Cannon fodder for the British army

national | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Monday December 08, 2008 21:14

by Tom Cooper - Irish National Congress

The recent 'Nationwide' programme on the national broadcastor RTE, on the life and times of 'Irishmen in British uniform' on their day to day life in Aldershot army barracks in England as they prepare for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, and perhaps even to the country that gave them birth, peddled a pro-British pro-unionist line that implied both the Irish and British armies are synonymous with each other. Despite the fact that the British army has been engaged in the blatent murder of Irish citizens since colonisation right up to present times, RTE, in the making of this programme, acted like a recruiting agency for the foreign army that continues to colonise six counties of this island. The behaviour of RTE in this matter is both unsavoury and sordid and acts against the national interest.

Many RTÉ television viewers will have been both surprised and disappointed following a recent edition of the “Nationwide Special” programme of December 1st. The programme dealt with the growing number of Irish people joining the British armed forces. The twenty minute long feature was filmed inside the garrison base of the Irish Guards Regiment at Aldershot in England. The Guards are a front line infantry formation that has experienced recent “action” in Iraq and Afghanistan. A number of officers and soldiers, mostly from the Republic of Ireland, were interviewed about their reasons for joining. However, no hard questions were asked and the interview style can only be described as “fawning”.

Commenting on the showing of this programme, a spokesperson for the Belfast based ‘Relatives for Justice’, a grouping that campaigns on behalf of the victims of British state violence, described the making of this programme as a disgrace. A spokesperson for RFJ informed the Irish National Congress, a 32 County nationalist lobby group acting in conjunction with RFJ, that this programme was in stark contrast, as he put it, to the “systemic failings of the RTÉ Northern news outlet to cover events that raised issues of British state violence”.

The RTÉ documentary portrayed life in today’s British army as challenging but rewarding, even favourable rates of pay were mentioned as an incentive to join. This is the type of message that might be well received by impressionable Irish youth, now experiencing economic difficulties at home. Furthermore, the showing of this programme by RTÉ amounts, in my view, to tacit encouragement of recruitment into the British army. This is a new and serious development within RTÉ, and I wonder whether senior management has given any thought to possible future implications.

As an Irish citizen, a taxpayer, and a payer of the mandatory TV license fee, I strongly protest the making of the “Nationwide” feature. I do so for the following reasons:

First and foremost because of the appalling record of the British army in this country from 1970 until very recently, a record that needs no retelling here. No self respecting Irish person or institution should have any direct dealings with the British military given such a record

Secondly, because of Britain’s foreign wars and warmongering. The invasion of Iraq was clearly illegal under international law. The present war in Afghanistan, although more complex, is also of dubious legality. The latter war is developing into a classic colonial struggle, which is now spreading into neighbouring Pakistan and threatens to become a full scale regional conflict involving India also. Is this the type of business Irish youth are to be encouraged to become involved in? Today, even the youth of Britain are not enlisting in sufficient numbers, very sensibly. Are Irish youth now being asked to make up the shortfall?

RTÉ has a duty of care towards the people of Ireland, being a publicly funded institution. Due to continued British state warmongering, any Irish person joining the British forces can expect at an early stage to be placed in harms way. Already in the past three months two citizens of the Republic have been killed in Afghanistan. More can be expected. I want to see no more Irish killed, and no more intrusive and unwelcome British military funerals in this state. RTÉ can do its part by ensuring that there will be no more propaganda of this nature which is now, unfortunately, becoming an issue and a serious problem in the southern Irish mainstream media.

Given the facts as outlined, RTÉ had absolutely no business being inside a British army barracks. If it was felt necessary to cover the issue of increased Irish enlistment into the British armed forces, RTÉ should have chosen a neutral venue in the Aldershot area. The December 1st broadcast, presented by Tommie Gorman, came across as blatant propaganda and PR spin. I trust the Irish people will not be exposed to any further recruitment “Specials” by the national broadcaster.

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Comments (5 of 5)

by Brian - Pers. Capacity

Tue Dec 09, 2008 21:47

This article again high lights the slow creep into the irish media by the British army. The PR machine of the army does n't know sentiment, its two core missions is to focus on the soldiers and not any illegal wars etc , secondly its aim is to recruit as you call them 'Canon Fodder', little do all these deluded Irish and poor English, Welsh and Scottish boys know that all the top jobs are already taken and set aside for boys who have gone to Cadet schools, which are usually Independent Fee Paying schools of the very wealthy.

The coverage of the recent funeral was one of the top news item on the BBC,the point that is being made quite rightly is that somehow the Irish public agree with the British Armies presence in Iraqi( we are on the side of the coalition) sorry forgot we have thousands of US soldiers going through Shannon to prove that indeed the Irish state believes we are part of the Coalition of the Willing

Prepare

by francis hughes

Sat Dec 13, 2008 19:34

Very good article. Ties in a lot with the Poppy fascism of the time too. 2 things that stood out for me round the time was when Celtic team were made wear poppies and that young Derry boy on X Factor. These are all subtle things that try to set the aganda of the war mongers and powerful. I think all anti war, anti imperialists or progressives should start preparing now for next Rememberence 'Season' (used to be a day but now they are seemin to really drag it out). We cant let it go unchallenged. it could be a broad campaign, somethin witty,positive and tasteful.

recruitment

by southern comfort

Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:02

I don't think many young people watch RTE - not in my house anyway.

Recruitment is based on youthful testosterone mixed with boredom. That applies to all military forces.

How do we honour the 50,000 volunteers from "Eire" who fought fascism in the 1940s without glorifying any particular army today? They were doing the right thing - though often it was because of (a) boredom and (b) a lack of hormonal excitement.

Good article

by Thomas

Wed Jan 07, 2009 19:22

This a very good article, and on a topic I have read about before, it seems the irish Times have published articles praising Irish people who have joined the British Army. To Tedyea, I like the ordinary british people also, but I personally believe no Irish person should join the british army, given it's history in this country. Also , you may not be aware, but typing in capitals is considered "shouting" and is very rude.

Irish patriots....

by ArmyDreamers

Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:47

Should join the Afghan resistance or the Iraqi resistance or the palestinian resistance If they really must fight and die.

That's what REAL heroes would do. Not blowing innocent people up on video screens from a distance to safeguard profits.

Because THATS fighting on the more moral side. The side of the poor oppressed brown people who were wrongfully invaded by the big bully imperialists of the world who want to steal their countries resources, or use them as an excuse to transfer large amounts of US taxpayer public money into the private hands of military contractors or contractors like halliburton through no bid rebuilding / army service contracts, or even just to use them as an excuse to spend huge amounts of taxpayers money building up the military instead of spending it helping the poor in the US. Thats the real game.

Lets not forget Bono's little video game investment "mercenaries II world in flames" which was also part of the subtle recruitment drive for impressionable young boys. Interesting it features an invasion of VENEZUELA, a country trying to reverse the damage of many years of imperial policies by using its oil revenue for programs for it's poorest citizens instead of just handing it over to corrupt elites like the previous governments did. A country with the second largest reserves of oil in the world. Hmmm....nice one Bono

Most war films and FPS video games are in on the whole recruitment thing. The US military have a whole PR department which assists any such projects with tech help, detailed information about weaponry and tactics and even the loan of hardware are available to those projects that play ball with their political agenda. Thats why the enemy have certain accents, the fighting takes place in certain types of terrain.

In fact the whole US military industrial complex is huge, insidious and subtle in it's influences throughout US society. for some discussion, see this article
http://www.counterpunch.org/roelofs01252006.html

At this point, all that is keeping the US from economic collapse is fear of it's military. Its industrial base is gone, it is totally reliant on imports in return for paper it prints called dollars. If we all decided tomorrow that the dollar was no longer the reserve currency then suddenly these "free" imports would no longer be given and overnight the US would become a third world country. But that will never happen as long as they have all those aircraft carriers and F16s and nukes. We're all scared shitless of them. So it will continue for now.

And they are always looking for cannon fodder in the US military and in their little lapdog military in the UK. So keep away brave young Irishmen. Think twice. Don't throw your young life away to these ghouls. propping up their evil Imperialist schemes. Don't waste your lives on this insanity.

As for churchill, well how do you encourage a bunch of green fools to commit suicide for you? well you flatter them. Talk is cheap. but churchill's was expensive in terms of human lives. Fuck him.

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Cannon fodder for the British army

Comments (5 of 5)