Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Is anyone else a little disturbed by what Gordon Brown has said in Afghanistan.
Lets get one thing straight from the start. There is no greater supporter of our troops than me. They deserve all the praise they get and more, they also need and deserve better pay, better equipment and more boots on the ground. They are superb professionals, the best in the world at what they do and we should all be proud of them.
So what did Brown say that disturbs me?
This is part of what he said in Camp Bastion:
He told them:.....their achievements match that of Britain's Olympic heroes every day of the year.
"we are celebrating the Olympics where we have had great success.
"This week also I believe, that our Olympic athletes, who like everyone else in the country, will remember you have shown exactly the same courage, professionalism and dedication.
"You make the country proud every day of the week and every week of the year."
Now I dont disagree about the courage, professionalism and dedication of our troops, far from it. But what he actually said was that they were showing the 'same courage, professionalism and dedication' as our Olympic athletes. Read what he said carefully, picture him speaking to the troops, and you will see what I mean.
Now lets also be clear. The athletes have indeed been highly dedicated and professional in their training and in competing. They also deserve all our support and are most admirable.
But note the courage bit.... I am not aware of any of our athletes who have had to brave bullets while training. How many of them have been shot at? How many have seen mates blown apart and then have had to get up and charge forward firing a gun to pull the mate to safety?
I am sorry but there is a world of difference between the magnificent athletes and our magnificent troops.
What he actually said devalues the work and bravery of our troops to that of an Olympic athlete.
I know Brown does not understand the Armed Forces and has no real interest in them. He has shown that many a time, but he is a politician and a politician should be more careful with what he says, but then Brown is not exactly a skilled politician either, given the disaster of his premiership and chancellorship.
There was one other thing in what he said that struck me. He promised a substantial amount of money for Afghanistan for rebuilding, a radio station and so on. He also recently committed a great deal of cash to Georgia. There are also rumours that for electoral reasons he will be borrowing £billions to pay up to £150 for every child benefit claimant.
Strange how he can always find cash for his pet projects, anything to make him feel good.
I am also sure that the 'hearts and minds' battle in Afghanistan will be helped by his promise and that is essential to a long term solution. Likewise all hard pressed families will be gratefuil for the return of some of the excessive tax money that they pay...
But what about the helicopters the troops desperately need, the extra 'boots' on the ground, better body armour, improved armoured vehicles and so on. What about the other Defence needs of the Navy and Air Force. We hear today that they want to off-load the Typhoons (or a large number of them). 10 years ago they told us these aircraft were essential for our security, now suddenly they are not, were they lying previously?
Yes, Gordon Brown can grandstand in Afghanistan but he simply is not interested enough in the Forces to make sure they are properly funded.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Ah bejayzez BarryW you are nitpicking hugely there. OlympicTeam GB are riding very high in the nations esteem and euphoria list right now so to tell the troops they are thought of in much the same way is not a bad thing surely. Not at all a PR disaster as you suggest, but tapping into the good feeling of the moment and aligning the troops with that good feeling, so that they feel as one with the current euphoric wave.
Everyone knows without further braintime that they do a different job and require different kinds of courage and committment so we can take that as read...but his words are all in good spirits and the troops will surely take it this way. I would imagine one of the worst things for soldiers overseas must be the feeling that they are forgotten at home..especially in times of Olympic Games or World Cups and so on. To remind them that they are thought of in much the same way as our sporting heroes is a boost.
If one has to watch everything one says for fear of unlikely or unhelpful extrapulations then one might as well stay in bed.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
But Paul, to tell them on the front line that they have the same courage as athletes is actually a patronising insult to them. There is no other way to interpret it. If you want to see what the troops really think about Brown then you should go the the Army Rumour Service website (ARRSE as its called....)
I have just had a look and there is a thread with 5 pages of posts that are at least 5:1 against Brown and expressing contempt and disgust towards him. Some great choice language used as you might think....
Lets face it, its how the lads on the ground react thats important not how we civvies see it.....
www.arrse.co.uk
The Spectator also has something to say,
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/1411631/browns-crass-olympics-comparison.thtmlGuest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
Rare thing here but I find myself in full agreement with BarryW. As soon as I read about GB's remarks to the troops my first thought was, "patronising b****rd". No matter the politics, or your views on them, our troops are given a job to do and they always do it to the best of their ability. Unlike the rest of us theirs is a job where their very lives are on the line and yet, whatever they are sent to do they do with the utmost dedication. Especially in the situation in Afghanistan, the politicians deserve all the flack ( as GB has proven) while our troops deserve our support and praise for doing the job they have been given so well. There is no comparison between risking a strain and putting your life in the service of your country and an intelligent leader would realise this.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour
McBroon is indeed a useless, weak, proselytising, patronising b****rd and a complete waste of space.
Only he could be clunkingly crass enough to make a political points-scoring connection between the British Olympic feats and the armed forces laying their lives on the line so bravely in Afghanistan.
The man is a grim, weedy, student politician at odds with the real world; a nail-chomping prize chump of Olympian proportions. In the name of all that is holy, Gord: please. go. now!!!
Have a top weekend all,
Andy
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Did anyone see the picture reproduced on Guido Fawkes website of Gordon Brown looking as if he is doing a Frankie Howard impression?
Take a look on this address below, the second photo really does look like FH. As Guido says, our Prime Minister is nothing short of a national embarrassment.
http://www.order-order.com/2008/08/friday-caption-contest-im-leader-of.htmlGuest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Chaps! Chaps!... I must be missing something here but comparing our troops to Golden Olympian Herculean heroes seem a nice comparison. Its true their roles are completely different but people understand that right out of the blocks...dont they!?
This is not to say Brown is winning his own particular political war but on this one I think the daggers should have rubber tips.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
You are totally missing the point PaulB.
He was telling the troops that their courage matches that of the Olympic athletes. The key word is courage. There can simply be no comparison, no athlete in their training runs have road side bombs to contend with... they are not shot at...
It was as if the olympic champions are beacons of bravery that Brown so patronisingly said the troops matched up to? The words dedication and commitment could have been appropriately used but not courage. Its not courage that wins a 100mtrs gold but sheer hard work and dedication.
Words are a key tool of politicians and Brown using such inappropriate and clumsy phrasiology underlines what a twit he is. If he thought he would please his audience, the troops, then he certainly failed dismally. A BBC reporter (strangely enough) actually said that in talking to the troops he was even facing the media and not the soldiers themselves!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
almost as ludicrous as the "prime minister in waiting" joining in the georgia fiasco.
all politicians love a photocall.
it has been said on here many times, damned if you do, damned if you do not.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Howard, the easy answer to that is the reaction to DC in Georgia in foreign media. Read my post in politics to see what I mean.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
barry
the foreign media have always loved tony blair, big smile, photogenic etc etc.
doesn't make anyone a world statesman.
Exactomundo Howard - pretty faces don't de facto make great leaders.