The British and their Army

If you've read the post below you may be wondering how it is so many British soldiers have been deployed to Iraq, if the war didn't have popular support. Well, one important reason is the current political situation in Britain. Basically, Blair could get away with it (but more on that at a later date.) The other reason the British public allowed the deployment without too much protest are the feelings we have for our armed forces.

The British public are proud of their military and don't mind them being deployed. In fact, I think people quite like it. After all, it is a link to our glorious past when the British navy ruled the oceans, the Royal Air Force saved the nation and the British Army was feared in battle and respected in peace-making. Now our empire has gone. We have now been whittled down to being wealthy but eccentric large nation on the periphery of Europe. But we still have the folks amongst us who put Agincourt, Trafalgar and the Battle of Britain into our history. So when our forces are deployed we British have an excuse to come over all jingoistic. The British tabloids, even those who oppose the war, have all run dramatic accounts of "our boy's" actions in Iraq. Of course this has an effect on even the lowest ranking soldier (like an over-aged infantry reservist private. Umm... That would be me then). Every "squaddie" is immensely proud of his regiment and his army, and will not find many detractors in society at large. Personal point; when I came back off for R&R and the end of my tour I was wearing my desert kit for as long as possible, yes indeedy sir. I didn't mind who knew where I had been.

Any British government can get away with a lot when it comes to deploying it's forces. I think if they didn't the British public would be slightly disappointed. Certainly the British Army would be.