Above, pond scum. Defined as, a mass of filamentous algae that form a usually greenish film on the surface of stagnant freshwater such as still ponds and other such bodies.
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington famously noted: “A French army is composed very differently from ours. The conscription calls out a share of every class — no matter whether your son or my son — all must march; but our friends — I may say it in this room — are the very scum of the earth. People talk of their enlisting from their fine military feeling — all stuff — no such thing. Some of our men enlist from having got bastard children — some for minor offences — many more for drink; but you can hardly conceive such a set brought together, and it really is wonderful that we should have made them the fine fellows they are.”
This puts into a proper context the remark about the Duke’s remark about British soldiers being “….the scum of the Earth……” It should also be noted that the Duke made the comments at the beginning of the 19th century and therefore its is naïve and childish to judge his remarks by the politically correct standards of the early 21st century.
The title of today’s article has coined the acronym to describe the British politicians who collectively have conspired to being about a situation where serving and former British soldiers now have the threat of prosecution for “war crimes” for actions they may or may not have taken when serving in Iraq – and other places.
See the Reuters report: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-iraq-investigation-idUKKBN0UG0A420160102
The report we think will demonstrate that the level of censure contained within the tile is proportionate and reasonable, for these are politicians largely recruited from a class of university students who have read politics, served a short “apprenticeship” as a “political researcher” and then became full time salaried politicians. Not for them service in one of Her Majesty’s armed forces. That they leave to their constituents!
At the same time these are people who are ever ready to cede the sovereignty of this country to others. The sovereignty that the armed forces are duty bound to defend – with their lives.
As can be inferred from the Reuters report it is the treaty commitments entered into when Blair signed the country up to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Hague – something the USA and Israel have not done.
What is clear is this: with certain exceptions, the studied solemnity demonstrated by the political leaders at the Cenotaph every Remembrance Sunday together with the modern requirement to ostentatiously wear a poppy in the lapel for at least a fortnight before this is a crass pantomime put on for public consumption.
If the people running this country really did care about the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the country they would revoke the treaty commitments previously entered into and tell Mr Warwick, the former police detective to stop what he is doing and turn his attention to the many people in this country seemingly intent of supporting those who would wish to do the forces of the British Crown harm.
Suggestion to Nigel Farage: This would be a nicely contentious policy to adopt!
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
I can think of many ‘criminal’ acts politicians continue to inflict on citizens of the UK but a threat to prosecute men who put their lives of the line for their nation then label them ‘criminals’ is truly disgraceful. One of UKIP’s policies is to put an end to our armed forces fighting pointless foreign wars so the BG’s suggestion to Nigel Farage to revoke previous treaty commitments such as this would indeed fit very well alongside this. In fact, it would need to be so in order to have genuine integrity.
Sir,
I feel I must protest on behalf of the billions of filamentous algae on the planet. By what right does the Editor think he has to defame such innocent lifeforms by comparing them to such as David Cameron?