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Ahem.....

"We love Muffin, Muffin the Mule
Dear Old Muffin, Playing the Fool.........." and that's my limited rememberance of Muffin.

Andrew and Byron,

Now that you mention it, I also remember the theme song.
The good news is I have stopped singing "the Tennessee waltz", the bad news is...........

"We Love Muffin, Muffin the Mule....................."
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Rob

What price Devolution when TB can ride roughshod over the sons and daughters of Wallace and Burns.

Wha for Scotland's King and law
Freedom's sword will strongly draw,
Freeman stand, or freeman fa'.
Let him follow me!

But now they have to follow leaders whose pipes are not of music, but of oil.

Dear Byron et. al.
TB has been asked (i.e. told) by Dubya to send 600 Black Watch soldiers to back up the 130,000 beleaguered defenders of dimocracy.
This could radically alter the whole "balance" of the coalition, such as it is.
People far better than me in matters of war, peace and all the logistic bits in between, have declared this to be a political move to help secure another 4 year presidency for Dubya.
Muffins or War?....The Black Watch and their families would vote for muffins this Christmas : they want to get to f*ck out of Iraq.
No poll is necessary on this matter.
Andrew.

Andrew McGeever wrote: No poll is necessary on this matter.
Andrew.

Not even a 'Straw Poll.'

Wait a minute. I thought the received wisdom was that we Americans didn't pay any attention to Europe and it's doings. So how is Tony's sending the 600 Black Watch to Iraq going to "secure" the elections for Bush?

My take on that [though not said with any degree of uncertainty], Midnight, would be that if Britain [or anywhere else!] sends in 600 of any 'colour' replacement troops, it will equate to a claim of "I brought 600 troops home" by Bush.....just on the eve of the election.

The Black Watch are not 'coloured' troops. They are young scottish soldiers who belong to a regiment with a very long and distinguished history.

http://www.army.mod.uk/blackwatch/

http://www.theblackwatch.co.uk/newsite/ ... index.html

What is happening is that an Englishman is sending Scottishmen to fight in Iraq in order to help an American.
That might not seem too much for our overseas readers, but within the United Kingdom, it raises some very thorny issues. Especially when Scotland has just had its new devolved Parliament opened by the Queen. The first Scottish Parliament for hundreds of years.

Hence my quoting of words that are a direct reference to William Wallace (Braveheart to the film going public) A scot who was hung drawn and quartered, while still alive, by the English.

Perhaps now you will understand what such a sensitive issue this is.

Ok. So, would their going in, not mean 600 of ours coming out?

Liz, there is no get out clause in the policies of the Bush and Blair administrations. Iraq is becoming a black hole (Pun intended) into which more and more troops will be sucked. Other coilition countries are reported in this weeks New York Times and other media outlets as declaring their intention to pull their troops out. We will end up with only US, UK and Australian troops in Iraq. Not fighting to free Iraq, but fighting to survive.

Some of us said 2 years ago that it would become a mess. Nuff said?

I'm, of course, not talking about long-term realities, Byron . I'm speaking only of election-time rhetoric. 600 'out' today in 'trade of' the 600 Black troops. 600 back in tomorrow ~ well, November 3, to be exact. "Free Iraq"? What an abyssmal joke. Yes ~ I have rather lengthy memories of that "nuff said" period.

OK folks. Gather round.

This is a true and public utterence from the lips of TB, during the course of today's, 'Prime Minister's Questions Time' in the Houses of Parliament.

"The (Black Watch) troops will be home in time for Christmas."

Now will you believe me when we say that it's a bloody mess?!!

I've got ancestors going back generations who have been told those exact same words, from the Crimean War, the Boer War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam...............

'home for Christmas' my ar*e.

Or perhaps ----- 'Lying' in State at Westminster.

Bush needs a Union Jack in the North. It's all political; the pretence of a "coalition".
There is NO logistical argument for Black Watch soldiers being posted north of Basra.
This is an unnecessary and cynical shift in what is blatantly an illegal war.
I am not a militarist, but I have sufficient nous to know that Bush's order (oh yes, it wasn't a request to Blair) will result in more damage,less chance of peace, and a boost to another 4 years of Republicanism, G.W.B. style ( i.e. the people who control him).
Andrew.

This President is a paragoon of integrity and notwithstanding the obvious extent of his grounding in Historical Studies from when he was registered at University, he has proved beyond any reason that he is leading the free world in his struggle against his enemies.

I am pleased to say that I have been able to assess Mr Bush from afar. His intellect is clear for all to see. His reliance on the team he has had created around him shows just how much we can rely on the leadership of Mr Bush.

Mr Bush has asked Mr Blair for additional troops on previous occasions and has been turned down. Why does Mr Blair find that at this juncture, he can send soldiers after this request? Who will be the reserves to backup the Black Watch troops, because they will have to have some form of backup. I would hazard a guess and say even more British troops. The phrase "thin edge of the wedge" comes to mind.

And so it continues.........

The facts are there for all to see. Others should be reading some recent History and then joining up the dots. It ain't difficult. In fact it's very easy. However, not easy enough for the massive intellect of some elected? people.

We're reaping the fruits of a few 'chads.'

For 'military' read 'political.' For 'request' read 'order.' For 'shoulder to shoulder and blood debt,' read 'moral blackmail.' For 'free Iraq' read 'bottomless pit.' For 'election in Iraq' read 'election in the US.' For 'Bush' read 'Cheney.' For 'Blair' read 'poodle.' For 'chads' read 'tears.'

ok