howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 December 2010
21:1283253#1
it now seems that our top blues, prior to gaining a share of government, had been brown nosing the other side of the atlantic.
all this was much to the amusement of their hosts.
we saw thatcher sucking up to reagan, blair pretending that bush was his friend, one would think that lessons were learned.
liam fox promised to buy defence equipment from them, william hague promised a "pro-american" government.
will be interesting to hear them talk themselves out of this one.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
4 December 2010
21:1483255#2
surely not howard
not our pure conservatives lol
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Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
4 December 2010
22:3683270#3
They are our closest allies.
Promising to buy defence equipment, seems fair enough, pro-American, quite right too.
What exactly is the problem?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 December 2010
23:0583274#4
barry
the problem is quite clear, they laugh at all the grovelling.
the "special relationship" is only one way.
promising to buy defence equipment without it going out to tender sounds like dodgy business to me, no doubt there will be a resounding silence from downing street.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
5 December 2010
08:3783287#5
Those words you use Howard, are very emotive and generate a wrong impression - "sucking-up" etc.
Locally, I would like to have local businesses get work contracts from DTC and DDC jobs - supporting local businesses, but we don't, so many local firms have to lay off men when companies "oop-North" are losing money by offering very low tenders to get the jobs and they're not profit making contracts.
Similar philosophy isn't it ? Support your allies. Europe should be our natural allies but they're not, not really.
We could save a fortune buying defence equipment that is already available and ready.
Roger
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,948
5 December 2010
09:0483294#6
well dione howard
they dont like it up em lol(as they sed to say in dads army programmes lol)
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Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
5 December 2010
09:1183295#7
Its all spin and nonsense.
The MoD procurement is a disaster zone and it would be better in many cases to be buying off-the-shelf equipment. The USA is our natural sourse for that due to compatability issues as well as the quality of what is available. F/A18 or Rafale? - F/A18 any day....
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
5 December 2010
10:5083309#8
barryw,if europe has stuff tried and tested and good qualaty being ready to buy,is better than odering from the usa and waiting say 5 or 10 years for it to be deliverd.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
5 December 2010
11:0383313#9
roger
the americans used much stronger language than i did.
we are being made a laughing stock in the states.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
5 December 2010
11:3383317#10
Nonsense Howard.
Brian - where do you get that from? The Europeans are far too unreliable as allies. Far better the tried and tested American equipment off-the-shelf, it has better compatability as well.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
5 December 2010
12:1083318#11
barryw,wouldnt trust an american as far as i could throw one,not that i would want to of course.might do my self an injury.
rather a european allie than an american,at least the europeans dont shoot you in the back do they.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
5 December 2010
13:1383324#12
There we differ Brian.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
5 December 2010
13:2183326#13
the issue of promising to buy defence equipment from the states will not be swept under the carpet.
u.k. and european suppliers will want to know the full story.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
5 December 2010
15:3583337#14
barryw,i could bore you and others with details but it would be a waste of effort on you.