Devon County Council

there is a procedure at County hall for questions from the public, Having your say, Public Participation at Committee Meetings which has been changed by the Procedures Commitee. The reason for the change is fairly obvious to me insomuch that, as will be well known by the Webcast viewers, I have been asking questions of the Executive in accordance with the rules.The rules were that provided the question is not frivilous or defamatory and does not concern a confidential issue which would normally be considered in private it is allowed. Furthermore, you can ask as many as you like but if other people had put in a question then I would be allowed to ask my first question and then wait until other peoples questions had been answered.Now they have changed the rules, only one question and one supplementary and the questons from the public have to wait until the end of the meeting which can and does go on for hours. Councillors, who like to be known as Members, will continue to have their questions answered in the early part of the meeting. Isn't it wonderful, they set rules on the basis that they don't really expect questions in accordance with the rules to come from the public, so they change the rules.I suppose Devon County Council is a perfect example of the type of democracy which we want to export to Iraq. Any change you like as long as the same people stay in power. Some people want to bring in public funding for political parties and you wonder why I am totally against such a proposal. This country is beginning to stink like a sewer and needs to change before the peasants revolt.

War in Iraq/Vietnam

many people are beginning to equate the situation in Iraq with the American disaster in Vietnam and I personally think that the analogy is actually incorrect. One thing which is fundamentally missing is the the view from the other side.Our troops get killed, either by the freedom fighters, the Americans or poor equipment. In Vietnam the western media were allowed access and gave the death and destruction from both sides and it was obvious almost from the beginning what the result would be, defeat for a decadent west.Now, why aren't the students on the streets protesting violently, where is the music which caught the mood of the day, where are the artists, I know some are exhibiting in Crediton Old Town Hall at the moment but where is the anger.The pensioners should use the fact that this awful government can find the money to pay corrupt government officials in Iraq but can they find more for our pensioners, an emphatic no! They can find money to spend on training the Iraqi death squads,but money for our pensioners No! Retired generals with substantial pensions come onto our media saying that our troops are ill equipped but why wait to go public until they can't actually do anything it. Why wait until they are retired, do something now, resign, go AWOL refuse to fight this deadly war. Don't cut and run, get out now because there is no victory there is no job to be done there are only more deaths and mutiliations.As for the war on terror is it the Muslims who have brought nuclear material into this country and murdered a British subject, why doesn't the government go to war against Russia. Oh that's right we need their money to keep Chelsea going and we need their energy to heat the country. A land fit for hero's indeed.

Blair

this is not a war in Iraq it is an occupation and we have lost

Iraq

how very interesting that Gen. Sir Mike Jackson has decided to come out in respect of the treatment of our soldiers, sailors and airmen. It is just such a pity that he waited until such time as he has retired and started to receive his pension before saying anything on this subject.I ask your readers to refer back to the Points of View Echo October 30, 'Anyone care how many are killed' which was a letter from yours truly. Now Gen. Jackson has now said that 'it would be morally wrong to pull out' Daily Telegraph December 7 p.4 and I disagree most strongly with his comments. What is the point of any more deaths on either side. We are occupying a foreign country and for every one of our soldiers killed by 'the enemy' we are killing hundreds of theirs, including women and children. For those we are not killing then we have armed and trained the various militia to do the dirty work.Jackson should hold his head in shame for what he, as the senior army commander, has allowed to happen under his watch, mistreatment of prisoners, war crimes and worst of all forcing decent soldiers to refuse to serve in Iraq because they signed to defend Queen and Country and not the abjectly failed American foreign policy.Where was the exit strategy when the illegal war was planned, where is it now because this surely cannot be allowed to continue. Blair must go now so that a peace can be negotiated before there are any more grieving mothers and loved ones.