Corbyns Momentum

It IS like the Congo, though, Jalima.
Child soldiers given guns to play with. What's the difference, whether it's in this country or the DRC?
There are grown ups trying to get the child soldiers to give up their guns, and do something helpful.
These are people who were former child soldiers themselves.

Compulsory military service applies to all male Swiss citizens, with women serving voluntarily.
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world

1 United States
2 Germany
3 Austria
4 Switzerland
5 France
6 Australia

UK comes in at No 10

So far, I haven't noticed any cadets wandering around streets in the UK with guns slung over their shoulders.

I do watch the news about the Congo, I do realise that there are grown ups trying to help these poor children.

Portillo made a good point on This Week. Corbyn doesn't want to be PM until after Brexit.
At least he knows he's not up to the job.

durhamjen

"They were in the Democratic Republic of Congo for part of the series.

It was quite shocking to see all the young child soldiers, both boys and girls, going around with guns slung over their shoulders.

What's the difference between them and the army cadets here?

I am sure some of you have said it's not right for other countries to have child soldiers."

Ye gods if anybody cannot understand how the children in places such as the Congo are recruited and subjected to violence , including on a personal level , and still compare it to the Cadets then I despair to be honest.

Deepcut?

www.child-soldiers.org/news/charity-criticises-british-army-campaign-to-recruit-under-18s

www.child-soldiers.org/news/charity-criticises-british-army-campaign-to-recruit-under-18s

Saves talking about Corbyn or Momentum I guess.

Four deaths in a army camp in this country , not cadets , is compared to children in war zones in the Congo. Oh dear.

Jennyou are the expert on all things Corbyn and seem to have developed an interest in the army. Have you an explanation why Corbyn said the troupes who went to the Falklands were unemployed !

annie do you know how many times you have asked that question?

If you were someone who supported the democratic socialist ideas on here primrose would say that you were bullying and ask you to apologise.

Don't worry Jalima- I only mentionned 'being bullied' because if asking the same question several times when someone refuses to stand up by their strong opinions, is considered bullying by some - telling someone to give up their nationality because they do not always agree with you - is .... well, truly offensive. Are you saying all remainers and socialists should give up their nationality, perhaps?

Just read the last link properly, Annie, and then you won't need to ask the question again.

I quite often get told to do that, jura, usually by lemon, who seems offended that I live in the same country as her.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/09/british-army-is-targeting-working-class-young-people-report-shows

A link from the article.

So asking a question about a statement made by a party leader is bullying? How odd, why not a Corbynite devotee who has no problem discussing how members of the armed forces could be classed unemployed. Oh well ?

As for Switzerland- a/ the information you have is no longer applicable and b/ the army is not for anyone under the age of 18 - NO children at all- so why compare with Army Cadets starting drill and army arms manipulation and use from age 12?

As for compulsory army training- again you are a bit behind the times. Young adults do have to serve, but they can opt for social/environment service, instead of army. Guns are now kept at shooting clubs, under lock and key, or at the army bases. Same for hunting guns.

Under 18s should not be recruited to fight and use arms- here, there, or anywhere. Train them to be disciplined, do sport, all sorts of useful skills (and why not sport shooting at ranges) but NO ARMS training. It is wrong and sheer endoctrination - be it in modern Germany or Austria, Congo or here (for me UK and Switzerland).

Thanks for that article DJ. And yes recruiting kids from poor areas and poor backgrounds to take the King's Schilling - exactly. Because those kids have nothing and often no hope - like the kids I first saw doing drills in army gear, in the pouring rain, in a derelict potteries yard in Stoke-on-Trent in the early 70s - made me cry. Of course they will jump att he chance to do exciting things and be given attention - the price to pay, later on - is never properly explained - the pound of flesh and a lot more. Tragic and sad- and should NOT happen in any civilised country.

You are a bit mixed up there durhamjen it is you who frequently threaten to move to Scotland......I may once have said ‘oh, go on then!’ Or I may not.
Your trying to link schoolboy cadets to the boy soldiers, high on drugs and given guns to kill with in the Congo, is perhaps the most outre and deliciously nutty comment you have ever made.

Oh jura you supply the OTT and melodramatic content on GN, things make you cry all the time, or make you sick or make you something or other. Try and restrain yourself.

My brother joined the army when he was 16. He was drilling in a hall before then.
When he was 18 he had killed his first man in Aden.
I don't call giving anyone guns outre or deliciously nutty.
You might think it comical. I do not.

He also buried his best friend in Aden. He didn't think it at all deliciously nutty or outre.

It was your remarks that were deliciously nutty!Nothing to do with your brother or any other numerous family members that creep into your posts.

lemongrove- that is so below the belt. It was HER brother - who was trained to kill as a young kid, and killed when barely an adult. Have you any idea what it does to those young men and their families. You are just sick and totally devoid of empathy.

Yes, tragic things like that made me cry and feel sick- and no, I don't think they are comical. And empathy is something to nurture not 'restrain'. You are really really nasty- and saying that anyone who cares about children not being endoctrinated- to go and die as canon fodder as young men, is melodramatic- yes it makes me sick.

Meeting up for a Christmas party last week-end here for expats from all over the world, but mainly from UK - and they said how racist Swiss people can be, when they say 'if you don't like it here - just go home' - whenever they dare criticise anything about their adoptive country. I did tell them it goes both ways. Britain First and the EDL do it all the time. And it even happens on ........... GN! even for those who acquired British Nationality 44 years ago and are totally bilingual and integrated.