Trident or Marines?

[Ed P]

Beeb article on threat to Marines: link

Tough choices ahead, but to me it is a no-brainer!

When do you realistically USE a Trident missile – answer: When you are as good as dead.

When do you use Marines – answer: Any time, from anti-terrorist, emergency disaster response, through to small wars or  insurgencies (but DEFINITELY not to support US idiocies).

This isn’t about anti-nuclear, we already have enough other nuclear delivery systems that are good enough for any one but Russia or China.

[The Duke]

Sad times. Also, i just saw an article that the US medium-range interceptor has failed again for the second time in 6 months

I’m still of the belief we could just lie and say we have the best weapons system in the world. As Ed says if we are ever in a position to need it, we are F#$ked anyway.

As to the marines im bias, but they do a great all-around job, wherever they are needed. They spent the second half of the Afghan farce actively seeking out the enemy, keeping them busy while our army engineers and soldiers secured and rebuilt towns and security.

I’m really jealous of the role the Marines played in Afghan. A real dream of a role for any soldier. Basically, go out and cause trouble. It really has echoes of the past when the commandos came to be under Churchill. In those days there was less oversite, and more fun.

[Bob Williams]

RM are the best of the best, anyone who has served in HMF will admit to that. If the idiots in charge of our country’s defence ever took time and effort to have a real look at our military and economic position in the world, and researched what our capabilities should be, they would have to understand that. Then they would scrap the two naval white elephant carriers, Trident and the Lockheed piece of non flying turkey that the USA wants to saddle us with. Build a genuine coastal defence, either retain the carriers and buy the Rafale from France, or build smaller ones and buy back the Harrier (McDonnell Douglas AV-8B) from the Yanks.

http://tinyurl.com/ov855e2

Better still, build a few AV-8B’s under licence, improve upon it (a particular British genius) and let the RN/Fleet Air arm have it, to support a larger RM Commando force, with at least two new Assault Ships to reinforce HMS Bulwark and Albion. The money saved from scrapping Trident and ED’s Flying Turkey deal, would leave plenty over to build these and a fleet of small, fast, heavily armed craft to protect our coasts. Defending the UK here, instead of in places where the population see us as the enemy, or a force that draws their enemy down upon them. While we’re doing that, scrap Overseas Aid, apart from famine, disaster relief and educational aid. No money to arm tyrants and despots against their own people.

Not a Rant, it’s the truth.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

You have my vote bob ?

[Alan Wood]

Marines every time. We have wasted enough money on a nuclear (In)deterent over the years.

[JayCeeDee]

I reckon someone needs to start searching Whitehall for a bungalow, so we can bring Bob down into the thick of it!! ?? Not many beach walks, but nice riverside views!!

[Bob Williams]

Sorry John, if you put me in a city, away from my fields and beaches, I would be a lost man. Even Louth town is too crowded, and we are still looking for a place there, has to be something special.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

Well, it was a thought!!:) I did try to find a “cheeky whistle, tongue in cheek Emoji” but I couldn’t find one!!

[The Duke]

I’d imagine number 11 would be up to your standards bob, plus you would have lackies to keep the rear garden in shape. Plus I’m sure the secret service have many good routes around the capital to explore, and to eat your ice cream.

[Ed P]

From what I gather, most of them are below ground funk holes. Not too many ice-cream parlors down there!

link 1

link 2

link 3

wiki

 

 

 

 

[The Duke]

I love an underground tunnel. Apparently, in Rhyl, there is a mini Venice under the old market building, that was once some posh hotel I think. It’s meant to be really good. But you can’t get access to the building, and no one seems to know about it.

That’s about the most interesting thing about Rhyl, it has a fire damaged, underground Venice set up, that you cant see lol.

Update, seems the canal system was quite big, and has a hand in its own shady demise.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/blazingminds.co.uk/little-venice-rhyl-enormous/amp/

[Ed P]

Steve, you would love Chicago. There are whole streets of stores and houses that were buried by developments taking place on top of them.

[JayCeeDee]

Link3 and the wiki brought on a surge of nostalgia. I’ve just been on an hour long trip, clicking links and bringing back lots of memories and a few names from the past, as well.

I was based down in the Kingsway Tunnels for about 3 months during my apprenticeship for the GPO, back in 1968 – 1971. It was a really odd place to work in. There was a nondescript entrance in High Holborn, with a doorman/”security”, behind which was a single lift. ( There were also 2 more lifts, a goods lift and another passenger one ). That took you down – there are conflicts in the reports, some say 100 feet and some say 200 feet ( 60m ). I’d go with the 60m as we could hear the Central line trains above us.

The doorman was a very popular chap because if you were going out at lunchtime, you’d call him to ask if it was raining or if you needed an extra coat. On many winter days, you’d start work in the dark at 7.30 or 8am and if you didn’t go out for lunch you’d finish at 5pm ( or 8pm if on overtime ) without seeing daytime daylight.

One irony was a quote from the Post Office Courier magazine :-

Kingsway, built to withstand a siege, protects its citizens better than the walls of Troy. There have been no fatal accidents at Kingsway, nor in the cable tubes, no fires, no floods, no suffocation. Kingsway underground men live a healthier and a safer life than their colleagues 100 feet above their heads in choc-a-bloc London.

One thing that came out from working down Kingsway for any length of time was lung disease. Asbestos had been used in the construction for lagging and fire-proofing and it was the nasty variety ( blue or white, I can’t recall ) and anybody working down there for 6 months  or more was placed on a register. There were quite a few fatalities from people who succumbed to that.

[Ed P]

Blue was the problem one – a particular problem in the Royal Navy as some time in the past an MOD Admiral was asked Blue Or White fireproofing? The legend is that he Humphed and said ‘ Blue for a blue water navy of course’, or something very similar. For almost antithetical reasons nearly all process industry lagging of that time was white as it looked better.

[Author]

Posts