does anybody miss the cold war?

[egb_hibs]

daft question i know, and yes I'm too young to mind when it was at it's most scarey. and of course, morally it's reprehensible...

but selkie's post about rocky 4 reminds me of what now almost (in of course, a complete illusory way) seems a more stable era, even in a way, a more innocent time.

plus, you could always rely on the commies to crush utterly any of the more volatile forces in the world
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[Scoobie]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

daft question i know, and yes I'm too young to mind when it was at it's most scarey. and of course, morally it's reprehensible...

but selkie's post about rocky 4 reminds me of what now almost (in of course, a complete illusory way) seems a more stable era, even in a way, a more innocent time.

plus, you could always rely on the commies to crush utterly any of the more volatile forces in the world
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It was scarey enough, where I lived. RAF Bishopscourt was right beside us, the early-warning system for the UK during the height of the cold war. My dad used to say, "as soon as it kicks off, son, you'll find me on my way to Bishopscourt." meaning that it would be a target and therefore the first to blow up.

[Burbank Lilywhite]

Originally Posted by egb_hibs

but selkie's post about rocky 4 reminds me of what now almost (in of course, a complete illusory way) seems a more stable era, even in a way, a more innocent time.

I can remember standing across the divide from our Soviet counterparts and holding Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler centerfolds for them to look at and them giving us the thumbs up, and they'd hold up bottles of vodka and we give them the thumbs up back.

We were all just pawns in the game of life. We were soliders once and we were young.

[KABULHIBBY]

Originally Posted by Burbank Lilywhite

I can remember standing across the divide from our Soviet counterparts and holding Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler centerfolds for them to look at and them giving us the thumbs up, and they'd hold up bottles of vodka and we give them the thumbs up back.

We were all just pawns in the game of life. We were soliders once and we were young.

You're a bad man BL
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From a new ex-squaddies point of view the world was certainly a more secure and certain place, for instance 3 Guards Shock and 2nd Tank Army were coming over the East German border. 50 Missile Regt RA were first to be wiped off the face of the earth and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps only held 3 days worth of vehicle and battle winning spares, well they would have if they could have been dragged out the German bars and houses of ill repute with the women of reasonably priced leisure.
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Taking a more serious look at it, the arms race between the US and USSR kept many a dodgy government in check. The control that Moscow and Washington held over various countries is one that is in a strange way lacking and probably cause of most of the worlds problems at the moment.

However I suppose if it had never started we wouldn't have had them either
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[Bannox]

Originally Posted by KABULHIBBY

You're a bad man BL
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From a new ex-squaddies point of view the world was certainly a more secure and certain place, for instance 3 Guards Shock and 2nd Tank Army were coming over the East German border. 50 Missile Regt RA were first to be wiped off the face of the earth and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps only held 3 days worth of vehicle and battle winning spares, well they would have if they could have been dragged out the German bars and houses of ill repute with the women of reasonably priced leisure.
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Taking a more serious look at it, the arms race between the US and USSR kept many a dodgy government in check. The control that Moscow and Washington held over various countries is one that is in a strange way lacking and probably cause of most of the worlds problems at the moment.

However I suppose if it had never started we wouldn't have had them either
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Although it was nice to train for war against an enemy who wore Uniform eh Guys?
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[Burbank Lilywhite]

Originally Posted by Bannox

Although it was nice to train for war against an enemy who wore Uniform eh Guys?
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Wouldn't know about that at all.
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[Burbank Lilywhite]

Originally Posted by KABULHIBBY

You're a bad man BL
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Somehow Svetlana from Minsk who enjoys long walks in Red Square and borsch didn't have the same appeal as Candi (with the requisit "i' with a smiley face) who enjoyed sunsets on Malibu, cuddling, listening to Barry White while on her waterbed. Why that was I can't imagine.

[Purple & Green]

I think it was a much scarier time in a different sort of way.

Funnily enough, the scariest time I ever remember was being in Austria on a school trip as an eleven year old and phoning home on 2nd April 1982 to find out that Britain was "at war" with Argentina over the Falklands. I remember lots of my little chums being very upset and scared, and being out of the country when it was happening they were concerned for their parents and families.

Obviously we were too young to understand it all, but, I think because we were all aware of nukes n stuff it added to the drama.

Terrorism is a different kind of thing altogether, but as Scotland hasnae ever suffered a terrorist atrocity, I'm no sure the fear factor is the same. London/NY/Madrid are targets for terrorists no Edinburgh or Glasgow. No terrorist organisation has managed a nuke attack have they? You wonder how not, mind, as that would be the big one. It only happens in 24 doesn't it?

[Bannox]

Originally Posted by Bobby S

I think it was a much scarier time in a different sort of way.

Funnily enough, the scariest time I ever remember was being in Austria on a school trip as an eleven year old and phoning home on 2nd April 1982 to find out that Britain was "at war" with Argentina over the Falklands. I remember lots of my little chums being very upset and scared, and being out of the country when it was happening they were concerned for their parents and families.

Obviously we were too young to understand it all, but, I think because we were all aware of nukes n stuff it added to the drama.

Terrorism is a different kind of thing altogether, but as Scotland hasnae ever suffered a terrorist atrocity, I'm no sure the fear factor is the same. London/NY/Madrid are targets for terrorists no Edinburgh or Glasgow. No terrorist organisation has managed a nuke attack have they? You wonder how not, mind, as that would be the big one. It only happens in 24 doesn't it?

No but Saddam was partial to a few Chemicals
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and i dont mean he was on Acid
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[Hampden_Hibby]

Originally Posted by Bobby S

I think it was a much scarier time in a different sort of way.

Funnily enough, the scariest time I ever remember was being in Austria on a school trip as an eleven year old and phoning home on 2nd April 1982 to find out that Britain was "at war" with Argentina over the Falklands. I remember lots of my little chums being very upset and scared, and being out of the country when it was happening they were concerned for their parents and families.

That was a scary time. No one knew what way that one would turn until the US made it clear they were not getting involved. Then things relaxed a wee bit.

I remember, as the task force left old Blighty, getting the train home from work as a 19 year old. The headline in the Evening Times was about how conscription may be a distinct possibility and the matter would be debated in the Commons. It was a nervy train that evening among the young ones! I had already made up my mind that if it came to that then Britain could take a flying feck to itself. No way did I have an argument with Mario Kempes, Daniel Passarella or wee Diego. If conscription came in I decided that I would hide up the Campsies with half a dozen loaves, a poly bag full of Chewits, 3 bottles of American Cream Soda and a pile of Shoot! magazines.

[alnewhaven]

Anybody remember ( 1979 I think ) a wartime scenario was accidentaly run through the Pentagon's computer system. Unfortunately nobody realised this at first. The UK based F-111 s were airborne and ready to rock n'roll, then recalled. Then .....they informed No. 10
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Soon after they started talking about an automated response system ( if you've seen Wargames ....that showed the kind of system ) which would have set Defcon levels and armed missiles automatically. That prospect was scary.

[Jamesie]

I must have been about six or seven at the time (86/87) but I remember all the old air raid sirens on the top of polis boxes in Edinburgh went off one morning when I was getting ready for the school.

I was obviously too young at the time to realise what the noise was, and only looking back years later do I realise that this would perhaps have unnerved me slightly if I had known about the Cold War at the time.

[PaddyBarry]

[quote=Bobby S]Terrorism is a different kind of thing altogether, but as Scotland hasnae ever suffered a terrorist atrocityQUOTE]

I'm being slightly pedantic with this Bobby, but doesn't Lockerbie count? I suppose you could argue it was not 'meant' to happen in Scotland, but it did.

P