Ready yourself for the Citizen's Army

[ChedderGorgeous]

Is the head of the army being sensationalist to highlight lack of army funding or is the reality of a citizen's army in the UK a step towards a new era of conscription? Both parties would play anything like this down in an election year.

Actually I think that people have seen how coy NATO are being with Ukraine.

Anecdote: Putin once said to the shiny new American-Georgian president: Your new friends will not deliver". And he was right. Many people have the unsettling feeling that NATO might not deliver.

And anyway NATO is only an element of the topic of the thread.

Yes he is touting for extra money.

By the number of "you couldn't possibly conscript or even take women in the front line" I thought I'd strayed onto an Andrew Tate site. Women have been serving in the infantry on the front line, as medics on the front line, in ships on the front line.

The Tories continually decimate the armed forces. Reservists have been cut back as well as regular forces. Restore them and as the current and next conflict will rely on IT, cyber skills and back.office why not a Kings Own Highland Hackers regiment. Natty tartan kilts?

Why not encourage "Serve four years, get your university fees paid by the government/army? "

Deliver what? What are you expecting

As for Ukraine wanting to join in pp can’t say I blame them. If I had a threat such as Russia and the associated horror they’re seeing as a result then yeah I might ask too

Old statistics

...you're being facetious, right?
I know that none of our voting options are fantastic but I think the party responsible for the Holocaust would very much be a lot worse...

What is it they say about wars

Old men making decisions and young men being slaughtered

👏👏👏

A friends son has just joined. They are on initial training -many have already dropped out. It’s sad imv -you obviously won’t enjoy running up mountains if you are unfit but they haven’t given themselves time to get fit.

Once the USA drops out of supporting Ukraine there is a good chance that Putin overruns it then starts on other countries like Finland, Latvia,Poland. Countries it influenced or ruled in the past.
Will the rest of Europe really stand by?? I doubt it.
Manning up our armies might at least give Russia food for thought.

The US and Isreal both have female fighters (and not "just" support positions). These countries may not be liked (by everyone) but their armed forces most certainly aren´t a laughing stock!

Hopefully.

If somebody truly believes that the Nazis (be it neo-nazis or 3rd Reich nazis) would be better than the Tory or Labour party... Well, that would be willful ignorance at best.
Or somebody who is quite fond of genocide, the persecution of various minorities and nazi-style "family" values. In other words: A nazi themselves.

Brexit has failed us multiple times and continues to fail us. No point sweeping it under the carpet - it needs to be said. It was a mistake, and it has weakened the UK.

Have you got the newer ones to hand ?

It was.

It was rather unnecessary to bring it up here, in connection to NATO.

A broken record is not the best way to make a point.

A lot of war is fought these days through intelligence/technology etc . So fitness wouldn't necessarily be a barrier

But people do need to realise he has gone for a sensationalist line to get attention - and clearly it is working

No it was very valid. Let’s remember the context - those heroes who campaigned for Brexit told everyone that we would be conscripted into an EU army. And that international military alliances were baaaaaaad. While conveniently ignoring the fact we are in NATO. Simultaneously, Donald Trump was threatening to not honour the NATO treaties and said he would not defend Europe in the event of conflict. This showed why EU military alliance would be eminently sensible. Meanwhile the Brexit cheerleaders had this weird duality going on where they were against fighting for European neighbours but simultaneously in awe and solemn poppy-strewn remembrance of 20th century conflicts where the UK did exactly that.

So Brexit weakened European defence and weakened UK defence.

Pride? In Britain?! 😂 We're led by self-serving xenophobic imbeciles, our 'glorious empire' history is actually one of colonisation and slavery. Our Royal family and outdated class system just perpetuates a cap-doffing, serf mentality and our infrastructure, education system and public services are in the toilet.

We're also shit at Eurovision. I wouldn't vote for us either.

If another country wanted to invade I'd be asking what they're offering, it might be better than what we have.

Do you mean you want an EU military, why isn’t NATO a better option?

We already have this set up

Would rather go to prison than fight for this country. What would I be fighting for? Country certainly doesn't fight for me! Would hope my 2 sons feel the same way.

Mn never fails with this stuff, are you up for some war aggression - who are you hoping bumps off some neighbours and children so you can have their values? Which ones do you prefer?

No.

The point was, and whether you agree with it or not is not what’s about here, that a new EU army was not needed precisely because NATO is already in place.

Not that international military alliances were baaaaaaad.

Please read what you quoted: in the context of a potentially unsupportive USA (thanks to Trump) the EU sought to create a military alliance. Brexiteers said this was a bad idea, and they were wrong.

I know he may be unsupportive but I still think the answer is already there.

NATO - which will need more support (probably part of why we’re hearing more from them) rather than another military alliance

@EasternStandard who do I prefer? No idea. New Zealand and Canada seem to have a better relationship with their citizens than we do, but they're unlikely to declare war on us unless our government do something (even more) stupid.

It's hardly inviting war to state that I find no reason to feel pride in our current situation.

Exactly, and lions led by donkeys. It won’t affect me personally but I am worried for my teenage grandchildren, especially the boys.