You'll Never Get Rich, You Sonofabitch....

[poliphilo]

I would like to pretend otherwise, but this business with Joe and the army eats away at me. I spend most of every morning feeling nauseous.

A soldier is a serf. The Queen owns him. Or, rather, Mr Blair owns him. The military is the one profession (I can't think of any others) where the working stiff doesn't have the right to say "I quit" and just walk out the door.

It makes me mad.

Of course I understand that if soldiers had the rights that every other citizen has then discipline would collapse and if discipline collapsed we wouldn't have an army and if we didn't have an army Mr Blair wouldn't be able to fight his foreign wars and- gosh- what a terrible thing that would be...

Yeah, I know- I'm a girlyman.

BTW you can read Joe in his own write at realpigdog

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I read Joe's entries. So the army is "causing difficulties?" I hate to hear this. It makes me angry for him--hasn't he already been through enough for his country--ours, actually. That stupid war. How many lives it is wrecking.

I have high hopes still that the army will a) offer him counseling and b) let him go, so that he can rebuild his life.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

At the moment the army is just dragging its feet. They don't want to pay his sick pay into the bank because- well- because they choose to be awkward- and so he has to make this round trip of 40-50 miles to pick it up.

And we're still waiting for him to be given an appointment to see a military psychologist.

Why this rigmarole? Why can't they just hand him his papers and be done with it? There's no way he's going back.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Is part of the problem the inevitable paperwork/red tape/who's-in-charge problems that crop up whenever one deals with the government?

The greatest issue isn't the runaround but the effect this is surely having on Joe. Better far for him to get all this behind him.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes- I reckon it's mainly bureaucracy rather than meanness- though I do believe the guy who acts and speaks for Joe's Unit is being unco-operative on purpose.

One of the problems with this business dragging on and on is that he wants to go to college and get some training, but can't until the army releases him.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Is there a date anywhere on the horizon?

It could be that foot-dragging is done to make this unpleasant on purpse. Is that possible?

I'm just paranoid enough to think so.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, there are no dates.

The guy who's being awkward is Joe's Company Sergeant Major. He probably feels Joe's departure as a personal insult.

Otherwise I think what we're witnessing are the slow movements of a huge, small-brained, behemoth
of a bureaucracy.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry.

In my own life here, Kate is so unhappy, crying every day. It's killing me.

I want everyone to be fixed, right now.

Here's to Joe: may he have peace.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And to Kate!

We want to make things right for our children- but there's no magic wand for us to wave.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Can't fix it anymore, can we?

What sorrow that is.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There was a time when we (at least pretended we) could.

Now the kids have grown up and we're all helpless, hapless adults together

[manfalling.livejournal.com]

yah huh ...