Forse's sweethearts section

Yep, I'm thoughtful, and you can still eff off.

maybe we need our own topic to worry about our loved ones in Guantanamo?

that was a flippant remark, but maybe the thoughtful among the FS will understand that there is a genuine issue here.

scootergirl, that was my original unease - we are not all the same nationality. my family are not all the same nationality as yours, I am fairly sure.
"safe little life" - what a joke.

daddyj, if you said one thing that was deeper than a puddle, I might be tempted to respond.

desiderata your understanding of the world is so fundamentally different from mine, that we really have little to talk about. I am not going to start educating you about why WW2 was fought, or what life is like in the middle east for people who were born there.

You're a piece of work, aren't you, NN.

Please. What do you know about Afghanistan, Iraq, anywhere?

Or the six million Jews who were slaughtered during WWII. Men, women, children.

That's what we fought for. That's why some of them, God love them, were eventually liberated from their torment. By British and Allied forces.

You didn't answer that one, did you? Because you don't think it happened. You think it was British government propaganda.

Don't you?

Not mocking their families,
mocking you, NN.

Mocking the idea that we should not support
our forces for fear of offending our enemies.

Having a bubblebath, are we?

And it wasn't a joke anyway. I don't care whether someone's partner is British, American, Iraqi, Iranian or Martian if they're going through the same stuff that I and the other forces wives are. After all, we're the same nationality (although that's an assumption) and we're miles apart ideologically.
It's supposed to be about supporting each other, I thought.

Oh naff off. Sometimes the only way to deal with something is to joke about it although my husband knows more about living in a warzone than you ever will and at least he's trying to make it better.
And no, I don't think facing the fact your loved ones could be killed every day is a joke. I doubt it's something you've ever had to seriously think about.
Now go back to your nice safe little life and let us get on with ours.

the fact that you treat it as a joke speaks volumes about what you dont know.
We know that the military belittle "the enemy" - how dare you mock their families as well, most of whom live in far worse conditions that you do.

Hey, I'm sure they have to put up with the same long separations, bad housing, temporary single-parenthood and worry that we do - bring 'em in!

It's been an amusing thread.

I liked NN's
'if you lot werent in their country blowing their families up, they might not be in our country trying to blow us up....'
The British army is blowing up Pakistani-born Yorkshiremen?

but even better:
'll, it makes me uncomfortable that none of you ever seem to think that there are mumsnetters whose loved ones/relatives/friends might be out in Iraq or Afghanistan fighting on the other side.'
Indeed. Where is the 'TaliWaG' section on MN?!

Bye Pan and apologies if you were offended by any of the personal comments.
Maybe agree to disagree as we obviously aren't going to change your mind and you sure as hell aren't going to change ours.

No sweat, Pan.
You seemed very hurt by earlier posts, hope feeling better now.

Well done for backtracking further. No shame in making mistakes.

Discussing the role of armies and the evils of warfare is a good idea.

There is no question, however, that the British forces
are legal, legitimate and fully backed by British society.
Wonderful of MNHQ to express our support through the FS section.

Like it or not, we do have a army, navy and RAF which defends the people of this country and its interests.
Go and ask the people of the Falklands whether they'd rather have spent the last 25 years under Argentine rule.
And if you don't like us forces partners then stay away - I'm sure we'll be avoiding you like the plague in the future

No NN no-one pays my salary as I earn nothing -

My husbands salary? Well he pays as much tax as everybody else, and NI, and council tax, in fact we are subject to the same system as the rest of the UK, but I'm sure you knew that really!

well, LL, I said that British wars in the past have only been legal because the British government has defined them as such (and the idea of the British legal system influencing the govt on its own in a matter like war, is laughable, sorry. They might be able to give advice about what would be prosecuted in the international court, that is about the limit of their influence over the military.).

You said "you appear to be avoiding the topic"

then you said
"I'd also suggest that you target your considerable anger at the British Government who, as you mentioned, take us into war in the first place. "

I said "you KNOW what they are like, so why join up, and become cannon fodder or a killer, to make them richer? "

You took offence at the term cannon fodder, and did not answer the question.

Instead, you dragged out WW2, and I said I didnt agree with everything about the official version of events as written by the victors.
Then you ducked out of the discussion with the following comment "You seem bound and determined to question everything - your last post makes it clear that there is no point furthering this discussion"

So I would say it is you who avoids the question, not me.

I think this comment from McDreamy also deserves scrutiny
"You see life is difficult enough without having to justify our existence to people like yourself"
you mean, the people who pay your salary?

I think this comment sums up the closeted world of the armed forces, and nothing I have read on this thread, makes me feel more comfortable about the very one-sided FS topic.

Yes DaddyJ you're right it has shown the support that is out there - thanks

Dear All,
This threat is starting to feel very negative and frustrating. There are a few people with strong critical views about the forces and what our partners do. They are not open to persuasion or interested in seeing any worth in what our armed forces are trying to achieve.

I propose we draw a line and move on. Forces Sweethears is our topic and it is for our benefit. It's not up to us to justify what our partners' careers, vocations and motives are about.

I say we report and then ignore the malicious and offensive contributors and get back to supporting each other and having a laugh!

Well, I can't help but go easy on Pan & NN
because I used to harbour similar views when I was 12.

Sadly for them (and for the young DaddyJ )
the logic does not stand up to real life scrutiny:

No army = No war/slaughter of families etc

is just as non-sensical as

No police = No crime/rape/burglary etc.

Good thread, though, as it has shown the overwhelming
support our Forces' Sweethearts enjoy on MN!

Just to slightly change the subject here.... I remember when a certain wabbit (sorry for using your name in vain, LL) was having trouble with her television and internet connection, she asked for advice and people were posting lots and lots of good advice... Good that is, for the rest of us. She kept explaining that because of what her husband does for a living, the MOD house that she lives in is only allowed a certain cable and internet provider. (sorry if I've got my facts a bit wrong, but this is the gist)

If this topic had existed then, she could have asked for advice on here, and everyone would have known the particular restrictions that she was under and given actual, practical advice that was helpful to her.

anyway.... on with the debate about whether we should have a murdering, slaughtering army, navy and air force....

Let's hope his house never catches fire while the fire service are on strike, that he never gets caught up in one of the natural disasters the forces assist with aid for, and that he continues to live his sheltered little life in his sheletered little world where he really seems to believe there is no need for a defence force.
God help us, I wish there wasn't. My life would certainly be less stressful.

so, Pan, you would be ok with the topic if it didn't have the word "forces" in the title.

So if it was called "fluffy sweethearts" and you weren't confronted with the cyber equivalent of a uniform on every corner, that would be ok, would it?

Or would you be able to see through the pink polka dot disguise to the khaki beneath?