Would they?

Reading the UK press and blogs, there's a lot of anger out there in the comments section, with people urging armed middle class insurrection. There is even talk of a 'Summer of rage' with the governments mismanagement of everything. This makes me worried for my family members still left over there. However, phone calls and e-mails have allayed my concerns that any of them would be daft enough to 'take to the barricades'.

I was amused when one of those internet rumours surfaced recently to the effect that soldiers who indicated a willingness to fire upon civillians were being quietly transferred from the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan back to holding areas in the UK. The idea presumably being to use live rounds upon the rioting UK population. After a perusal of the British Army rumour service, the concensus I found amongst the squaddies who posted there was that the rumour was utter nonsense; and if they hadn't heard anything, then the 'recruitment' rumour sounds pretty baseless.

By the by; a number of my old boon companions in the UK many years ago were serving squaddies and officers, and as I recall during a particular drinking session when a similar subject was raised; the discussion raiser was hooted derisively out of the room. One officer indicated that he might refuse as such an order might not be 'lawful'. However, from the others there was always the jokey undercurrent that they would happily open up on those they called 'chavs' and 'soap dodgers'. To wit, members of the 'underclass' (Unemployed, unemployable and lawless) and 'professional protestors'.

End of rumour, I think.