Me to MFTS: “I have had a great idea in the shower. I think I’ll write about the enormous waste of resources involved in prosecuting the war in Afghanistan. It is such a lot of money and apparently pointless human sacrifice – life or horrendous injury – then surely there has to be a better reason than ‘Keeping Al-Qaeda off the streets of Britain’ for this undertaking”? I further ventured that for the costs and apparent aim then surely we’d be better off letting the so-called fight come to us so we can fight it on our ground – the streets of Britain – and our terms rather than the opposite that seems to be the case now. I believe sportsmen call it Home Advantage.
MFTS to Me: “I am not familiar with the topic BUT, you’ll have to do some research about the historical context of this particular conflict the includes why people have fought over Afghanistan for such a long time, how it relates to the Iraq debacle (my paraphrasing) what the present literature and thought is. You realise that many pundits and experts will already have done this and produced works and more along similar lines?”
Not remarks designed to stifle but just accurate observation of the facts. Which is precisely why I realise I need to learn the research and thought methodology behind blatting my opinion out there. I do realise blogging has given anyone with access to a PC – loon or otherwise – the ability to publish rants, unfounded opinions, half-truths and the like. I don’t want to be another one of them. Lord knows I am able of ranting all day and have the post history to prove it.
I wonder if it is possible to produce a well-reasoned and thought out op-ed style piece in as few a words or do my whimsical thoughts in the shower need far more space devoted to them?
And why are the Canadians as deep in as they are? I thought they were peace loving folks that generally kept out of others quarrels? At a guess I’d blame NATO, an organisation formed to fight the Cold War and now being used to blackmail countries into participation in a fools-errand. IMHO…
theMSguide.com blog 
Furthermore, where on earth does all the money come from?
I’m sure its just co-incidence that our forces are out there getting useful front-line experience (not to mention the benefit of battle-testing our weapons and operational procedures) at the same time that we’re pulling out of Germany.
Really? That feels over-simplistic, though I agree I don’t think that is everything. After all, if we are testing weapons systems then we really ought to try with a bit more and not the spit and sellotape approach that the Brits are following. See BBC4 on the BAOR last night?
And as for the money … well, the US gives dollars to the Saudis and the Chinese (for oil and cheap goods). They then lend it back to the US Government (ie buy bonds), who spend it on things that go bang.
And for us? At 80k for a simple Javelin and Hundreds of Thou for a Hellfire etc it does make one wonder why and how we suddenly find billions and billions for an ongoing war, of apparently little point, for 10 years plus. We are having a massive financial crisis at home yet it seems to be a different and apparently bottomless money pit for the shiny things that go bang.