The Territorial Army

On occasion I catch a piece of news that just wants makes me want to put my head in my hands and weep over the sheer WTF being displayed.

In this instance it was regarding the attempt to boost the number of recruits to the Territorial Army in the West Midlands. An employer quite rightly pointed out the difficulty in replacing a skilled team member while they're on manoeuvres with someone who knows that they'll be replaced as soon as that member returns.

The considered response - making it illegal for employers to discriminate against members of the TA.

I... just... I... no. I'd ask if these people inhabited the real world, but that's a silly question. They're members of the armed forces and politicians; of course they don't.

We have a situation in which the armed forces are being cut back with their places being filled by, what we should jokingly now call, the reservists.; meaning they're going to be away more often and possibly for longer. The response to employers worried about key members of staff not being available, particularly during these tough economic straits is - tough, suck it up.

Much as I despise physical violence some people really do just need a quick slap to connect them to the real world.