Lol, I have seen Full Metal Jacket a fair few times, but those things DO go on in the army...atleast the Scandinavian ones. Ask Frelt and he'll also tell you about the gay orgies in the shower room...remember, you're only gay if you're the one recieving. *Nods* As for the whole "Army leads to careers, degrees, etc etc" that'll only happen while it's a professional standing army. Would never work in a drafted army as it would be far too expensive to educate people that are gonna leave ze army in a few months anyway. Hell, the danish army even stopped giving free driving licenses to recruits as the draft time was cut down to only a few months.

Stark, you fail to realise that those fancy career paths in the army are not what average people who apply (or would be conscripted for) get to do. It takes one look at German and Russian conscriptions to see that the vast majority of conscripts become basic troops. Not through lack of qualification for becoming more specialised soldiers, or a lack of wanting to do something "fun" in the service, but because the military accepts the vast majority of these people will only be with the military for a breif period (Russia has the longest length of mandatory service, at two years I believe?), with resources for more advanced training spent on committed career soldiers who will be a longer term investment and more use in a modern theatre of war.

Ultimately this is part of a larger argument. "Respect" is not something that British people should rely on a government institution to instill. What kind of respect are we even talking about anyway? Respect for the rule of law? For our elders? For our children? For eachothers property? For eachothers personages? All of these kinds of respect are something that is (or more-so should be) bred into us while being brought up. Thats how I think it should be at least.

Then again, I'm also the kind of person who wants the death penalty back and more prisons built, and purposely run to be equally or more horrific than Russian gulags. Death penalty handy for freeing up prison spots and saving us all a few bucks on the lifers - along with added prison space allowing us to throw people in for longer periods - which along with the fact these prisons would regain their notoriety as a place you don't want to be, instead of room and board for a few years should breed a healthier level of respect I figure.

Authoritarian rule pwns!

On that note...only me that's sickened by all this Harry Pothead mania? I don't like any of the books and despise the movies. Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time ftw!

OI! Im welsh! Christ theres alot of talk of communist take over and nuking countries, and obliterating people on here! Before i read these posts i was just eating my sandwhich happily away while lookin' for some things to sell, I feel depressed now..

Life is a comedy for those that think and a tragedy for those who feel.

Wheel of Time ftw

Jus started book 4, however, i am racing my sister to finish the new Harry Potter! I think shes gona win, cos i havent started!

And ofc Lord of the Rings, is the Lord of the books!

Hrmm...hear you brits are having some nasty weather....some say it's a Russian weapon that can alter ze weather! If lil' China can make it rain, (proven) then surely big bad Russia can mess up the forecast too
"Some of the heaviest rainfall in living memory deluged southern Britain yesterday, inundating places with up to one sixth of their entire annual rainfall in less than 24 hours.
Downpours knocked out satellite communications, cut power, forced schools and homes to be evacuated, and badly disrupted roads and railways."
Or is this noooormal?

lol...If your blaming 2 bad months of weather on the Russians, thats insane! We were having bad weather before we went toe to toe with them!

And yeah we are having the worst summer ever, does any Brit here remember April...oh how lovely it was! A month of sun & cricket..and now we have flooding.

*lubs his avatar so he posts again* Even got ze Vesper hat and all!