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November 15, 2004
Role Reversal
Politicians have a tendency to rely on weasel words, whilst the military is known for plain talking (well, except for the US Armed Forces who seem to have a whole division dedicated to dressing up unpleasant truths in fancy words - Collateral Damage anyone?).Which makes the little spat between Tony Blair and Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson all the more entertaining for the role reversal it depicts.
On the one hand we have Tony Blair who, through masterful and visionary decision making, managed to dig himself a hole by sending the Black Watch to do his political dirty work for Bush at the same time as the regiment's merger with other Scottish regiments was announced. Seeing what a screw up he'd made of the whole matter, Blair apparently went cap-in-hand and asked General Jackson to get him out of a hole.
Which, for Blair, is pretty straight talk.
General Jackson's reply was straight from one of the Army's manuals, Selection and retention of aim is a fundamental principle of war. Or in other words, tough shit, you made the decision now stick with it.
Still, in spite of his general air of uselessness and incompetance, at least Geoff Hoon managed to maintain the tradition of political evasion (if not the tradition of the Black Watch), Certainly, it is within a very reasonable probability that that formula you have described, where the name of a historic regiment is part of its ultimate title, is something that clearly is a proper solution to this issue. Which translated means We'll try and keep the name in use regardless and hope that the public don't catch on and realise that the regiment has been thoroughly buggered by us. All being well it won't cost us too much support north of the Border and I can keep my job.
Now this whole matter poses a dilemma. Personally I can see both sides of the debate regarding the regiments and their consolidation, but would like to see units such as the Black Watch retain their identity. But at the same time I'd like to see Blair comprehensively embarrased by the whole matter. Tough call.
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Posted by Clive on November 15, 2004 5:12 PM in the category Old Stuff