The Battle of Trafalgar Revisited in 20010( Or what England can expect.

THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR - 21 October 2010.............Note, not the previous battle of  1805.

On a Monday 9-30 am.....................not a good time for a naval engagement after a navel tittilating weekend, with one's eyeballs at the dip.
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Nelson: "Order the signal, Hardy."

Hardy: "Aye, aye, sir."

Nelson: "Hold on, that's not what I dictated to the signal officer. What's the meaning of this?"

Hardy: "Sorry, sir?"

Nelson (reading aloud): " England expects every person to do his duty, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious persuasion or disability. What gobbledygook is this?"

Hardy: "Admiralty policy, I'm afraid, sir. We're an equal opportunity employer now. We had the devil's own job getting ' England ' past the censors, lest it be considered racist."

Nelson: "Gadzooks, Hardy. Hand me my pipe and tobacco."

Hardy: "Sorry sir. All naval vessels have been designated Smoke-free Working Environments."

Nelson: "In that case, break open the rum ration. Let us splice the main brace to steel the men before battle."

Hardy: "The rum ration has been abolished, Admiral. It's part of the Government's policy on binge drinking."

Nelson: "Good heavens, Hardy. I suppose we'd better get on with it. Full speed ahead."

Hardy: "I think you'll find that there's a 4 knot speed limit in this stretch of water."

Nelson: "Damn it, man! We are on the eve of the greatest sea battle in history. We must advance with all dispatch. Report from the crow's nest, please."

Hardy: "That won't be possible, sir."

Nelson: "What?"

Hardy: "Health and Safety have closed the crow's nest, sir. No harnesses. And they said that a rope ladder doesn't meet requirements of the Working At Height Regs. They won't let anyone up there until a proper scaffolding can be erected."

Nelson: "Then get me the ship's carpenter without delay.

Hardy: "He's busy knocking up a wheelchair access to the fo'c'sle, Admiral."

Nelson: "Wheelchair access? I've never heard anything so absurd."

Hardy: "Disability Discrimination Act, sir. We have to provide a barrier-free environment for the differently abled."

Nelson: "Differently abled? I've only one arm and one eye and I refuse even to hear mention of the word. I didn't rise to the rank of admiral by playing the disability card."

Hardy: "Actually, sir, you did. The Royal Navy is under-represented in the areas of visual impairment and limb deficiency."

Nelson: "Whatever next? Give me full sail. The salt spray beckons."

Hardy: "A couple of problems there too, sir. Health and Safety won't let the crew up the rigging without crash helmets. And Occupational Health and the Food Standards Agency don't want anyone breathing in too much salt. Haven't you seen the adverts?"

Nelson: "I've never heard such infamy. Break out the cannon and tell the men to stand by to engage the enemy."

Hardy: "The men are a bit worried about shooting at anyone, Admiral."

Nelson: "What? This is mutiny."

Hardy: "It's not that, sir. It's just that they're afraid of being charged with murder if they actually kill anyone. There's a couple of legal aid lawyers on board, watching everyone like hawks."

Nelson: "Then how are we to sink the Frenchies and the Spanish?"

Hardy: "Actually, sir, we're not."

Nelson: "We're not?"

Hardy: "No, sir. The Frenchies and the Spanish are our European partners now. According to the Common Fisheries Policy, we shouldn't even be in this stretch of water. We could get hit with a claim for compensation."

Nelson: "But you must hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil."

Hardy: "I wouldn't let the ship's Diversity Co-coordinator hear you saying that sir: you'd be up on a disciplinary."

Nelson: "You must consider every man an enemy who speaks ill of your king."

Hardy: "Not any more, sir. We must be inclusive in this multicultural age. Now, sir, please put on your Kevlar vest; it's the rules."

Nelson: "Don't tell me - Health and Safety. Whatever happened to rum, sodomy and the lash?"

Hardy: "As I explained, sir, rum is off the menu! And there's a ban on corporal punishment."

Nelson: "What about sodomy?"

Hardy: "I believe it's to be encouraged, sir."

Nelson: "In that case, kiss me, Hardy."

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The navies of the world today are so different from those of the past.
There are women serving on naval ships. however, women will not be allowed to serve on front line warships in time of war.
These women will be replaced by Cannon Fodder recruited or should I say  male children from the age of fifteen pressed into service by the British Admiralty (M O D, Navy) dragged by the hair from welfare or charity funded naval preparatory schools, as was the situation in the previous century and beyond.
Don't  believe it? too bad it is true.

Vest,  Boy 2nd class Royal Navy, aged 15 years 5 months. Jan 1942.  cheap cannon fodder.