British General argues for the need of a citizen army
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced many European countries to reevaluate their defense posture. These countries are taking measures to increase their security. For example, the Baltic states aim to strengthen their defenses along their border with Russia, Poland is strengthening its military, and Sweden entered an agreement with the US that allows US military access to Sweeden’s military bases. Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders said that simply having a reserve force was not sufficient. In addition to the reserve force, Sanders argued that citizens should be trained and equipped to fight.
From Fox News:
“Our friends in eastern and northern Europe, who feel the proximity of the Russian threat more acutely, are already acting prudently, laying the foundations for national mobilization,” he said during a speech at the International Armoured Vehicles conference in London. “As the chairman of the NATO military committee warned just last week, and as the Swedish government has done…taking preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing when needed are now not merely desirable but essential.”
The British army should expand its size to 120,000 within three years from the current 74,000, he said. However, that isn’t enough, Sanders said, adding that Britain must train and equip a “citizen army.”
“We will not be immune and as the pre-war generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking,” he said. “Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.
“But we’ve been here before, and workforce alone does not create capability,” he added.
The threat of Russia has NATO countries bracing for possible conflict as the war in Ukraine escalates. As Sweden nears NATO membership, supplies are flying off the shelves as some of its citizens remain concerned over how Russia will respond.
Fox News has additional information here.
Category: Army, International Affairs, Military issues, Militia, Russia
Ah, also moving the draft age up to 60 for the UK as well. Normally this look like a pyramid.
Now is a reverse pyramid, as people in the West are not having kids anymore.
But then, Russia and China have the same problem.
Russia doesn’t even have the manpower to win in Ukraine, let alone a general war against NATO.
5JC is showing the aggregate population, not the ones for individual ethic groups. Here are the ones from thirteen years ago. I’m sure there is not much change. http://www.cpa.org.uk/information/reviews/theageingoftheethnicminoritypopulationsofenglandandwales-findingsfromthe2011census.pdf
Brits need to do something. They’ve let their military go to the point it’s too small to respond to sh*t– the war in Ukraine has depleted not only Ukraine’s defense resources but that of western europe (to include the UK) as well and that’s just helping out a buddy and not direct involvement for them.
So, Great Britain wants to reevaluate that whole “Citizens do not need to possess firearms” thing? If only their Constitution had something about a well regulated militia. Nah, that wouldn’t be necessary.
They’re more focused on a knife ban due to the staggering number of knife crimes and knifings. The Labour Party has a plank in their new policies that would ban the sale and possession of swords. This would include blunt collectable swords, fencing foils and epees, and swords carried by military reenactors or used by full contact fencers.
Wonder if the Brits can hire some Hessians? Oh…wait… The Germans will draft all of those FIRST. And here’s another problem that seems to have cropped up, word coming from the recent SHOT Show in Vegas. “…shortness in supply for nitrocellulose…”
Hmm…looks like the Chynese and the Russkies, the ones that have supplied most of the boom powder, are not wanting to ship any out lately. And another Hmmm…now we have grubermint orficials telling folks that they need to…Prepare. Tells me that someone has been monitoring my traffic on TAH.
Guess the Bat Flu didn’t reduce the population enough. Time for another Big War. The MIC…grins.
And lead. This report is a little old but it’d be safe to say ~30% of our refined lead is imported (link).
Add to shipping costs going up (thanks, J0ebama!) and foreign production reliance, it’s this idiot’s opinion we may be in good zone for “mostest-precious metal acquisition”.
So, outsourcing everything to China was a good idea?
So NOW the UK general is concerned about having a “civilian army”.
After taking away their weapons, prosecuting anyone that uses a weapon in self defense, expanding the Gooberment, putting everyone on the dole, treating them like dirt, NOT defending them against illegal invaders (that the Gooberment invited in), too many taxes, (and more then I can remember to list)…..NOW he’s concerned about having a “civilian army”?
Tough nuts, General! It’s going to take AT LEAST two generations to undo everything Teh Gooberment has done, raise a population of self reliant citizens (not serfs), and kick out the current crop of politicians and bureaucrats.
Meanwhile, the UK is being invaded and overrun by the illegals, with the Rooskies not too far behind.
Come to think of it, the average UK serf might be better off under the Rooskies.
Sux to be you General, don’t it?
Oh, and in case you’re thinking of recruiting the foreign illegal invaders into this “civilian army”……well…..you live closer to the source of the history than I do (that is, if the history is even taught in school any more….). Remember being taught the last years of the mighty Roman Empire? When they recruited the barbarians into the Legions? How’d that work out for them?
That’d be like handing their wive and daughters over to the Germans in World War II.
Nothing says “England” like arming a bunch of foreign goatf*ckers who want to impose sharia and behead disbelievers like the people they’re supposed to defend against.
Now the Brits can’t even own shitty quality ‘ zombie knives ‘
They are gonna have to sharpen spoons if Russia invades
And, after two generations of making everyone afraid to defend themselves or say crap that hurts a crybaby’s feeling lest they go to jail, Britain will find its population largely too p*ssyfied to fight as well.
Yup. They should have listened to Enoch Powell
I’ll have to hide the 2 spoons I have for playing songs on my knee just in case..
The good general is forgetting that a substantial amount of their citizenry already has plenty of trigger time and military skills. It’s just that they play for the other team (call sign Ahmed Lightning).
“Sweeden’s military bases”
Never forget the fat cheese.
Three US soldiers reportedly killed by drone attack in Jordan. More than a couple dozen troops injured.
3 American troops killed, 25 injured in attack on Jordan base near Syria border | Fox News
Stay tuned… where Jimmy Carter couldn’t:
Speaking of Britain, has anyone here seen this viral video? This is pathetic. UK like the rest of the West going down the tubes.
An incredible encounter. (youtube.com)
How exactly do they intend to “equip them to fight” in light of the many gun control restrictions. Doing drill with wooden rifles just isn’t going to cut it.