Originally Posted by
typerated
Do you think we spend too little on defence??
It's hard to think of a time in history when the UK's defence was more assured?
At least conventionally ( not sure of Cyber other such forms of warfare)
so if there had been extra money what would an extra squadron of Typhoon or an extra battalion do for our security?
Personally I'm against spending more than we need on defence - how much is enough?
Especially when you are in an alliance.
But the bottom line is I'd rather more money went into the NHS.
I don't think we spend too little on either Defence or the NHS, but I do believe we waste far too much on both. That's not to be translated as too many Typhoon Squadrons or Infantry Battalions or too many Hospitals or too many nurses. I think, yes we could perhaps have more all around, you said yourself, in terms of defence, how much is enough, there appears to be no irreducible minimum which anyone can definitely put their finger on. I do think we've pursued folly by disbanding units because of, as has been pointed out, short term predictions. Many think we don't need the aircraft carriers? well someone managed to convince Tony Blair we did. in the meantime we/you were engaged on no end of varyingly questionable campaigns/operations while the 'use it or lose it' philosophy was applied elsewhere. That's why we lost the Jaguars after an expensive upgrade and why the Interceptor squadrons dwindled away to just three and at various stages of operational availability, I'm thinking of the first two Typhoon Squadrons and the one remaining Tornado F3 squadron. The NHS/PHE are, so I'm given to understand, top heavy, quite substantially, with lots of expensive work from home types. To use a more modern reference. Some will agree with me I'm sure and others will think I'm obsessed!
FB
PS Then along came Cameron and the financial crisis and HM Forces, certainly not the NHS, bore one hell of a brunt. Again, kindly don't misunderstand, but I don't recall wide spread closing down of Hospitals and laying off of Doctors, Specialists and Nurses, and believe me, I'd have been appalled if there had been. But I also recall the screaming because the NHS wasn't getting an inflation busting increase in spending despite the climate of the time. One Doctor at the time had the shear audacity to phone up LBC and rant about the money going to defence spending while the NHS got the crumbs falling off the table. Really! Perhaps I just don't understand it all, but I do know folks expect perfection and an instantaneous response when there is a problem, then we can get back to penny pinching again.