Songs protesting about the reality of military life and the poor quality of leadership can be found through the ages. To be fair, many are written as serious songs after the event whilst, to quote Ralph Vaughan Williams, they may contain echoes of the parody and dark humour of the enlisted mens' complaints.

However, if I were the one defending the demonstrable poor leadership and inept decision making, I too would take the Gove approach and dismiss "experts." Perhaps Teribus might write a song about officers tucking men up in bed and reading them stories? His defence of the indefensible might have something to hang on to?

This thread reminds me of the government backed broadsheet production in the early 1800s, encouraging men to get a lass pregnant so he has something to fight for and someone to miss him. Sweet William taking his musket fife and drum where our cannon balls do roar seems more palatable if lovely Nancy is bouncing a sprog on her knee.

The noise of jingoism drowned out subversive songs that gave a different view, such as Our Captain Cried All Hands or The White Cockade. (There were no blue cockades at that time.) Johnny I Hardly Knew Yer wasn't exactly what the recruiting sergeants wanted to hear either.

No matter. This isn't about the songs that Dave wishes to discuss, it's about the usual suspects defending the stain on society that is our military's lack of duty of care to its charges through the ages.