Army to investigate far right infiltration

Just kidding, Tommy Robinson met a bunch of cadets in a motorway service station, and took a selfie with them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45805285

It is indeed shocking that Tommy is popular with young white working class men, mind. Who would have thought such a thing? I don’t blame the BBC for its metropolitan faux outrage, and moral panic. :biggrin:

Reply 1

QE2

20

The army has always been the easy career option for the unqualified, unskilled and right-winged.

Reply 2

Claire461

21

One of my sons is a high ranking officer in the Army. One of 7 children. Brought up in a council house. Attended one of the top grammar schools in the country. Army was his choice of career.

Reply 3

the bear

20

if Stephen wants to hang around with strapping young squaddies who are we to say no ?

:beard:

Reply 4

QE2

20

Original post by Seamus123

One of my sons is a high ranking officer in the Army. One of 7 children. Brought up in a council house. Attended one of the top grammar schools in the country. Army was his choice of career.

Neither statement contradicts the other.

Reply 5

Notoriety

22

Original post by QE2

The army has always been the easy career option for the unqualified, unskilled and right-winged.

Says someone who'd shite their jocks if they had to do 10 press ups.

Reply 6

QE2

20

Original post by Notoriety

Says someone who'd shite their jocks if they had to do 10 press ups.

Regardless of the truth, or otherwise, of your statement - what bearing does it have on mine?

Me: Cage fighting is an uncivilised anachronism that appeals to society's baser instinct.
You: Says someone who would shite themselves if they had to go in the octagon with Khabib.

See?

Reply 7

Notoriety

22

Original post by QE2

Regardless of the truth, or otherwise, of your statement - what bearing does it have on mine?

Me: Cage fighting is an uncivilised anachronism that appeals to society's baser instinct.
You: Says someone who would shite themselves if they had to go in the octagon with Khabib.

See?

Well you specifically said it was an easy career. I attacked this on two fronts.

a) Easy? But not easy for you? Surely contradictory and you are certainly a man of quality, or so you think; cannot be said to be easy, then. If you knew anyone who had been in the Army, you would know there is an awful lot of graft involved in that career.

b) You are far removed from that world, hence your inability to do 10 press ups. Your opinion of that world is almost entire guesswork.

Reply 8

AngeryPenguin

18

A spokeswoman said: "Far-right ideology is completely at odds with the values and ethos of the armed forces."

They should really think these copy+paste statements through before releasing them.

Original post by QE2

The army has always been the easy career option for the unqualified, unskilled and right-winged.

You've got this the wrong way around (especially considering that right-wing voters tend to be better educated).

Fascism arranges society similarly to a military. Someone who is attracted to the military ethos is simply going to be more likely to think it would be a good thing to apply to broader society.

Reply 9

AstroNandos

21

Original post by AngeryPenguin

They should really think these copy+paste statements through before releasing them.

You've got this the wrong way around (especially considering that right-wing voters tend to be better educated).

Fascism arranges society similarly to a military. Someone who is attracted to the military ethos is simply going to be more likely to think it would be a good thing to apply to broader society.

I kind of think he is right tbf. The army has always mostly recruited from white working-class males, many from council estates, at least when it comes to recruiting soldiers rather than officers. Those people tend to be right-wing (obvs nothing wrong with that)

Which makes it sad to see the army releasing many politically correct adverts, aimed at recruiting all backgrounds except this one

Reply 10

username471863

19

Those boys may eventually be deployed to war-torn countries. Given the current situation, those countries would likely have a high percentage of Muslims. I can see why the military would be reluctant to put people with far-right inclinations in positions where they could abuse their power towards vulnerable groups in those countries, including children and the elderly. After all, they are posing with a man who makes a living preaching hatred towards Muslims. They wouldn't want another scandal.

Extremism of any kind has no place in an institution created to protect the public and uphold international humanitarian law. That is how you get scandals like Abu Ghraib (and I know that those were American soldiers as opposed to British ones but they had that bigoted mentality that puts innocent people at risk)

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 11

generallee

OP

16

I was kidding, but should not have been, sadly. You couldn’t make this stuff up. :eek:

Apparently the military police have now tracked down those on the video and selfie at their barracks and confiscated all their mobile phones for further investigation.

Don’t expect to read this on the BBC obviously. Not their kind of story, just like the miscarriage of justice which led to Robinson’s unlawful imprisonment wasn’t really their bag...

Reply 12

AngeryPenguin

18

Original post by generallee

Apparently the military police have now tracked down those on the video and selfie at their barracks and confiscated all their mobile phones for further investigation.

The fact that the MP have the power to do that for this reason backs up my point about how the military is run like a fascist state. How can they be surprised they are full of people itching to introduce fascism to the rest of society?

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 13

J intalex

2

As much as I deplore his politics, I do admire his ability for self-promotion. First he is happy to exploit the sexual abuse of minors for attention, now it's young impressionable soldiers who seem to have forgot the conditions they agreed to when signing up.

As for his adoring fans, they are like teenage girls getting excited at the latest boyband.

Reply 14

Reality Check

22

They were boys, not men. You could see in that photo just how young they are. Let's not ascribe too much political thinking to them: Tommy Robinson isn't stupid and knows what makes a good photo.

Reply 15

Duncan2012

19

Anyone caught in a photo with a power-hungry, self-serving, war-mongering bloke should be kicked out of the army.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjlyZqe5_vdAhVGyYUKHY7PCU4QjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fdebate%2Farticle-3278592%2FPETER-OBORNE-s-grotesque-learn-squalid-truth-catastrophic-Iraq-invasion-drip-drip.html&psig=AOvVaw0Oz-NE5RSWJyUHm-qBYeRh&ust=1539258586999849

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjkw7zk5_vdAhUERBoKHclaCiwQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fdebate%2Farticle-1303972%2FTony-Blairs-5m-British-Legion-gift-designed-make-feel-better.html&psig=AOvVaw0Oz-NE5RSWJyUHm-qBYeRh&ust=1539258586999849

Or perhaps they just want to be in a photo next to someone famous.

Reply 16

mojojojo101

17

You want to have and express a political opinion?

Don't joint the armed forces.

Reply 17

Drewski

19

Original post by AngeryPenguin

The fact that the MP have the power to do that for this reason backs up my point about how the military is run like a fascist state. How can they be surprised they are full of people itching to introduce fascism to the rest of society?

Because they're in breach of the social media rules of the organisation, and in breach of numerous personal security rules as well. Soldiers who can't / don't follow rules are pretty useless.

They are the rules of the armed forces. The voluntary armed forces. If they don't like the rules, they can leave.

Original post by AstroNandos

I kind of think he is right tbf. The army has always mostly recruited from white working-class males, many from council estates, at least when it comes to recruiting soldiers rather than officers. Those people tend to be right-wing (obvs nothing wrong with that)

Which makes it sad to see the army releasing many politically correct adverts, aimed at recruiting all backgrounds except this one

There's a difference between 'where the recruits come from' and where the adverts are targeted, or any desire to specifically recruit a type of civilian.

Reply 18

AstroNandos

21

Original post by Drewski

There's a difference between 'where the recruits come from' and where the adverts are targeted, or any desire to specifically recruit a type of civilian.

There definitely should not be any difference when the army is lacking numbers, even when including army reserve numbers for infantry.

I'm fact, even if there was enough people joining, surely it makes most sense financially to continue advertising to that background that does traditionally join, not backgrounds that continue to not sign up despite ads aimed towards them?

Reply 19

Reality Check

22

Original post by Drewski

Soldiers who can't / don't follow rules are pretty useless.

They are the rules of the armed forces. The voluntary armed forces. If they don't like the rules, they can leave.

Yep, exactly so. They can't exactly claim they were conscripted in and their human rights are being violated.

(edited 5 years ago)

Army to investigate far right infiltration

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