Second highest defense budget in the world

[goldstone]

So said Des Brown, Defense Minister on the Today programme this morning.

As a taxpayer I absolutely do not support such a policy.

The obvious question is "Why?".

So that we can wage war in countries where we have no business poking our noses such as Iraq and Afghanistan?

We should stay the hell out of other people's business and leave other countries to sort out their own problems. Sure we need a reasonable sized military for defense purposes, but defense means just that, defense, not waging war around the world under the mistaken assumption that other countries need to be forced to adopt our form of democracy.

Rant, rant, rant.

P.S. I'm looking forward to a great game tomorrow and a Seagulls victory.

 

[dougdeep]

Is he American?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Iraq - fair enough
Afghanistan - we had every right to get in there and take on the Taliban and the Al Queda training camps

 

[goldstone]

A "right" to get in there? And why exactly? The Taliban have never threatened us. We may not like the way they operate, but that's a problem for Afghanistan, not for us. As for Al Queda, if we had minded our own business and stayed out of Iraq I somehow don't think they would be a threat to us. Are they threatening New Zealand? Or Canada?

 

[hart's shirt]

And we still managed to let in 3 goals at home.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

A "right" to get in there? And why exactly? The Taliban have never threatened us. We may not like the way they operate, but that's a problem for Afghanistan, not for us. As for Al Queda, if we had minded our own business and stayed out of Iraq I somehow don't think they would be a threat to us. Are they threatening New Zealand? Or Canada?

9/11 ? nothing to do with us guv, " whistles and walks away down the street "

 

[Rangdo]

Who's got the highest? Is it Luxembourg? I never did trust them. Hiding tucked away like that. We need to have a large defense budget to keep an eye on them.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Al Queda committed 9/11 BEFORE the invasion of Afghanistan

 

[Buzzer]

As Doug Deep said. It's "DEFENCE".

Anyhoo....you're talking out your arse, Goldstone. We're nowhere near 2nd.

 

[sten_super]

A "right" to get in there? And why exactly? The Taliban have never threatened us. We may not like the way they operate, but that's a problem for Afghanistan, not for us. As for Al Queda, if we had minded our own business and stayed out of Iraq I somehow don't think they would be a threat to us. Are they threatening New Zealand? Or Canada?

Well the Taliban were happily allowing terrorists to operate from within their borders with impunity, for a start. Al Queda were running terrorist training camps and planning large-scale terrorist activities, some of which have (and many more which probably would have) taken place on British soil.

Although I do agree that defence spending is a excessive. Just not with your reasoning behind cutting it.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

also is it right if atrocities are taking place in a country and terrorist training camps are in operation we can adopt a " mind our own business " stance

 

[goldstone]

As Doug Deep said. It's "DEFENCE".

Anyhoo....you're talking out your arse, Goldstone. We're nowhere near 2nd.

I think it's Des Brown who was talking out of his arse. I am merely quoting him ... and that is what he said.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I can sympathise with the anti Iraq war stance very much now and I was behind it but I do believe 100% there was every right for the USA and then UK supporting them to invade Afghanistan, absolutely

 

[goldstone]

also is it right if atrocities are taking place in a country and terrorist training camps are in operation we can adopt a " mind our own business " stance

So do you suggest we invade Pakistan where there are probably more terrorist training camps than anywhere else?

 

[Buzzer]

I think it's Des Brown who was talking out of his arse. I am merely quoting him ... and that is what he said.

fair dos. He is only defence minister part-time (combining it with minister for whinging sweaties) so I can see why he might get muddled.

 

[Rangdo]

I think it's Des Brown who was talking out of his arse. I am merely quoting him ... and that is what he said.

Plus that graph is for 2005 and Des Brown may be privy to some current figures.

 

[London Calling]

Al Queda committed 9/11 BEFORE the invasion of Afghanistan

UK and American Special Forces were already preparing for Afghanistan b5 9/11 and weren't US Rangers already out there.


Also two of our main goals are:

Destroy the 'stans Poppy Harvests and

Protect the Stans oil pipeline.

Strategically both protect the defence of our realm in economic and social terms.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

So do you suggest we invade Pakistan where there are probably more terrorist training camps than anywhere else?

slight differance Pakistan leaders Musharraf and especially Benesir Bhutto on on board with us in rooting out this evil, Afghistan leaders were implicit in the camps and evil, they were called the Taliban, also I can't remember a terrorist attrocity eminating from Pakistan occuring, but if it did, I would support military action against Pakistan

 

[Buzzer]

Plus that graph is for 2005 and Des Brown may be privy to some current figures.

So in 2 years, we have overtaken China, India and Russia in military spending? Yeah...right.

 

[who me?]

who founded al queda who provided the arms and the training,who sponsored them in a bid to end the rule of the legitimate russian backed northern alliance.who fucks around and destabilises regimes in the futile quest for oil,who supports the most evil corrupt fundamentalist regime(saudi arabia)
the country that can't spell DEFENCE

The same country that wanted a pipeline from russia to pakistan through afganistan and wants the same northern alliance back in control regardless of the cost in misery inflicted on the afgani people and the heroin pouring out from the seeds provided by the C.I.A. to BOTH sides.

Still the rich get richer and the poor(and i include american and our troops) get shot,blown up,robbed by a junkie or die of an overdose.