing was the old boys club at the Department of Foreign Affairs... as for duties... I think youll find the Regular have enough to keep them going.... and always meet the challange when it arises from time to time... hasnt the last 40 years gotten enough instances of this to keep fools like that from embarrasing themselves with such articles?...
          "There is nothing braver then the heart of a volunteer" Lt. Col. Dolittle, USAC, 1941.

          Comment


          • #6
            That Journalist has his head where the sun does not shine and maybe he is in the right place one word comes to mind GOBSHITE

            Comment


            • #7
              its from the letters page. not a journo


              Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by fred the red View Post
                Whoever wrote it probably thinks there is two armys in the country.
                So we won the Civil War. Time to get over it and move on.
                sigpic
                Say NO to violence against Women

                Originally posted by hedgehog
                My favourite moment was when the
                Originally posted by hedgehog
                red headed old dear got a smack on her ginger head

                Comment


                • #9
                  Does he realise how many people apply for the ARW and the fail rate? Seemingly nt. He seems to consider it just an area of the Army that takes just a little more effort and that those not in it are just pure lazy...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Kevin. B View Post
                    Does he realise how many people apply for the ARW and the fail rate? Seemingly nt. He seems to consider it just an area of the Army that takes just a little more effort and that those not in it are just pure lazy...
                    Like some people think of non integrated.
                    Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something.sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      That man was and still is an idiot

                      but he is entitled to his silly immature and illformed opinion

                      the letters pages are full of shite like that

                      people need an outlet for their opinions- they need to think that people are actually

                      listening to their opinions.

                      we have IMO- that dopey clown has the letters pages in the indo
                      Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
                      Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
                      The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere***
                      The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
                      The best lack all conviction, while the worst
                      Are full of passionate intensity.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by hedgehog View Post
                        That man was and still is an idiot
                        Who wrote the letter?
                        sigpic
                        Say NO to violence against Women

                        Originally posted by hedgehog
                        My favourite moment was when the
                        Originally posted by hedgehog
                        red headed old dear got a smack on her ginger head

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Groundhog View Post
                          Who wrote the letter?
                          Bishop Birch Place
                          a Kilkenny lad
                          Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
                          Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
                          The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere***
                          The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
                          The best lack all conviction, while the worst
                          Are full of passionate intensity.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Fcuking clown.
                            Meh.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by hedgehog View Post
                              a Kilkenny lad
                              Bishop Birch Placeis an address.
                              sigpic
                              Say NO to violence against Women

                              Originally posted by hedgehog
                              My favourite moment was when the
                              Originally posted by hedgehog
                              red headed old dear got a smack on her ginger head

                              Comment

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