Why the Air Corps isn't better equipped

[n-e-foo]

Quote (John K @ 20 Oct. 2003,02:32)

sorry, i'm well aware of the kind of thing fiannafail spouts. at this stage though, its gone on so damn long, the guys either a seriously deranged psychopathic lunatic or a comic genius. i'm going with the latter, why? cos it allows me to sleep better at night.

ignore the guy if he bugs you, he used to bug me, now i just laugh.

[Imshi-Yallah]

I think FMs first post dealt with that

[Silver]

n-e-foo,
He is a she !

[alpha foxtrot 07]

well what a ststement
i must agree with you on this one, good point

[n-e-foo]

Quote (Silver @ 20 Oct. 2003,13:38)

n-e-foo, He is a she !

you know everything they spout is pure bull and your willing to trust them on what they say their sex is? '>

ack this is going way off topic. how about someone creates the fiannafail topic '>

[alpha foxtrot 07]

why,
well the defence of our country is not see as being on the top of the list right now, and until it is, there will not be any serious money spent on it, it took years of serving members from both the corps and the army going to the media to get any progress mabe on the APC and trainer a/c issue and these were need to have items.
so dont hold your breath.
as for moral its at the lowest i have ever seen or heard

[Silver]

Because the government don't (and never have) taken it seriously !!!

I'm fairly confident that whatever aircraft the AC has (or hasn't!) doesn't even enter Bertie's mind - unless of course it relates to the government jet(s) !

Just imagine what sort of Air Corps we would have if Bertie had as much interest in aviation as he does in sport !!!

[FMolloy]

Bertie hasn't been the only taoiseach we've had. The current situation in the Air Corp, and the Defence Forces as a whole, is due to constant neglect by every government that's been in power.

Defence has only been paid attention to in times of dire need, such as the Civil War, the Emergency and the Troubles. Apart from those instances, the government of the day ignored the issue. This has always been the case, it is not particular to Bertie or this government.

The argument could be made that, in relation to defence, the current government failed to spend the required money when they had it. However, I doubt any other political party would have done any better. There's also no point in bringing the National Stadium into the argument. The public wouldn't have accepted spending money on defence any quicker than spending money on that white elephant.

[Silver]

Agreed that all the past govs were not much better.

I wasn't particulary thinking about the National Stadium, but Bertie's interest in sport in general.
I was merely saying (imagining!) what sort of force we would have had he (or previous Taoisaigh) had an interest in aviation.

And (re spending on defence) I'm sure few would have objected to, say, six EH-101's (or similar) for SAR duties !

.... or indeed a few jets after 9/11 !

[yeehah1]

07-10-03
Oh no.....did someone say--- JETS?'>??

(adopt capt. kirk voice)
must...not reply. must stop...myself ... can't go down..that road..again....

liam

[FiannaFail]

Yes jets.....many of them ....to be announced soon!
FiannaFail '>

[FMolloy]

Bertie's love of sport, stamp collecting or whatever is irrelevant. The public aren't interested in defence, they are interested in more hospitals, better roads etc. They would not accept any increase in defence expenditure while schools are falling apart (and the like).

The excuse in the past was that the money wasn't there, the excuse during the boom was that the money was better spent elsewhere. We're now back to the 'lack of money' argument, and there are 'worthier' departments in the queue ahead of defence.

As for jets, the only jet on the way is the new government jet. Anything else is a figment of FF's imagination.

[Claudel Hopson]

Hey FF would you ever start acting your age and not your shoe size. There has never been a promise of new jets here because there is and will be no money allocated to it. The only reasons the Lear 45 is being bought is because of the EU presidency, the savings on the hearing claims and the selling off of closed barracks'

Obviously that few bob has escaped finance's notice or it will have been gobbled up to.

[FiannaFail]

Fianna Fail have always looked after the IAC down the years.  All the aircraft purchased have been purchased by our great party. Fine Gael and the others have never purchased anything....sorry I am wrong....Fine Gael did buy a second hand fire engine for the Don in 1974!!
Bertie and Smithie forever.
FiannaFail  

[Turkey]

fianna fail, I know you are a beliver in the phrase; 'never let the facts stand in the way of a good story'.
Both the Fougas and the Vampires were bought by FG/Labour governments.