To think the army shouldn't be allowed to 'avertise' in schools?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

I was speaking to my aunt over the weekend she told me she was horrified to hear there had been an assembly run by the T.A at her local school.

Her 15 year old son was apparantly very excited about all they had said, and has apllied for his local cadets group.

I just can't help think that this smacks of desperation on the armies part to recruit children who otherwise feel they have little options, or simply don't really know what they want.

Those television adverts that make it all seem like a fun computer game are another step too far.

PARP

We never had Army 'recruitment days' at my school but then we were either expected to leave school aged 16/17 and get a office job or do a-levels and go to University (I was in the former camp) - there was little in between on 'offer' at my school so you had to look pretty hard to find any alternatives ie YT schemes. There is an Army recruitment office in the town centre though which has always looked pretty run down so little temptation to sign up and a TA centre only a bus ride away. Maybe the services target towns where traditionally a large element of the population was connected with the services ie Colchester as half their recruitment work has been done for them already? After all, blue chip companies only go to certain Graduate fairs - they know the calibre of applicants they want so you don't see them at many 'post-92' unis.

Littlelapin your defensiveness makes me suspect you are not at all as 'prousd' as you proclaim to be.

I'm not so sure if a thread was started about what a jerk a bus driver was, who wouldn't let someone on with a pram, for example, would anyone would react so defensively?

Or on an extreme note, what if a someone said they had been needlesly chased out of their house, walked for days with little foo or water, and found their home bombed when they got back?

Desirata, better to regret something you said than something you didn't.
I'm sure you have a backbone!?

littellapin - have you moved Afghanistan to the Middle East whilst I wasn't looking? PUT IT BACK IN CENTYRAL ASIA THIS MINUTE

At last !
The "if women were in charge, there wouldn't be wars" delusion.
When I was a kid in the 1970s this was the mantra of every feminist.
Being badly educated drones, they hadn't heard of Mrs. Gandhi, Bloody Mary, Rosa Luxembourg, and of course most pertinent to the Middle East, Golda Meir.
Then came along one Margaret Hilda Thatcher, and this dopey idea was gone so far that it's very existence was denied.

Iran is a democracy that includes women both as voters and MPs, as is Israel. Both are terribly aggressive, the only difference is that Israel has better weapons.

Democracy doesn't stop wars either, it's merely a technology to make your state run more efficiently. Whatever the ethics of the Iraq war, the dead are 99% Iraqi.

Efficient is not the same as nice.

The British Empire had a democracy at it's heart, and between the 17th and early 20th century the democratic USA formed an empire by clobbering and seducing nearby regions. The French Empire was also based upon democracy, post Napoleon, and the really quite vicious but surprisingly large Belgian empire in Africa again had a democracy.

Sadly, George Bush didn't read all of Tom Clancy's books. He missed the part where Mr. Clancy points out that in very nearly every war since the industrial revolution the side that fires the first shot loses.

Ok how about "if women ruled the world there wouldn't be as many wars and tampax wouldn't be classed as a luxury item and subject to VAT"

Lol Kewcumber @ tampons

thats a whole other AIBU thread...

Start one, I'll join you there, be much more interesting

oh and DC thats 5 women you've dredged up in the whole of history so far, shall we make a list of the men. I'll start shall I?

Genghis Khan

Phew! gave up trying to read all of these posts but have tried to scan most of them and all I can say is there should be a [handbags at dawn] icon.

A very emotive subject but trying to get back to the thread. I see no problem in the army or whoever from recruiting in schools as it is our job as parents to equip our children with the ability to make an informed choice.

I for one would NEVER encourage my child to join up for purely my own reasons (and yes I do agree that unfortunately a military force is vital in this day and age and I am glad there are those who will so "me and mine" dont have to).

1. that I don't know anyone who has come out of the forces who can integrate with the rest of society properly. 2.I hope that my children will be so strong of mind that they would be useless to the forces anyway. 3.for purely selfish reasons I do not which my loved ones to be in harms way.
2. Most all male groups get up to some pretty sick stuff when on their own - its like they revert to animals

no of course I am not bloody joking about the Falklands.
the way the war was fought is one thing but many brave men lost their lives on both sides in that war and I don't particularly think it is a joking matter.
they were doing their duty and their job.
or perhaps they were terrorists too?!?!?
I am losing track of your argument tbh. shoudl we not have an army at all in your logic?

littlelapin I think you are being remarkably calm in all the circs

smallone,
Don't really agree with the last one imp, but at least you have reasons as to why!

LLP, for what it is worth, i have sat with my best mate for many many hours whilst her dh is away. And like you, my mate is so proud, and so are her children.

smallone. I must disagree with your comments about people who have been in the firces. I have many friends who have left the forces and integrated into civilian life.

Mt dh is in the forces, be very much has a mind of his own. he is exceptionally intellegent, highly qualified and all of this is required for his job as an RAF pilot. And I have never seen him act like an animal. He is a kind, gentle, honorable man, who would defend you and yours, even though you have insulted him.

jofeb04 - have many friends from all 3 forces at all different levels and they all have their "funny stories" that would make you wonder at their mental health.

As a serving member of the armed forces could I say that as far as I can tell my mental health is just fine thank you!!

Seems to be agreeingalot this afternoon with MB. mymates dh is the most calm, loving person Iknow (well,apart from my dh!), amd so are many of my mates who are in the three forces!

Excellent news about your DH he must "be a man my son", and my comment was not meant to be a generalisation just my opinion based on my own experiences (maybe its just the people I know ). I would surely expect him to do his job despite what enyone thinks of him - that is his job. and like I said I am grateful to those that do coz it means there is no longer national service where people don't have a choice.

ANYONE not enyone

"funny stories" are just a way of coping with at itmes horrendous situations, no worse than the "funny" stories medics tell.

My ex (army) now works for the Red Cross lecturing about Geneva Convention to armies and terrorist (in the conventionial sense of the word not the DevilwearsPrimark sense of the word) groups. Mostly to the armies and terrorists who do very nasty things indeed. I think he has a valid and useful and integrated palce in society (in fact a damn sight more than most of us) and is very funny and a nice person to boot.

Get me off this bloody thread!

I?m slightly that I agreed with OP earlier... DWP you have shot yourself in the foot here. You don't have a coherent argument, it's just all vague anti-war blustering, and it?s pretty insulting too. You were the first person on this thread to mention illegal wars, and then started pretending that other people had made the thread all about Iraq ...

Back on topic, I really don't think that the forces should get more of an "in" to schools than any other career options, and diplodocus' post of 15:24:49 is a very good one.

UNICEF have spoken out against recruiting from under 18s and it's pretty much against international law - that's enough to make me sit up and take notice - perhaps the fact that the UK is out on its own in the developed world in targetting children should start alarm bells ringing? Tbh I think the UK tradition of continuing to recruit in schools is a hangover from imperialism.

Incidently my BIL is in RAF - the most lovely calm, caring fella you'd ever meet but he still takes part in "if anyone looks at your bollocks (which you wander round with them hanging out) you can punch them for being gay" - seriously