ANYONE watching the news lately should really sit up and take notice. Iraq is in a state of self-destruction with Iran possibly waiting to pounce and take over the country. Libya is heading back to the dark days it was before. Ukraine doesn't know whether it's coming or going with Russian tanks breathing down their necks. And what do we do? We sack 20,000 soldiers because we need to cut back on spending. The government says this isn't a problem because they want the same amount to volunteer and join the TA! Just think about it, a young man working behind the cheese counter in Waitrose going off and doing a couple of weeks training with a gun. Not quite the same as a man with five years' service under his belt! But then it doesn't matter to Mr Cameron, he'd rather spend £10 billion on overseas aid. I sometimes wonder what planet our MPs are living on. Come to think of it, I'd like to know our local MP Mel Stride's views on the subject. I'd find it a lot more interesting that his latest visits to local garden parties. David Luckhurst Okehampton.