Got this email I thought I would share it with you all

[Alan 45]

No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the British Military for 20 years,

risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay on retirement, while Politicians hold their

political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive

full-pay retirement after serving one term. This is the same in Canada, the US and Australia.

It just does not make any sense.



If each person who receives this will forward it on to 20 people, then in three days, most people in

the U.K., Canada, United States and Australia will have the message. This is one proposal that really

should be passed around.

I passed it on, will you ?

"If you choose not to pass it on, you still have made a choice," and these brave soldiers have given

you that right !

[Gern]

Simple Alan. Because they can! Here's a quote from Frank Herbert:

Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to avoid this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class – whether that class be heredity royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy.

Gern

[Ian M]

Well lets face it when in a position to make the rules, make some that are going to see you right for the rest of your days.

Ian M

[Alan 45]

So true gern the biggest problem is that 90% of voters don't realise it , I think anyone who actually wants to be a politician should be banned from ever being one

[Guest]

Well lets face it when in a position to make the rules, make some that are going to see you right for the rest of your days.

Absolutely bang on mate

[Guest]

Actually, I think the rate in Canada is lower at 40% of the pay.

I'm not really sure what the numbers look like in the US, but it seems veterans are rather looked down upon when they are on 'home soil'.

Funny thing about the US is that it seems they like to get into wars, and if they can't find one already in progress, then they make a new one so that they have a reason to spend those military dollars. But when the men and women of the armed forces come home, sometimes with horrible injuries or disfigurements, the same government that ordered these people into danger, now wants to disavow all knowledge of it, and deny the troops as much money as they can, without actually just admitting that they are heartless, and executing the injured vets out of economical efficiency.

In the US, more vets seem to be homeless, because the for profit health care system bankrupts them. And then they become a burden (or feel like it) on the rest of their families, thus worsening their shame. I personally feel that those people who are ordered into danger by their governments, should be treated as near-royalty if they should come home with crippling injuries (mental or physical) as a result of those orders (unless the situation would suggest some criminal intent or 'unapproved behaviour' was involved, specific circumstances will dictate). But instead, the soldiers are treated as disposable assets and thrown away upon their return. Almost as if congress was embarrassed and couldn't wait to be rid of them.

I would like to think that my opinion is wrong, but I haven't seen much evidence to the contrary.

[Gern]

Well maybe our system ain't perfect but it's better than government officials dragging folks out of their beds and locking them up without trial or ordering the military to use nerve gas on the population ......

Gern

[Guest]

My offer.

If you want to change the rules then get elected as a politician. If not then do not moan about politicians. It is a free country for all to do within the rules that have been made by the politicians we have put in place.

QED. You are at fault for not being a politician or voting for the person who does for the country what you want him to do for you. It is in your hands ! Simple : X marks the spot.

The military. Do the above.

Laurie

[Guest]

A bit naïve Laurie??

[Guest]

First Mark why is that ? What I have written is a fact can you fault it. You are free to vote for your country & it's people or stand as a person to do the same.

What is the alternative ?

Laurie

[Guest]

I'm not intending to be contentious, honestly

I agree one has the power of the vote. That has the power to help your party or party member. I don't agree one has to become a politician to affect change, or that one is not allowed to criticize a politician. We do live in a nice country and are not governed by tyrants etc, but all is not perfect. I would suggest that modern media, televising of the commons, internet discussions, un-censored tv programs, etc etc are helping a great deal to prevent politicians getting away with what they would like to. Communication amongst the great unwashed is where the power is.

Maybe, to extrapolate your thinking, one has to start up and grow a national store network as opposed to expressing any criticism of Tesco??

[Alan 45]

Problem with your theory Laurie is even if you did become a politician know one would listen even your own party would not listen ,

do you think for one moment the common man would ever be accepted as an equal to those who run a party ?

In my opinion you would be just as powerless as an mp as would a voter

All politicians are selfish egotistical power hungry individuals who give lip service so they get elected and as soon as they do they make sure they are well looked after over the people who they are supposed to serve

[Guest]

No they are not, all politicians are individual people just as much as all members of the military are and all the rest of us.

As for the Tesco argument, you don't have to start up another chain, you just have to stop shopping there!!

[Guest]

I'm sort of with Laurie in a fashion ..... I never ever have any comments (apart from the odd bit of humour) regarding the way the countries run as I have never voted and I would, in my mind, be slightly hypocritical if I did comment.

I don't understand politics, and don't want to.

[Alan 45]

I apologise for putting this up it was not my intention to have a political debate it was more to let people know how service personal are treated after serving their counties and I think we can all agree on the point that they should be treated better

So um sorry if I've upset or annoyed anybody with my comments or the comments of others

Let's get back to modelling it's more fun