You're an inspiration chopper. What else can I say? Not overlooking the rest of your post, but just to pick up on one point, I hear what you say about the younger generation. However I don't think it is true of all of the younger generation, possibly not even the majority. I also think that many of those that are good at heart get dragged down a bit by those that aren't. For example I found it hard to be proud to be british when Tony Blair gave us away to the EU, after both my grandads and many thousands of men like them went through hell to keep us from becoming an annexe of and slave to Europe, and lets not forget the women of the era too, some of whome served in the military, others worked in ammo factories etc or just made sure the kids had a chance of growing up. I also think political correctness has resulted in kids being brainwashed to expect everything on a plate. I think that might be getting turned around now though. It was on the news the other day that apprencticeships are making a comeback, so maybe people are starting to be willing to work for what they get once again.
Good post Chopper, Going on from clueless1's point about the younger generation, they are not all bad. My teenage son is in his school's boy's choir, it's quite unusual for boys of that age to sing and they get invited to schools and events to try and encourage others. There are about 130 of them and it's a bit like a football crowd when they arrive on stage. One of their turns is to come on wearing hoodies and that usually gets a strong reaction from the audience, when they take the hoodies off and sing it always get a cheer as people realise they are just normal kids underneath. Kids are no different these days, the trouble is there is so much more choice for them. Yes the cult of the celebrity makes a lot of kids think that life is easy and all they have to do is get their faces on TV but I'm sure they are in a small minority.
Chopper, I bet that 's the longest piece you've written for a long time. I read it, re-read it, and read it again. And, Sir, I take my hat off to you on the way you've got through life through sheer determination and courage. I served 22 years in the{riff}RAF, qualified as a parachutist reluctantly after being loaned to other branches to teach them how to use the radar on the Rapier Missile. My parachute instructor told me that he always knew when I'd jumped out of the Argosy because I screamed the loudest and the longest until my feet hit the ground! Actually, he was wrong, because sometimes I was still screaming minutes after hitting the ground. I worked with the army quite a few times and still have a lot of "pongos/brown jobs" as friends even now. I know the value of the brass cross arms so believe me you have my respect. I was in Aden for the final two years before we withdrew and lost friends, both Army and RAF, and the nasty snap of a bullet coming in our direction is something that stays with you. You having been in the Household just bolsters my respect. One of the problems, Chopper, was that in your day, and mine, the Forces had no interest in what would happen to you when you left. You were basically dropped into civilian life and left to fend for yourself. The only thing you had was the self-respect that being in the Army gave you, so it was "sink or swim" And, Chopper, one way or another you swam!! I reckon that's something to be proud of. I was in the same situation as you when I left the Air Force. I thought there'd be a job out there for a Chief Technician Radar Fitter who'd,by luck, managed to get on the Queens Birthday Honors List in 1974. Wrong! My qualifications, both technical and educational meant nothing, so I had to start again. I managed to get a job with a small company as a junior manager and despite all the pressures kept my self-respect. I was taught to be a manager by a guy who said "never lie to anyone because that makes you a coward and if the staff find out you've lied you've lost their respect and you're useless then as a manager" I stuck by that teaching throughout my career and whenever I left a company I still, months on, got calls from people wanting advice about something that was bothering them. The Air Force taught me the same thing as the Army taught you "Never back down - especially if you're right." So I know, to a degree, how hard it was for you to survive and get through life while hanging on to your self-respect. But, I have to say that, like Clueless1, I have to disagree with you about today's youth. There are a lot of good kids out there trying hard to get qualifications which they've been told will get them a job. They're stuck in the middle of a depression, that will take years to rise above, not of their making. Yes, there are kids out there who expect something for nothing out of life but the majority are trying to do exactly the same as you, me and others of our ilk, survive, get a job and keep their self-respect. I don't think things like morals, principles, codes of behaviour, honour, loyalty, consideration, pride, duty, integrity, service are out of the window, old fashioned. You know as well as I do that throughout life you've encountered that lack of honour etc from people of your age and older as well as the younger. We live in an age of "I want it now" but who's fault is that, Chopper? The kids aren't. There's a business entity out there that encourages greediness, selfishness to all ages with one goal in mind - PROFIT. The fact is that such calculated, well thought out commercialization has grown over the years, because it works, in every aspect of our lives [your's and mine and not just the kids]. It doesn't matter that such commercialization damages people doesn't matter - only the bottom line does. We all shake our heads and mumble about the lack of things we just talked about. but it's our fault as well because we have let the Government and the Army of Do-gooders, EU, tell us what's right and what's wrong - when we knew the opposite. Anyway, I said at the beginning of this "30's" Thread that it was like standing at the entrance of a maze and we could end up anywhere - and look how far we've got. One last thing, I've never understood the point of jumping out of an aircraft - we in the RAF gave them wheels so that you could take off and land - so why jump out of them!?
Armandii and Clueless I take your point about the majority of the younger generation being decent kids that do genuinely want to get on with life and make the best of things. After my neck vertebrae collapsed about ten years ago and I got through a very bitter and extremely expensive divorce, I really shut myself away from people. Simply because way too many people annoyed the hell out of me and I tend to lose my sense of humour. I very rarely go anywhere nowadays unless I am with my club brothers or Mrs Chopper.. Mrs Chopper somehow manages to keep me on a chain and says that I should be kept in a cabinet marked "BREAK GLASS ONLY IN THE EVENT OF WAR". My club brothers know what I am like and keep outsiders away from me. Not proud of it, but I just cannot deal with civvie mentality or PC nonsense. I know it is me that is out of synch with society and I am getting Anger Management Therapy by my own request. Give you an example of why I cannot accept the way things are now. In the last 48 hours I have read two reports about incidents that should NEVER have happened. One. A young bloke minding his own business, walking back home with a takeaway meal. Almost at home when a drunken yob sees him and decides he doesn't like the way the guy is looking at him. So the drunken yob attacks him, batters him to the ground and walks off. Few seconds later he comes back, kicks the guy in the head and stamps on his face. The victim was so badly hurt that the surgeons had to remove half of his skull ro relieve pressure on his brain. He then had to have more surgery to implant a titanium plate to rebuild his head. The yob was sentenced to 30 months inside!!! The victims life will never be the same again, but the yob can just carry on after all the do gooders have made sure the poor little lamb is well protected and cared for. Two. A young girl of 17. A very promising national level athlete, amateur fashion model. Sat in a car eating a burger. 14 year old thug heaves a breeze block through the window. Her cheek bone, nose and eye socket are shattered. She has to undergo major surgery to rebuild her face including one 10 hour marathon operation. She will never be able to compete at national level again. Is terrified to go out alone, her modelling career is in grave doubt. Yob was fined £200 and given a 12 month supervision order!! Mates of the thug in the first case were so sickened by what thier ex pal had done they gave evidence against him in court. Fair play to them. I have to ask first of all, "What the hell have the parents of these yobs been teaching them". Why have the schools not been doing something about thier behaviour? Why have the police not been hammering thier doors down and dragging the swine off to borstal? At times it seems to me that the local town to me, Chard in Somerset, is the absolute pits when it comes to chavs and yobs. They gather in gangs in the street and try to intimidate anyone that dares to pass. Unless of course they happen to look like me, then they move out of the way. I think they move out of the way because they recognise that I am not the sort to back down. Yet they will block the path of a woman with a baby or toddler, an elderly person or another kid on his own. I was taught to always make way for a lady or an elderly person. My dad gave me a belt round the ear when he saw me not give up my seat on the bus for a lady. I go to the clubhouse and I know the rules. I am comfortable there. I go into the garden or my new plot because I do not come into contact with idiots there. I have very few visitors, only those that I invite. I have nowosh to mix or come into contact with people that that seem to think they can do or say whatever they like because they have the "Right to do so". They claim rights without accepting responsibility for thier actions. To me, oursociety has gone to hell in a handcart. Our laws are dictated by foreigners. The EU fascists are doing what Hitler tried to do by backdoor tactics. At least Hitler made no secret of the fact he wanted to invade Great Britain and rule us by force of arms. We knew where we stood. Now everything is muddled by the faceless penpushers in Brussels. Our spineless politicians surrender more and more of our sovereignty every day. I have never voted or wanted to be a european. I am British. I served Queen and Country and was once very proud to have done so. I am now ashamed of what Great Britian has become. What we have seen in Egypt recently is going to happen here. We really need to get back to good old fashioned ways of doing things. Like all pupils standing up when a teacher enters the class. Learning the three R's. Teaching kids what it means to have real respect for thier elders and thier homes, parents, teachers, schools and communities. Stop all the molly coddling. Stop unchecked immigration, stop all the red tape from the EU. Stop all the free handouts for those too idle to get off thier butts and earn thier keep. I don't claim any of the benefits to which I am entitled to. Despite my health problems I earn my own keep. If I am short of money I go without. When I have spare money I put it away for the hard times ahead. I am not saying my way of life is the right way. Just that if I can do it and not deliberately break the law, then why can't others. Why do a lot of people think it is ok to be dishonest, lazy, inconsiderate and not be ashamed of thier behaviour? Now I have bored you to tears, I will let someone else have a moan.:D Chopper.
Chopper, once again I agree with what you've said, unless this time I have to admit I understand more of your post. Being a civvie I respect, but don't understand, the military bits of your last post. I think in a way you summed up the problem. You gave a couple of examples of horrendous, dispicable cases involving scum that targeted decent people and then got virtually no punishment. I think this is the problem. I was raised by the philosophy that bad behaviour is punished, while good behaviour is rewarded. Nowadays it seems that good behaviour is ignored, and bad behaviour is largely ignored, so anyone who is rotten to the core is just left to get on with their sick and twisted habits. It should be simple. You step out of line, you get knocked back into line, but it just doesn't work like that anymore because as you say, the do-gooders have it that sick twisted individuals have 'human rights'. I totally agree with you with about foreigners doing what hitler tried but more sneakily. While all my work mates were cheering about Tony Bliar winning the election, I was sick to the pit of my stomach at the thought of some weasel who wanted to give the country away to those that my grandads fought for so long, suddenly taking power with the blessing of the people that my grandads fought for. On a more positive note though, I was pleased to see on the news yesterday that the new wave of politicians have grown the first hint of a spine and are standing up to the EU, refusing to accept their order that murderers and rapists should have a vote. Its not much in the grand scheme, but its a step in the right direction to reversing the stupid PC comedy that Once great Britain has become.
I think all of us basically think the same things, have the same values and principles despite us all treading different paths in life. I read what you said, Chopper, and again I read it several times over and, yet again, I found I was nodding in agreement with you. Having a temper and not having the patience to want to socialize with "idiots" is no bad thing - at least you know you've got a temper and the damage you could do with it. Mrs Chopper sounds like a good 'un. For the last ten years, as a manager, I've worked as a "trouble-shooter" and "problem solver", a kind of Mr Fix-it. Just over 2 years ago I was asked to run Mold Courts in Wales. I've no legal training, what they wanted was a organisational shake up from the bottom to the top. I sat back for a couple of weeks watching what was going on before I did anything. There were 2 Crown Courts, 4 Magistrates and several small claims courts in the building and they handled, and still do, cases from murder to petty theft and drugs. It was an eye opener from watching the barristers, solicitors, Judges, ushers, prison officers, police, social workers, CPS. and the unseen admin empire doing what they do. But I found that the Law and Justice do NOT walk hand in hand. I sat in on many cases just to see how the system worked in an organisation sense and while that was happening I watched a lot of guilty people walking out of court freed on a technicality which made no sense. Most of the Judge's were really good and had a grip on the real things in life, but had their hands tied by EU regulations. I had a idle chat with at least two of them and in conversation you could tell how frustrated they were at the idiotic rules which only allowed to sentence a person to 2 years when they should have got 20 years. They also knew that person wouldn't serve 2 years but only 9 months to a year and were blazing about it. They were also getting pressured from above not to hand out custodial sentences because there wasn't any cells left in the prisons. So a lot of the Judges were between a rock and a hard place themselves. One case was a drug ring where a member of a family was charged with being the "mastermind". The person being charged was on bail so turned up every day for the case along with his Dad, Mother, sisters and brothers. After a while it became obvious that the charged person wasn't the mastermind - his mother was. She ran the family and even the Dad did as he was told. The police knew it, and so did the CPS, but they couldn't prove so they figured half a loaf was better than none. When the word got around the building why I there a had a lot of curious visitors wanting to see what I was like. I had a Barrister who, every morning if he had a case would drop in my office to tell me how he "worked for the scum of the earth and was sick to death of it". When I pointed that he'd got a lot of guilty people off and was earning £150,000 -£200,000 so I wasn't feeling all that sorry for him he blathered on about the Law and Justice not being the same thing. Justice has been smothered by the technicalities of the Law created by our own legislation and the EU's, and all the Do-gooder organisations and others with agenda's of their own. In one case a person had made a honest mistake but was taken to the Crown Court on a matter over £500. In Wales you can, if you're Welsh, elect to have the case spoken only in Welsh - which is what this guy did. That meant you had to have professional interpreters, individual sound systems for each Juror, Barristers, Solicitors, Usher, Clerk of the Court, Reporters, and members of the public in the galleries, plus of course the plaintiff! The cost was over £50,000 a day and it ran for 5 days. The guy was found guilty and fined £100!!! Some of the people turning up to face charges in a Magistrates were on first name terms with the Clerks of the Courts and Ushers because they were there so many times. A lot of people were given non-custodial sentences because there were no cells to put them in. Those that hadn't come from a prison to attend a court case and who were found guilty, sentenced to a term in prison, were put up in the local police station until a cell was found in the prison. I'm no fan of the EU. We're getting strangled by the bureaucracy of all these hidden empires in the Establishment and the EU. Governments come and go but the Civil Servants remain - and believe me they are not Servants. I am not a racist and never will but [and there's always a but!] I do believe we have taken to many people into, for whatever reason, the country. Not so long ago then Immigration Officers were telling people who they had suspicions about coming into the country t0 go away to a hotel and come back the following day to check on their papers - not many came back but disappeared into the cities. I agree with you that we need to respect people and ideals more. I believe in Integration not Immigration where the separate cultures are allowed to create a separate world or Ghetto within a city or town. The Teachers daren't say "boo" to the kids in case they get charged with abuse, assault, or something sexual. PC has been taken so far it has distorted the meaning of right and wrong. I sometimes think that the people who dream up the rules are criminally insane and live in their own fantasy's. We all are born with the knowledge of what's right and wrong but we're also born with the arrogance and selfishness that allows some people to ignore what is right and do the wrong instead. We know that the Law and Justice should be the same thing in this country of our but we know it's not. We know that we should be responsible for the way our kids act in the house and outside but society is to weak to ensure that that happens. Repeat criminals get a slap on the hand, time and again, while the victims suffer and regarded as less important than the perpetrator. I agree that going back to the "good old fashioned ways" would be the answer although, I don't think they are old fashioned - just neglected by us as individuals and by society in general. We're all guilty of thinking "I can't do anything about it" and looking the other way and just like the snowball rolling down the hill it just gets bigger and bigger until it takes a heck of a lot of stopping. There's only one thing missing while we're solving the world's problems on this 30's Thread - a beer!!
