And they are pissed!
Portugal’s soldiers hold rare protest against cuts
At the army protest, there was anger at government proposals to decimate armed forces numbers and cut back wages and promotions.
Antonio Lima Coelho, one of the organisers, said servicemen and women were willing to make their share of sacrifices, but the government was taking a big risk in rushing through measures that were not properly thought through.
“A military institution is organised in a pyramid way. If we start stopping this pyramid to be well formed, we will endanger discipline, cohesion and the mission of the armed forces,” he said.
The military has a special place in society – and in Portuguese hearts.
In 1974, a group of officers ended decades of dictatorship with a coup that ushered in democracy.
But the military gradually withdrew from politics.
So, many people were taken aback when one of the leading conspirators of 1974 said in a recent interview that another coup would be in order if the government went too far in curbing the military’s rights.
Kinda fascinating. There are some parallels with what DC seems to be proposing for our military, of course, but I ain’t gonna push any comparisons too far.
Frankly, I’ve never fully understood why the whole Euro-Zone business left standing national armies anyway, but that is for another discussion.
I suspect the scenes with Portugal and their military will be playing out in several other countries across the Atlantic as more counties try to find ways to protect their heavy socialist agendas. Time will tell, but they do have a lively track record.
So we are now to be likened to Portugal? I don’t think so.The protest was mainly attended by civilian civil servants pissed off because the government’s budget includes no year-end bonuses or special holiday pay and extends the workweek by 30 minutes. Aside from Coehlo’s statements, which include, by the way, that the government better not expect the military to suppress social upheaval caused by the workers, I found no details on the military cuts. There was no separate Army protest. Coehlo is or was an AF NCO and a political guy who could never be mistaken for a right winger.
The reason for Euro-zone standing armies?
A nod to Germany’s past.
AirCav #1: So we are now to be likened to Portugal? I don’t think so. That sir, is your opinion.
I think I was properly circumspect with There are some parallels with what DC seems to be proposing for our military, of course, but I ain’t gonna push any comparisons too far.
I MAY be guilty of not putting a complete history of Portugal in the post, but I’ll stick by my speculation that there may well be earnest efforts to trim military budgets in Europe to pay for social programs. If so my comparison is apt, if not…I’ve been wrong before.
DaveO #2: Sure, but it still seems a bit half-hearted to me. YMMV.
I wasn’t aware the PRC still permitted the Portuguese military to exist.
Yes, Zero, but I perceived that as CYA. If I am wrong, I apologize. If not, then not.
AirCav #6: An aside really; rather than a response.
I hate weasel words and nuance MOST of the time. I do try to be careful though. When I know that I don’t know I say so. Here and in real life.
I’m not so sure that amounts to CYA, but I’ll accept your appraisal easily. Ain’t no thang.
It seems I DID communicate well enough. I’ll take that as a plus. [grin]
Damn, Zero. Twice–on two different occasions–on this site I offered an apology to you. No one else has earned the thought of one, let alone two. You may as well just accept it this time so I can get a good night’s sleep tonight.
AirCav #8: Er, um… Thank you. What was it the VA shrinks used to tell me? Something like “you really need to work on your people skills”.
Somewhere around here I have a copy of a psych eval that actually says: “He even feels superior to ME.”
Top that!
Now go to bed.
Somewhere around here I have a copy of a psych eval that actually says: “He even feels superior to ME.”
Try the one where someone goes, “He doesn’t have a God complex. He really believes he is God.”
But this pretty much says it all–The average submariner, despite the sometimes swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. However, these feelings just don’t involve anyone else.
Yeah, Yeah… The average submariner, despite the sometimes swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. However, these feelings just don’t involve anyone else.
Nothing new or newsworthy there. And yet you decided to do announce it?
I know there is a single word for the phenomenon. Laterz.
Just making sure those outside Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club knew, Zero.
Call me crazy but if the Euro armies start drawing down most of their armies it will only please the Russian Bear. While, they smile in our face they still mind a nuclear Iran and their oil pipeline into the middle of Europe is only getting them addicted to their oil.