The RNLI

[NeilYoungIsBack]

Not by volunteers though. Under contract to the state. Whether it's a good system is another matter but the St John's paramedics are employees.

This is not very relevant to the point I was responding to, but when I was living in WA it was a mix of volunteers and employees providing response services, with a high proportion of volunteers in country areas. I am not aware that this has changed.

 

[inbetween]

When you actually think about it, it is a triumph for the RWNJs

The RNLI should be centrally funded out of taxation and classed as an official emergency service alongside the others we have.

That it has to rely on charity appeals to the sensibilities of the RWNJs who hate to see the proceeds of taxation spent on anything other than tax cuts for themselves. The general public paying for the service out of the goodness of their hearts abdicates Governmental responsibility. If they had there way, the other emergency services would also be charitable organisations, the Fire service would be a charity, so would the Ambulance service, that way there would be money available for tax cuts for them as they can afford their own ambulances and fire engines etc etc.

This is the ultimate goal of libertarian personal responsibility, remember they have the personal freedom to choose to drown, to choose to have their house burnt down. These people are fucking insane but they do believe it, the sovereign individual has total control over there own lives and they do not want outside interference in their affairs.

The Air Ambulances are exactly the same, they have to provide a vital service purely because successive governments have refused to fund them. Imagine if they or the RNLI packed up and decided not to bother, people would just have to drown or instead rely on the RAF/Navy providing the service yet even both of them are being cut to ribbons.

The SAR capability in the UK is nothing short of a disgrace really, the Coastguard has already said that the cuts over the years have almost certainly led to deaths. It isn't like we live on an island surrounded by water is it? It's all well and good for these people moaning about it until it's them drowning in the sea.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I don't think you have a canoe what you're talking about

There was a report in the DT t'other day where someone(?) police, border control, Kent CC,(?) was buying up boats on the French side.

 

[hilts]

There was a report in the DT t'other day where someone(?) police, border control, Kent CC,(?) was buying up boats on the French side.

Macron with his napoleon complex I presume:-)

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Macron with his napoleon complex I presume:-)

Yeah, he'll be putting together an invasion fleet so he'll get one up on Napoleon.

 

[hilts]

Yeah, he'll be putting together an invasion fleet so he'll get one up on Napoleon.

His plan of buying boats under British names(Tommy Smith was a bit obvious) will backfire. He has forgotten about the mighty British pedalo fleet.

Plus everyone knows in summer the wind will be in their faces. Hard to sail in those conditions especially holding a small but strong cup of coffee in one hand and a filterless cigarette in the other.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Whatever happened to the British whaling fleet? Is it still mothballed up at Hartlepool, or Dundee? They used to have 'fuck 'em off' harpoons mounted on the front. They'd put the shites up an overpacked lilo!

 

[bluethrunthru]

There was a report in the DT t'other day where someone(?) police, border control, Kent CC,(?) was buying up boats on the French side.

what an excellent use of taxpayers money - council tax payers of Kent and East Sussex should be pleased that their council taxes will get used to buy up rough leaky French boats for top dollar. Anyone with a trailer should buy up piles of old planks and inflatable paddling pools and rush to the French coast to see it all to UK Border forces - you'd make a million

 

[Vic]

This is not very relevant to the point I was responding to, but when I was living in WA it was a mix of volunteers and employees providing response services, with a high proportion of volunteers in country areas. I am not aware that this has changed.

You may well be right about in country areas and a mix elsewhere. I was trying to correct an impression that the entire WA ambulance service was run by volunteers like the RNLI.

One needs to distinguish too between volunteers (like many US rural firefighters) and on-call (like UK firefighters who are not whole time, but paid a retainer and for time spent on calls).

 

[Vic]

The Air Ambulances are exactly the same, they have to provide a vital service purely because successive governments have refused to fund them. Imagine if they or the RNLI packed up and decided not to bother, people would just have to drown or instead rely on the RAF/Navy providing the service yet even both of them are being cut to ribbons.

The SAR capability in the UK is nothing short of a disgrace really, the Coastguard has already said that the cuts over the years have almost certainly led to deaths. It isn't like we live on an island surrounded by water is it? It's all well and good for these people moaning about it until it's them drowning in the sea.

I'm not sure whether any extra deaths in the sea are not partly due to coastguard calls going not to the local coastguard station (if it hasn't been cut), where experience of the area counts for a lot, or to Fareham (5 miles from the sea) where someone looks at tides and sandbanks on a computer.