have we enough?

Question

if, (god forbid) another country attaked us like 9/11 only on a larger scale do we have enough armed forces defence left in this country to defend us or are we at low scale would it be dads army again. i have sympathy for countries in war but has the goverment left us on a low defence.

i know the 9/11 was in the us but we felt the pain also

and what if our troops could'nt get back

I am not American, full british!!

Answer 1

In answer to title question - NO.

In answer to final question - YES !!

Ever since the Conservative decimated.. (oh wash my mouth out with carbolic soap - as my Mum was forever saying... I forgot Nanny PC ever watching eye... I of course MEANT TO SAY...;-) "Downsized".... Phew !! ) our Armed Forces way back in the 1980's, successive governments have made a conscious decision not to do anything to alter that status quo.

Instead, the money they saved, they decided to pay civil servants - employed in thier droves to replace ex-Service personnel to do thier jobs at far higher rates of pay... (great gig if you can get it, given that it's the old tie-network aka civil servants who Manage our Nation behind closed doors...) and think nothing of awarding one of thier own ie civil servant - over £400,000 compensation (thru the tax-payers coffers of course...) should she hurt her thumb from doing her job as a typist, safe in her warm office, yet watch one of Her Majesties Service Personnel return home from the front line of a conflict zone with dreadful life-debilitating injuries get just £152,000 approx...??? )

It's like every other business - the Public have lost faith in it.

Why should young men and women put themselves forward KNOWING they could be sent to some front line and return home dead within 3 months of signing on that dotted line?

For sure, that's what we sign on the dotted line to acknowlege we KNOW the risk... but, we also expect that we will have the neccessary resources and equipment to give us all the pros and cons BEFORE we sign on that dotted line.. and, thanks to NEW Labour's policy of "open government", the media savvy new generation KNOW EXACTLY what they are being offered... and, I'm sure they'll be queuing up at the civil servants door saying "gis a job mate !"

Is NOWHERE safe from politicians?

The Military KNOW what they are doing ! FACT !

The Military have careers FAR FAR LONGER than that of a politician.

The Military have FAR FAR MORE experience than that of a well-meaning but ineffective politician.

The Military are trained in the Admin of thier business, and have enough redcaps to police this business.

Just let us get on with the job.

ALL the politicians and civil servants have to do is make sure we have the funds to make sure we have all the equipment, resources and logisitcs to get the job completed in minimum amount of time...

Instead of which, we get HIGHLY paid spin doctors, and thier mouthpieces in the Cabinet spouting of a list of excuses why it is they can't spare any more funds for our Armed Forces..

Again... in answer to your initial question... "have we enough?" - NO

"Have the govt left us on a low defence?" - YES

By way of an update, Gordon Brown has stated that UK troops are to be reduced to 2500 in Iraq by next Spring.. (by way of clarifcation, "next Spring means the Spring of 2008 !)..

Oh dear have I become SUCH an aul cynic that my initial thought is with the recent National Postal strike of "two 48-hour postal strikes.. (ie almost a WEEK.. given the dates they started thier strikes on a Thursday,and allowing for the weekend, and the 2nd strike on the Monday... very clever)..that the govt have decided to bring the troops back as cover for future striking postmen?

After all, we've covered the dustbin strikes, the fire-persons strike.. even the prison officers strikes (Peterborough..). It has to be a matter of time before we were ordered to deliver letters as well.... !!!

Wonder if the PM of the day will prove me wrong.... Hope so.

Answer 2

During the European Campaign, the United States Armed Forces suffered 90,323 casualties (19,276 dead, 23,554 captured or missing, 47,493 wounded) in a little over 1 month during the Battle of the Bulge of World War II.

But was still able to continue the second front of the war in the Pacific to eventually suffer 84,525 casualties (12,513 dead, 72,012 wounded) in under 3 months on the island of Okinawa during World War II.

These were just two of the major battles in a war that 405,400 Americans died fighting. After all this the Armed Forces were still adequately strong enough to occupy part of Germany and all of Japan. It's not a question of ability. It's a question of will and motivation.

Edit to add:

Sorry, I didn't realize you were British before I gave my US-centric answer...

The UK suffered 382,000 combat deaths during World War II, but with only a third of the population the US had to recruit/conscript from.

Answer 3

We would be O.K.The country has enough reservists from all arms ready for call, more would have to be redeployed from Iraq and Afghanistan. this question would not need to be asked but for the swingeing cuts in defence budgets by successive goverment ministers who have never even been in the boy scouts,let alone H.M.Forces !

Answer 4

As long as the UK and the USA remain close, our people will be reasonably safe.
The UN and EU is a fecking joke.

Europe is slowly but surely killing everything that I cherish as English, and my government is letting them do so.
Immigration and the fecking Human Rights feckers are destroying my country.

People in the UK slag off the BNP (British National Party), calling them Nazis etc, etc, etc.......
They might have different views, but they are not the ones letting this country go to the fecking dogs.
Labour and Tory are all talk, talk, talk, talk. But when it comes down to the POINT of saying NO to the EU, they are spineless basterds.

Answer 5

If by an attack you mean one in disguise it would only happen at one point in time maybe several targets but regardless of how many troops we have it wouldn't stop the attack if we don't know its gonna happen, if you mean another country attacking by waging war on us on our land then I think you are right we need more troops and Fighter jets at home and a massive increase in spending! But I don't see it happening we are apart of the EU and regardless of how spineless the rest of the EU is I don't see them letting another country through to attack us, if they come from the West (Ocean) we would see them coming long before they got here! Either way I think we need more troops and a higher budget!

Answer 6

Well the 9/11 atrocities was in the US, so not sure this is relevant to the UK.

Answer 7

yes of couse we have the T.A and all troops would be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan and if the worst comes to the worst we have new trident missiles and America to help


p.s listen to George Galloway on talksport on the weekends its great 9-11pm i think on 1089and 1053

Answer 8

Enough is never enough!! I just need a break for a minuet or so, then we can keep going & going & going... I can be just like the energizer bunny !

Answer 9

You are wrong and your grammar is not that great. At present the US has about 2.4 people in the military. There are about 160,000 in Iraq. Do the math.

Answer 10

Purchase your own weapons and survival supplies.