Atten. all Op Athena troops. Did this actually happen?

[Gunner]

"... less filling" ... less substance ... whatever

You seem to want to make a point to me but you keep hiding behind half comments. If you have a problem with something I say, tell me how you disagree with it and I will refute it. Moreover, you have spoken of dignity yet you can not even adhere to the time honoured tradition of "what‘s said in the mess, stays in the mess".

Cheers,

 

[bossi]

Dignity? I could sworn I said "integrity".

 

[devil39]

Bossi,

Sure there are many citizens who support us.

Support is nice. A more viable budget would be better. If the Canadian people do not support us enough to hold the governments feet to the fire, the support becomes merely a nice sentiment.

A warm, fuzzy sentiment will not train soldiers.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Keep urinating against the wall and eventually you‘ll wear a hole in it.

BTW
Privately, as an aside to an individual.(You know who) I‘ll do this cryptically and from the ...shadows.

Quote "****just rubbed me the wrong way so I had to give him a hard time". Unquote

Get over it, it‘s becoming childish and irritating

 

[devil39]

Gunner,

Many people do get the message out. I look at it somewhat as preaching to the converted.

It is not unlike Jack Granatstein books. Those who buy Dr. Granatstein‘s books are not those who need the education.

As I mentioned to Bossi above, complimentary is nice but if it does not translate into equipment and training, it is merely nice.

 

[Infanteer]

...and I have members commenting on my ability to make a fool out of myself here....

 

[bossi]

Well, getting back to the discussion of public support for the military ...

It‘s an excellent point - "warm and fuzzy" doesn‘t cut it - only a realistic budget will.

So what? (I‘m not being a smart aleck - I‘m just doing the old "estimate" thing-a-ma-bob ... chuckle!)

So what (1): The government will only give the military the budget they need if they perceive public opinion as supporting it (grrr ... those smarmy little Liberal Party pukes and their polls ... grrr ... but, I digress ...).

So what (2): Public opinion will only change if the public understand the situation adequately.

So what (3): The public will only understand the situation if it‘s explained to them, truthfully and factually (as opposed to Liberal Party spin doctors manipulating the polls ... grrr ...)

So what (4): It‘s a long, uphill battle but ... actions speak louder than words. The Army commander sent a loud and clear signal that the Army was virtually "burnt out" by concurrent deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan (also due to the current small size of the Army ...)

So what (5): It‘s a step in the right direction.

yadda, yadda, yadda ...

I guess it gets back to the basic concept of "gung ho" - unity of effort, or ‘pulling together‘ - if everybody understands what the Army is trying to say, then the message will be overwhelming.

But, I‘m rambling ...
It‘s true - ‘warm and fuzzy‘ doesn‘t pay the rent, but ... it‘s the tip of the iceberg.
Whether we sit on our hands, or do something about it ... that‘s the "life or death" question ...