Defence Aide Quits

I see Eric Joyce has resigned, citing in roundabout terms the uselessness of Bob "Chocolate Fireguard" Ainsworth.

He's quite right of course: there's a disconnect between the military, civillians and the government. Its time the government were honest with the civillian population for the reasons we're in Afghanistan and the job they're there to do, its time the government were honest with the military and provided them with the support and resources neccessary to do that job.

All this government skullduggery and smoke and mirrors, keeping troop numbers down, obfuscating the real reason we're in Afghanistan, et al are damaging and hugely wasteful.

We need a clear reason to be in theatre, we need a clear plan of action to resolve the reasons we're in theatre and we need to provide the resources to enact that plan. Even a meerkat would say its simples.

So why do the government beat about the bush? Is it really that the truth is too awful to contemplate? Is the reality of providing adequate troop numbers too much for the population to bear?

Tell us the truth Gordo, and our sympathy might extend to you rather than just be reserved for the soldiers needlessly wasted in Afghanistan.

If there is no truth that would unite us, if the there is no pressing reason for us to be fighting in Afghanistan, then we should exit. Or are we back to the old story of ego: politicians too proud to retreat, who would sacrifice the lives of young soldiers rather than lose face?
The civillian population I think has already made up its mind...

Finally one last thought: Is THE truth, the awful, unpaletable truth that we were drawn into war in Iraq and Afghanistan at the behest of religious zealots in Government? One only has to look at the political power of Christian fundamentalism in the US, Gordon Browns "son of the manse" stance and Tony Blairs zealous promotion of his conversion to Catholicism to wonder....