All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[Puppetmaker Grae]

Just to consider, in '82 the Falklands were defended by a garrison of just 70 Royal Marines (double the usual number because it was the week that the units changed over) and a local militia. Now there are around 1200 army personnel, a Typhoon squadron, a frigate and probably a submarine lurking about, meanwhile the Argentinian military is less capable than it was 30 years ago. If the Islands do change sovereignty, it will be by negotiation not force.

[Mikekerr3]

Just to consider, in '82 the Falklands were defended by a garrison of just 70 Royal Marines (double the usual number because it was the week that the units changed over) and a local militia. Now there are around 1200 army personnel, a Typhoon squadron, a frigate and probably a submarine lurking about, meanwhile the Argentinian military is less capable than it was 30 years ago. If the Islands do change sovereignty, it will be by negotiation not force.

Negotiation should be completlyoff the table, you don't negotiate away peoples freedoms, the residents are the one who should decide what nation they belong to

[Charles RB]

Are Birmingham's schools being infiltrated and taken over by Muslim extremists? Birmingham City Council hasn't found any evidence yet. Unless Ofsted has something, this may be a non-story.

[Charles RB]

the problem is that there are so few women who meet the requirement

That's not a problem, it just means there'll be less women than in other branches.

Negotiation should be completlyoff the table, you don't negotiate away peoples freedoms, the residents are the one who should decide what nation they belong to

Which if it changed, would be down to negotiation between Argentina and the Falklands - that's what Grae means.

[Charles RB]

Speaking of Argentina, their bishops are decrying the rates of violent crime and calling corruption "cancer". The Kirchner government, being the Kirchner government, says this is a "deliberate attempt" by the opposition to blame them for all violence.


And in Nigeria, Amnesty International is claiming the military had four hours warning of the Boko Haram raid on the school and did nothing because they were worried about being outgunned. If true, that's mad. (The Nigerian government says they doubt this happened but they'll investigate)

[heretic]

Are Birmingham's schools being infiltrated and taken over by Muslim extremists? Birmingham City Council hasn't found any evidence yet. Unless Ofsted has something, this may be a non-story.

Raise your hand if you suspect the initial accusation of 'Islamist Infiltration' boils down to people with beards or headscarves being employed by the school district.

[Puppetmaker Grae]

Negotiation should be completlyoff the table, you don't negotiate away peoples freedoms, the residents are the one who should decide what nation they belong to

Which if it changed, would be down to negotiation between Argentina and the Falklands - that's what Grae means.

As Charles says.

[Mikekerr3]

That's not a problem, it just means there'll be less women than in other branches.

You mean you don't think it will be a social and poltical promlem when no marine female can cooomand 8 90$ of Marice corps units, and what that will do to promotion? You don't think there will be a problem when even decades after women are technically allowed into any ob that the jobs that have the most risk and are most career enhancing are jobs that women are praactically if , not legally barred from?


And you don't think that the inevitable political pressure to lower stands to Be "fair: will likely lead to the problem of dead soldiers?

[Charles RB]

Is it a problem in other countries that let women in combat roles, particularly in Israel which have done it for decades longer than most?

If the answer is "no", then I see no reason to believe this will be a problem for the British Army or Royal Marines. I've not seen any actual proof that militaries with combat-role women aren't still physically fit, just people claiming it will happen but never say "look at Israel" or "look at Canada".

Raise your hand if you suspect the initial accusation of 'Islamist Infiltration' boils down to people with beards or headscarves being employed by the school district.

The bookies give 1-1 odds on that.

[Ship]

Since we're on the subject of women in combat, here's a profile the BBC had a few months ago about a female infantry officer in the Canadian Army.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24622762

And a BBC Radio programme to go with it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03c3dx1

[Mikekerr3]

Is it a problem in other countries that let women in combat roles, particularly in Israel which have done it for decades longer than most?

You might want to research that, Israel has more limits on women in combat now than the US does. And they have none in the jobs that I am talking about

If the answer is "no", then I see no reason to believe this will be a problem for the British Army or Royal Marines. I've not seen any actual proof that militaries with combat-role women aren't still physically fit, just people claiming it will happen but never say "look at Israel" or "look at Canada".

The answer is yes though. there might be a woman that could pass the Royal marine course in the UK, may there might even be two. That course breaks down a majority of the already very fit men that enter the course. And the Canadian sample is still too small to mean much.

The USMC basic Platoon leader course has a similar fail rate and caused to two women to retire for disabilities. Most high end courses are designed to fail most of their candidates to get the very best, and their input is exclusively males in superb physical condition. No woman has successfully even passed the entrance physical fitness training to become a SEAL

[king mob]

Britain needs more soldiers to defend the Falklands

No, we bloody well don't.

[Spike-X]

No, we bloody well don't.

Oh, yes you do!

[king mob]

Oh, yes you do!

Oh no we don't.

[Spike-X]

Oh no we don't.

Oh, yes you do!