The age of selfishness

Gaurdian UK ^ | October 5 | Martin Jacques

[LBGA]

Jimrob will be in here in a minute to tell us to either...'Take a room or a boxing ring' *ROFL*

Well, I for one would not encourage anyone to mess up (or delete) this thread. Where else can we be treated to Gaelic poetry with an English translation?

Ivan and Happygal... enjoy! Life is short and it is not often one meets a soulmate with the same political beliefs. :-)

[Happygal]

How the hell can anyone read this blowhard? Maybe I'm too American, but good God, get to the friggin' point.

I'm IRISH...and God HIMSELF knows how we like to yammer on without even having a point to talk about in the first place, but I agree with you entirely. The Gaurdian needs a good Irish journalist I'm thinking. I'm going to apply for their next vacancy.

[MadIvan]

small grin

Also, since the enemy has been doing his level best to tempt you as well. ;)

Love, Ivan

[MadIvan]

The Gaurdian needs a good Irish journalist I'm thinking. I'm going to apply for their next vacancy.

I fear honesty and integrity are career ending ailments at the Guardian, dear. Though you spell their name as well as they do. ;)

Love, Ivan

[Happygal]

You left OUT a bit!!!! *ROFLMAO*

[ijcr]

British Operations 1945-2000
Please note this is NOT a complete list. This list does not include flood, hurricane and earthquake relief and operations in Hong Kong to prevent the flood of refugees from Communist China. Figures in brackets are the British Army casualties (Killed/Wounded)


1945-48 India Decolonisation and Partition
1945-48 Palestine (223/478)
1945-46 Dutch East Indies Restoring Dutch Colonial rule
1946 H.M.S. Volage hit by mines off Albania
1946-48 Greece Supporting Gov. forces during Civil War
1947 Aden Riots
1948 Gold Coast Riots, British Honduras
1948-60 Malaya Emergency (509/921 including 159/308 Gurkhas)
1948-1951 Eritrea (Operations against Shifta Terrorists)
1949 Akaba Threat of Israeli Invasion
1950 Singapore (Hartog riots)
1950-53 Korean War
1951 Akaba (Moussadeq Oil Nationalization)
1951-54 Suez Canal Zone
1952 Monte Bello Island Oct. First British A Bomb test
1952-56 Kenya Operations against the Mau Mau (12/69)
1953 British Guiana
1954-83 Cyprus (99/414)
1955 Singapore Riots, Buraimi Oasis operations
1956 Bahrain riots, Hong Kong riots, Singapore riots
Suez operations Clash on Yemenis Border
1957 British Honduras, Yemeni border clash
1957 Christmas Island May First British H Bomb test
1957-59 Muscat and Oman (6/6)
1958 Nassau strike, Jordan/Lebanon intervention
State of emergency declared in Aden.
Nyasaland (Malawi) Riots
1959 Gan riots
1960 Jamaica
1960-1 Cameroons Peace Keeping operations
1961 Kuwait, Zanzibar
1962 British Honduras, British Guiana, Aden riots Brunei *
1963 Swaziland, Zanzibar Aden
1963-66 Borneo *
1963-64 Cyprus Peace Keeping Operations
1964 Zanzibar revolution, Tuanganyika Army mutiny
Uganda Army mutiny, Kenya Army mutiny
British Guiana, civil unrest
1964-67 Aden and Radfan (90/510)
1965 Mauritius, Bechuanaland
1966 Hong Kong riots, Das Island, Seychelles
1967 Hong Kong riots
1968 Bermuda & Mauriius State of Emergency
1969 Anguilla March to September. So called Upraising
1969-84 Northern Ireland (To 27/1/84, not including UDR. 371/?)
1970 Cayman Islands April Demonstrations against Colonial administration.
1970-76 Dhofar (24/55)
1972 Bomb Scare on Queen Elizabeth II in mid atlantic and consequent SAS drop
1973 Bermuda No details
1974- Cyprus Peace Keeping Operations
1979-84 Operation Agila Rhodesia/Zimbabwe
1980 SAS assault on Iranian Embassy, New Hebrides
1982 Falklands War
1982 Sinai Peace Keeping operations
1983 Beirut
1991 Persian Gulf War
1991 Kurdistan Humanitarian Relief
1992 onwards Bosnia
1999 Kosovo
2000 East Timor
2000 Sierra Leone

* Independent figures

They gave up. They surrendered. They Lost


Politicans definitely, Church of England maybe, Tommy Atkins....never.

WHEN the 'arf-made recruity goes out to the East
'E acts like a babe an' 'e drinks like a beast,
An' 'e wonders because 'e is frequent deceased
Ere 'e's fit for to serve as a soldier.
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
Serve, serve, serve as a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

Now all you recruities what's drafted to-day,
You shut up your rag-box an' 'ark to my lay,
An' I'll sing you a soldier as far as I may:
A soldier what's fit for a soldier.
Fit, fit, fit for a soldier . . .

First mind you steer clear o' the grog-sellers' huts,
For they sell you Fixed Bay'nets that rots out your guts -
Ay, drink that 'ud eat the live steel from your butts -
An' it's bad for the young British soldier.
Bad, bad, bad for the soldier . . .

When the cholera comes - as it will past a doubt -
Keep out of the wet and don't go on the shout,
For the sickness gets in as the liquor dies out,
An' it crumples the young British soldier.
Crum-, crum-, crumples the soldier . . .

But the worst o' your foes is the sun over'ead:
You must wear your 'elmet for all that is said:
If 'e finds you uncovered 'e'll knock you down dead,
An' you'll die like a fool of a soldier.
Fool, fool, fool of a soldier . . .

If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,
Don't grouse like a woman nor crack on nor blind;
Be handy and civil, and then you will find
That it's beer for the young British soldier.
Beer, beer, beer for the soldier . . .

Now, if you must marry, take care she is old -
A troop-sergeant's widow's the nicest I'm told,
For beauty won't help if your rations is cold,
Nor love ain't enough for a soldier.
'Nough, 'nough, 'nough for a soldier . . .

If the wife should go wrong with a comrade, be loath
To shoot when you catch 'em - you'll swing, on my oath! -
Make 'im take 'er and keep 'er: that's Hell for them both,
An' you're shut o' the curse of a soldier.
Curse, curse, curse of a soldier . . .

When first under fire an' you're wishful to duck,
Don't look nor take 'eed at the man that is struck,
Be thankful you're livin', and trust to your luck
And march to your front like a soldier.
Front, front, front like a soldier . . .

When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old bitch;
She's human as you are - you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .

When shakin' their bustles like ladies so fine,
The guns o' the enemy wheel into line,
Shoot low at the limbers an' don't mind the shine,
For noise never startles the soldier.
Start-, start-, startles the soldier . . .

If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white,
Remember it's ruin to run from a fight:
So take open order, lie down, and sit tight,
And wait for supports like a soldier.
Wait, wait, wait like a soldier . . .

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
Go, go, go like a soldier,
So-oldier of the Queen!

[Happygal]

Thank you. But WHO said we have the same political beliefs? *L* Ehh..well, ok..we are both conservatives. We just don't talk Northern Ireland....at least not at a 100 mile radius! *ROFL*

[schmelvin]

Mad Ivan, are you tipsy? (And are you sure it's the wine?) ;-)

[Happygal]

Dare I answer for him? *L*
Ehhh..yup?
And it IS the wine. (He only gets whine from me! *LOL*)

[LBGA]

We just don't talk Northern Ireland....at least not at a 100 mile radius! *ROFL*

LOL... that would be like a yankee telling a southern gal like me that Sherman should have won a peace prize for ending the War Between the States. Some things are better left unsaid, but there is a whole lot more that can be agreed upon. :-)

[Happygal]

I fear honesty and integrity are career ending ailments at the Guardian, dear. Though you spell their name as well as they do. ;)

Ahh sue me, I don't spell good. THAT'S what sub-editors are for. I am shootin' from the hip, and I couldn't be proverbially arsed using a spell check tonight (in fact, I never use one...which is probably why I am not writing for the Economist! *L* They sound like types who meticulously use a spell check! *LOL*)

[MadIvan]

You left OUT a bit!!!! *ROFLMAO*

Oh did I? ;)

Love, Ivan

[Happygal]

Ye know what's really funny? The one time me and Ivan did talk about Northern Ireland it got to a stage when he said to me 'Have it, we don't want it' And I said..'Like we want it now, you can keep it with all it's problems' *LOL*

I should really apply for a job in the Northern assembly. I'd whup those Unionists into shape in no time, and the Shinners would be needing colon examinations to find their semtex! *L*

[Madame Dufarge]

How the hell can anyone read this blowhard? Maybe I'm too American, but good God, get to the friggin' point.

I don't think there is an actual point; it's like a written account of a bad acid trip.

And that's being kind.

[MadIvan]

We just don't talk Northern Ireland....at least not at a 100 mile radius!

Now darling, you know we reached a compromise. Neither of us really want it. ;)

Love, Ivan

[Happygal]

I don't think there is an actual point; it's like a written account of a bad acid trip.

Well, I've never had an acid trip. But there have been occasions (ie..St. Patrick's Day) when I've talked myself into and out of an argument with myself. This could be one of Jacques such trips. :-)

[MadIvan]

Mad Ivan, are you tipsy? (And are you sure it's the wine?) ;-)

I assure you I am rarely drunk on wine. But I am always drunk on Happygal's beauty and charm. ;)

Regards, Ivan

[Happygal]

See post Number 53! *LOL*

[schmelvin]

LOL... that would be like a yankee telling a southern gal like me that Sherman should have won a peace prize for ending the War Between the States.

LBGA, please, get it right; it was the War of Northern Aggression. :-)

(Those d@mned Yankees won't be so lucky next time.) ;-)

[Happygal]

I assure you I am rarely drunk on wine. But I am always drunk on Happygal's beauty and charm. ;)

MY GOD man you are rat arsed! *L* You are letting down the side. *ROFL*