Enlisting for Royal Irish Regiment is it a good idea?

Maoltuile

delta-boy wrote: »

2AM few beers in ya' my friend?

Must be the time the bars kick out now, or else you've finally came out of your 50 year old mindset to turn on your computer. And then went back into it to post this reply.

As opposed to those of us who apparently prefer to go back 100 years to serving "the empire on which the sun never sets".

A 50-year-old mindset - bringing us to a non-aligned independent country in the 60s - is infinitely preferable to the other.

delta-boy

Maoltuile wrote: »

As opposed to those of us who apparently prefer to go back 100 years to serving "the empire on which the sun never sets".

A 50-year-old mindset - bringing us to a non-aligned independent country in the 60s - is infinitely preferable to the other.

Hardly "Empire on which the sun never sets" and stop twisting it.

The simple answer is my friend is that this is 2013, yes, 2013 and the vast majority of the people in this country couldn't care if you're white/black/half cast/purple etc... Nor do they care in what profession or career you choose to take in life. It's the tiny, tiny majority that seem to let it annoy themselves and an even smaller crowd than that would like to wreck harm on people for doing it.

Maoltuile

delta-boy wrote: »

Hardly "Empire on which the sun never sets" and stop twisting it.

That you can say this a couple years after the UK has again invaded Iraq and Afghanistan - exactly what they were doing a century ago, just the excuses have changed - speaks volumes about who's living in denial here.

The simple answer is my friend is that this is 2013, yes, 2013 and the vast majority of the people in this country couldn't care if you're white/black/half cast/purple etc... Nor do they care in what profession or career you choose to take in life. It's the tiny, tiny majority that seem to let it annoy themselves and an even smaller crowd than that would like to wreck harm on people for doing it.

Actions do have consequences, and there is such thing as personal responsibility and morality. Joining an organisation which has so much blood on its hands isn't like deciding whether to be a brickie or a banker - you're going to be continuing the old tradition of kicking in the doors of non-Western nations, literally or metaphorically.

(And no amount of 'likes' to your posts from current or former BA members will change that reality)

DipStick McSwindler

This post has been deleted.

amurph0

Maoltuile wrote: »

(And no amount of 'likes' to your posts from current or former BA members will change that reality)

I'm in the PDF bud...

Never been in the BA and I liked his post.

Maoltuile

IrishFeeney92 wrote: »

Mighty sick of all these threads being hijacked, Maybe Boards should implement comment moderation on the military thread, seeing as though it attracts uncivilized behavior........

sing a new song lads

I saw *two* sides getting stuck in before I had my own spake. I see no sign on the forum saying that BA groupy behaviour is sacrosanct and off-limits for criticism.

(If there were a proper FAQ for this and the weekly DF recruitment threads, we'd cut out the noise that apparently upsets you so much.)

tac foley

With around 4000 Irish men and women from the Republic serving in the British Armed Forces [2011 figures], the Irish Army has barely twice that number in the whole part of the PDF.

It's hardly surprising that it has such a post count on this Irish board. However, the acrimonious slagging of the British Armed Forces is not appreciated by those who 'crossed the water' to join there, having had no success in joining the Irish Defence forces because of the very limited recruiting figures.

If you want to party and THAT particular party is full, why not go somewhere else?

All the unpleasantly snide and often insulting posts in the world won't stop those who have made their minds up to follow that particular direction.

tac

tac foley

Maoltuile wrote: »

That you can say this a couple years after the UK has again invaded Iraq and Afghanistan - exactly what they were doing a century ago, just the excuses have changed - speaks volumes about who's living in denial here.

I'll remind you of that comment the day after the first moslem suicide bomber takes out half of O'Connell Street.

tac

Lemming

Maoltuile wrote: »

That you can say this a couple years after the UK has again invaded Iraq and Afghanistan

You do know that there are members of the defense forces currently deployed with ISAF right? And that Afghanistan is covered by UN resolutions.

Joining an organisation which has so much blood on its hands isn't like deciding whether to be a brickie or a banker - you're going to be continuing the old tradition of kicking in the doors of non-Western nations, literally or metaphorically.

Two things. One observation, one question.

All armies have blood on their hands to some degree or other and at some point in their national history. Which leads me to my question to you:

At what point is the application of martial violence acceptable vs. unacceptable? Blood on one's hands is blood regardless of quantity. Applying moral relativism is hypocrisy given your claims of moral high ground.

Maoltuile

tac foley wrote: »

I'll remind you of that comment the day after the first moslem suicide bomber takes out half of O'Connell Street.

tac

You really do sound like you're looking forward to that prospect. A lot.

Maoltuile

Lemming wrote: »

You do know that there are members of the defense forces currently deployed with ISAF right? And that Afghanistan is covered by UN resolutions.

The UN has been dragged in and left holding the baby here, as in many other places. Didn't notice any DF personnel in the initial US/UK invasions of either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Two things. One observation, one question.

All armies have blood on their hands to some degree or other and at some point in their national history. Which leads me to my question to you:

At what point is the application of martial violence acceptable vs. unacceptable? Blood on one's hands is blood regardless of quantity. Applying moral relativism is hypocrisy given your claims of moral high ground.

Rather depends on the foreign policy of the country in question. wouldn't you think? A country which has a historic policy of non-aggression, non-alignment and UN-mandated peace-keeping has very little or none. On the other hand, an imperial power - waxing or waning, French, US, Russian, Chinese or whatever are likely to frequently cover themselves in the stuff.

Choosing who you're going to fight for isn't a values-free proposition.

Maoltuile

tac foley wrote: »

With around 4000 Irish men and women from the Republic serving in the British Armed Forces [2011 figures], the Irish Army has barely twice that number in the whole part of the PDF.

It's hardly surprising that it has such a post count on this Irish board. However, the acrimonious slagging of the British Armed Forces is not appreciated by those who 'crossed the water' to join there, having had no success in joining the Irish Defence forces because of the very limited recruiting figures.

If you want to party and THAT particular party is full, why not go somewhere else?

Like I said to the other guy, choosing who you go soldier for is a decision with consequences. You can't claim ignorance of the uses that the British Government puts their military to.

All the unpleasantly snide and often insulting posts in the world won't stop those who have made their minds up to follow that particular direction.

Fine. But you can't dictate on a public forum that the British Army even today - leaving the old atrocities, empire-bulding and occupations aside - is sacrosanct, and never to be criticised. It's Political Correctness gone mad.

Lemming

Maoltuile wrote: »

The UN has been dragged in and left holding the baby here, as in many other places. Didn't notice any DF personnel in the initial US/UK invasions of either Iraq or Afghanistan.

But they're there. Serving under the nations flag, which - as I'm sure you're aware - would not be possible without a UN mandate.

Rather depends on the foreign policy of the country in question. wouldn't you think? A country which has a historic policy of non-aggression, non-alignment and UN-mandated peace-keeping has very little or none. On the other hand, an imperial power - waxing or waning, French, US, Russian, Chinese or whatever are likely to frequently cover themselves in the stuff.

It doesn't "depend" at all. The action of Joe Bloggs from Carrick-on-Shannon, wearing a blue beret, having to aim down his rifle at another human being and squeeze the trigger either by necessity or by order differs very little from the actions of Joe Bloggs from Barnsley, wearing Yorkshire colours, having to aim down his rifle at another human being and squeeze the trigger either by necessity or by order. And Joe Soap, his friends, family, and countrymen in whatever country they're in will not care for distinction either I'm sure. Even less of a rats ass for foreign policy of some other nation.

Blood spilt is blood spilt. And trying to claim "a little" is ok is right up there with Stalin's cynical quote about killing millions simply becoming a statistic.

In any case, there has unfortunately been more one Irish soldier who has not been kept safe by a blue beret or flag over the years. And when bullets start flying, all notions of "oh, they're a friendly nation really" goes out the window. As witnessed in the Belgian Congo, as witnessed in East Timor, the Lebanon, and of course ... during the civil war.

Maoltuile

Lemming wrote: »

But they're there. Serving under the nations flag, which - as I'm sure you're aware - would not be possible without a UN mandate.

You want to have a separate discussion on the UN and ISAF, go ahead. What I was referring to was the primarily US/UK invasion of Afghanistan, which was in response to the 9/11 attacks.

It doesn't "depend" at all. The action of Joe Bloggs from Carrick-on-Shannon, wearing a blue beret, having to aim down his rifle at another human being and squeeze the trigger either by necessity or by order differs very little from the actions of Joe Bloggs from Barnsley, wearing Yorkshire colours, having to aim down his rifle at another human being and squeeze the trigger either by necessity or by order. And Joe Soap, his friends, family, and countrymen in whatever country they're in will not care for distinction either I'm sure. Even less of a rats ass for foreign policy of some other nation.

You really don't appear to have much clue of the difference between UN peacekeeping and making war (declared or undeclared). I'm guessing to you it's all the same, since they both involve guns, right?

Blood spilt is blood spilt. And trying to claim "a little" is ok is right up there with Stalin's cynical quote about killing millions simply becoming a statistic.

Ok, I'll bite. So what 'blood' does the Irish Army have on its hands, then?

In any case, there has unfortunately been more one Irish soldier who has not been kept safe by a blue beret or flag over the years. And when bullets start flying, all notions of "oh, they're a friendly nation really" goes out the window. As witnessed in the Belgian Congo, as witnessed in East Timor, the Lebanon, and of course ... during the civil war.

"In any case" doesn't speak well for that proof of supposed blood on Irish soldiers' hands, I guess. Civil wars are civil wars, and we were talking about foreign military adventurism. What invasions or occupations has the Irish Army been involved in?

c-90

As a rambo once said " you either live for nothing, or die for something."

If kicking in the doors of the east saves just one western life then I'd gladley be the soldier on the other side of the boot, and I have the uthmost respect for those who do.

I supposed next we'll be hearing about the all the oil being taken and babys being killed.

You can sleep safe in your bed knowing that the possibillity of a terrorist attack from the middle east in Ireland is significantly reduced thanks to U.S. and the "empire on which the sun never sets".

Morpheus

[MOD]I go away for a couple of days and this is what happens!

Everyone calm the f**k down. Mr.2 was obv a troll, he has been slapped, rest of you put up the gloves and stay on topic or ill close the thread simply because its slewed terribly close to being completely off topic.[/MOD]

Morpheus

[MOD]I go away for a couple of days and this is what happens!

Everyone calm the f**k down. Mr.2 was obv a troll, he has been slapped, rest of you put up the gloves and stay on topic or ill close the thread simply because its slewed terribly close to being completely off topic.[/MOD]

tac foley

Maoltuile wrote: »

You really do sound like you're looking forward to that prospect. A lot.

That, Sir, is entirely your imagination at work, I'm afraid. Unilke you, I've actually been where the bombs are, and would not wish them on anybody.

You are now on my ignore list.

Have a nice day.

tac