Poll : Would You Volunteer ?

[Anonymous]

VOLUNTEER ARMY OF TRADESMEN

Post War/Hostilities in Iraq , Afganistan etc will leave much destruction of property, lives etc.

I would like to see a force/army of volunteers set up ready to spend a couple of weeks repairing the infrastructure of a battle scarred country.

Ideally this force would be similar to the T.A./C`bee`s with military training and support.

I am considering putting a plan to my local MP and seeing whether it would be viable and cuold be supported by the defense and government.

My own feelings are it could help with regards to showing support to other creeds/nationalities.

ALL FEEDBACK WELCOME !!

Nigel White

 

[ike]

Rather a premature suggestion isn't it?. Premature in that no one can yet predict what the outcomes of the cutrrent conflicts might be. Besides, isn't the conflict being made worse by the presence of 'western nationals', military or otherwise? Is there even a skills shortage among the nationals there?

Ike

 

[Good Surname or what ?]

Kool,

Without getting too political, perhaps you should revise your terminology. I'm sure force and army are words the Iraqi civilians are all too familiar with.

I'm sure they probably have all the skilled but unemployed people you need to rebuild a country. It's more likely equipment and other resources we should send.

 

[Anonymous]

A force I envisarge could take years to form to a high standard.
Since WW11 there has been numerous conflicts/ natural disasters and we ,Europe, have sent "Experts " to help out. The problem is they have been Military Experts with enormous firepower and destructive abilities.
All I am saying is we could go down another path and help repair what others have destroyed.
Here in Suffolk people go out of their way to do charity for dogs, cats etc. and seem to enjoy it. I would rather volunteer to help build simple accomodation,shops school huts etc.

What worries me is how to protect myself whilst there. I would love to be able to visit Iraq and see how the rest of humanity has to live to survive. And at the same time help them to survive.

Nigel

 

[Anonymous]

I say force as a description of size. An army causes the damage and an "army" would be needed to repair it.

Nigel

 

[MrJay]

I kind of get the feeling that one of the many spectacular cock ups vis a vis the Iraq thing was considering the rebuild to be best done by people who live quite a long way away from Iraq. Iraq is chock full of broken things, chock full of foreigners getting paid an awful lot of money to missmiddlemanage the fixing of the broken things and chock full of perfectly competent Iraqi tradesmen who can't get work.

I appreciate the big desire to help out, but to be honest I think the best thing you could do is petition your local MP to petition Tony Blair to petition George Bush to re-offer contracts, but this time offer them to Iraqis rather than Halliburton. (or better still petition George Bush to get stop meddling and let Iraqi's hand out rebuild contracts to Iraqis using all the Iraqi money they get from selling Iraqi oil)

Was that too political? Sorry.

 

[Adam]

Was that too political? Sorry.

Thats OK, but this thread is starting to take a turn in that direction. Sorry to put a dampener on the thread but unless you have specific answers to the exact question asked, it may be better to steer clear.

Adam (mod hat on).

 

[Anonymous]

Some very good points that I must agree with BUT the priorities always seem wrong to me. New airports, parliamentry departments etc.
What I am on about is the little old lady trying to raise her grandchildren because her children are dead or missing.
This is just an example.

Nigel

 

[StevieB]

Nope, sorry but my personal safety tops all. Call me selfish if you wish but protecting me and mine comes a long way higher up my list of priorities than knocking up a wardrobe in Iraq. When you have death squads roaming the streets and murders in Bagdad in the tens per day, sometimes the hundreds, I do not consider a pair of safety specs and a dust mask adequate protection.

Petition your MP by all means, but if you want to do good deeds I would suggest there are places closer to home that would be just as grateful if not more so.

On second thoughts we could always send them Tommy Walsh and Handy Andy... :wink:

Steve.

 

[DomValente]

Koolwabbit,
It's very difficult for me not to get political about this and if there are any misspellings it's because I'm slamming the keys.
We went out there on a lie, proven, many young men have died to eventually supply us with oil.
You now have the audacity to suggest that more of us should risk life and limb, to go out there and build houses, the audacity to suggest that our expertise is better than the Iranian builders, I think not, they are just as capable as us and often more adaptable, It is not a third world country, just different.
My opinion, stay here and help the poor in this country, go to the seriously deprived areas of London help our homeless, help people living in flats without windows and doors aka. parts of Hackney., when you've done that go to Iraq

 

[Anonymous]

DomValente,

Maybe I am being selfish but I would rather spend 2 weeks in Iraq with a little suspense that a day in dirty Hackney with people that have made themselves homeless .

Moderators, please stop thread as it seems this subject is too controversal.

Nigel

 

[Chris Knight]

Thread locked!