Sayyyy, very perceptive, Doug. I was afraid I didn't get the whole "insulting" thing across when I said "fuck the troops," so thanks for noticing. :}

Like they're really "putting their lives on the line." You'd have a better chance of getting killed driving to work than you would watching from the safety of a boat while bombs and cruise missiles pulverise "the enemy" for you. Sorry, not impressed.

But... you're right, Doug. If they weren't over there, bombarding an annoying but mostly harmless third-world dictatorship into oblivion, we'd be living in, like, Nazi China or something, dude.

Let's see... Bagpuss. I'd say your brother, who considered joining an organisation that exists only to kill people, just because he might get the chance to fly a plane, was "misguided," at least. If I was offered my "dream job," but one of the conditions of being hired was that maybe, I might sort of have to, uh, blow a few people to Hell, I wouldn't have to think much before turning it down.

And maybe the ratio of "stupid" to "evil" and "misguided" is different over there (you're in the UK, right?), but here, soldiers are mostly "stupid."

And Ireland, see above. And it's LEPUS.

---Lepus Rex