War is hell. Except for sales and ratings. Discuss.

Nothing much to do with the environment (though I have to say war is pretty poor on the carbon footprint front), or my current fun and games, but I was moved to write to our national broadcaster again (so there is a tenuous link), and really have nowhere else to file it. Sorry.

Washington's War by Gen Sir Michael Rose

I watched this piece, sporting the now inevitable Newsnight twofer sandwich, with the General on one side, a single, totally opposing view from Washington on the other, and the BBC voice of sweet, cynical reason in the middle.

I confess to little in the way of historical, military or geopolitical education and experience in comparison to this collection, but really couldn't get my head around even the basic premise that has lead the BBC to help this old boy advertise and sell his controversial product, and stir up a nest of WASPS (geddit?) to drive some ratings.

Surely in the War of Independence the British were fighting even initially a relatively coherent, and ever-more united group of folk who stood FOR something, and were prepared to defend it with their lives to get... or keep it, and make it work for self-betterment on resolution?

Whereas, by any reasonable estimation, the coalition forces and those around them are just being attacked by an amorphous collection of anarchic organisations and individuals whose simple, even stated, aim is to stand solely AGAINST anything 'Western' (with the occupation serving up a cause on a plate). And they will attack to their deaths any aspect associated with this, including the very people, soil and ways of life they are in theory 'defending'. Job done, they will rattle about a while to ensure the maximum misery is caused for the benefit of any who may have missed the point... and the media... and then move on to the next appropriate venue. I am sure our political ‘leadership’ will soon provide this opportunity to them.

So in this case I just can't make any aspect of the cited comparison stick, and hence wonder what the point of it all was. Bar the sales and ratings, of course.

At least it's good for the planet..ish

The other night I was watching a documentary channel, and was about to switch off when I saw: 'Next - Megastructures: Recycled Tanks'. How could I resist?

So it was a bit of a surprise to find it was about a factory that... recycles tanks. Dirty great big, Storming Norman Mk whatever Abrams battle.. tanks.

Now I'm a big kid. I like guns and stuff, so long as they are not pointed at me and no one gets hurt, except the bad guys (sooooo open to debate, that one). So I was hooked.

And it was a great show. Even if you are a pure re:anything fanatic. Because these things were/are designed to be recycled all the time. In fact they haven't made a new one in years! As an exercise in engineering and indeed forward planning it ticked a lot of ROI boxes.

There is however the small matter of them doing 10 litres to the mile and knocking down a lot of perfectly stuff with that cannon, of course...