		tanddjohnson	I think DuckBoy can count on this crowd. nice picture Tom. Good morning, I am feeling somewhat better. I think going in and out of the AC has got my sinus's all messed up.
			"I ain't no fortunate son . . ." Poor DB, will he survive? Great image, great thoughts. In the larger part of history those with money could buy a "stand-in" going back to the medieval period and probably beyond. In England those who owed "service" to their liege lord (the ultimate was of course the King) could buy a stand-in. Even in the Napoleonic Wars this was true, with a different twist that I won't bother with.
		jimvoves	The purpose of most wars are to protect the living standards of the rich, while the less fortune have to send there kids to fight them. We should send only the kids of those who are for this war. All the Republican Senators and Congressmen and the President kids should be the first in line. Like the great American Mr. Rodger Moore showed in his movie only one member of our government had family in the military. It is funny that most of those who wave the flag and support this war have nothing to
		fotocomolegusta	hello
		pauljapan	cool image!
		fotocomolegusta	Cool effect
			Ok ok but . . . during the Napoleonic Wars in England, the poor were often 'impressed" into the British Navy without warning (meaning essentialy, abducted). The Navy did not have the "panache" of the Armies. Younger sons of aristiocrats nmight enter the Royal Navy a cabin boys at 12 or so and end up in command of a vessel or higher but not the poor schlumphs. A younger son could acccumulate waealth because of "prize money" from captured ships. America's War of 1812 was about Americans being
			Then "Taking the King's shilling" (one was given a shilling as a volunteer) into the Navy or the Army was a way for the poor to escape debt, imprisonment, transportation for a crime, poverty, homelessness, whatever. Chances for advancement above Sargeant (Army) and the Navy's equivalent were slim or none. So who ran the troops? The wealthy.
			Wellington referred to his Army befoer Waterloo as "This Infamous Army" and he meant it. With his most seasoned pofficers and trrops in America, he was facing Napoleion with recruits, criminals, and new officers who bought their "commissions". His best calvary commander was in America. Many an Army lieutenant came into the Army as one by buying his rank. When he left, he had to find someone to sell it to to get his money back ( and we are not talking dimes and nickels). Who trsained them?
			The officiers if THEY were decent, or, the sargeants for whom Army was a career with little or no pay most of the time (Wellington griped throughout that war about late payments - the banker Rothschild saved his bacon many times) and nearly no chance of advance,ent, especially in the infantry. The poor could not afford the calvary, one bought one's own uniform and horses! Even the upper ranks were rarely promoted but they were.
			Holders of a noble title without an heir or heirs or an heir of the nobility were very much discouraged from purchasing commissions. Wellington also preferred that his officers be umarried. So who bought commissions? the "spare heirs". Usually the family of a second or third son (or lower) especially if the heir was married and had children. Cost? For a premier calvary unit maybe 5,000 pounds, or about $15,000 in the money of that time. That's a LOT.
			Salaries were kinimal but officer living costs were high and NOT paid for by the Army. Many an officer kept his men alive (if he cared) by "begging money" from home for food, because Wellington absolutely forbade stealing from the land (spain) as Napoleon's troops had to do (and which did them in in Russia - Russia burned all of their crops).
			Returning troops who had little or no pensions, no matter their rank so who suffered? The poor guys. England as a society largely ignored the Peninsular War and also ignord the returning troops if they were not noble. Many starved in the streets. Very like Viet Nam, lots of shell shocked infantrymen who could no longer cope turned to opium.
			So the twist here is that the wealthy were DISCOURAGED from joining unless they were NOT the head of a noble family or the heir thereof, THEN they had to cough up a LOT of money (after Toulouse (1814) and then Waterloo, their commissions weren't worth as much as they paid for them). The foot soldiers, OTOH were pretty much the riff and raff and poor. One exception was the new brigade, the 95th Rifles.
			The first of any army to were "rifle green" this new infantry unit became quite prestigious. They got the best recruits. They were equipped with the newest of rifles (Baker) and were used as sharpshooters and to back up the infantry and the calvary while under attack. One enlistee, the famous Harry Smith, actually rose through the ranks (GASP!) to become a senior officer (I forgot what rank - very very high). The 95th was the first sign of things to come much later. Even by WWI officiers wer
			were mostly of the upper classes altho I am not sure if the "commissions" system was still in affect. Bored yet?
			Oops America's War of 1812 started because British ships were illegally "impressing" into Royal Naval service captured American ship crews.
		jimvoves	Once again I must correct what I have stated above. It is not James Bond, Rodger Moore but Michael Moore.