Tuesday 19 June 2007

A Classless Society?

I was watching the news the other day and my attention was caught by some minister or other as he spoke with great sadness about the deaths of servicemen and women in Afghanistan and Iraq. Having a lot of friends and family that have been or still are in the forces I would normally watch this in solemn silence and then move on but this time I could feel my blood starting to heat up. The chap in question (who's name I can't remember but he's the minister for telling lies or something) denied all accusations of government failure to spend money on proper equipment and also denied that lives could have been saved if the troops had decent protective gear and vehicles with some modicum of armour plating - obviously as a politician has denied something then it's automatically true.

I switched the telly off before I threw things at it and read my paper instead - noting with interest that the MP's who rule this country and also allegedly represent the constituencies that have produced these, sadly, dead soldiers had awarded themselves another pay rise higher than the rate of inflation to go with their gold plated pensions.

Still, it's not as if the money could have been spent elsewhere is it?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

another example of our classless society,were someone to nip in through a window in a council flat in inner city Newcastle and make off with young Britney while Shaz and Mala nip to the shop for 20 Richmond,the result would be that social services would be called and their little twins Bella and Brusco would be whipped into care.Change the scenario to a comfortable resort in Portugal,the childs parents to comfortably middle class and all of a sudden you have a tragedy which dominates the national press for weeks,months and probably years.

Rivs said...

I can see your point Goo..erm JCL, but I'm staying out of that one!

Anonymous said...

The old myth about us having 'the most professional army in the world', is shown up for what it is by the contempt with which the politicians holds their cannon fodder in. I bet if little Harry was allowed out to play with the big boys he wouldn't have had to give someone else his body armour or boots that melted in the sun.

Rivs said...

He probably wouldn't drink his own piss out of an ashtray either - probably get a silver salver or something - it's all wrong.