Arrrr JimLad
The problem we have, and by this i mean HM Forces and MOD CS is that we have a public 'can do atttitude', and we don't like to admit that we can't do something. We all privately know that Defence is utterly shagged and financially broken, but no one at a level that matters will admit so openly - I think its because we're too proud to admit something is wrong.
Nail, Head, Hit - rearrange etc
You know, once I would have been really vexed about stories such as N Korea chucking up their
TV satellite / Ballistic missile * (delete as appropriate). No longer. There's zip that we (UK plc) can do about it. We should recognise that, in future, we'll be mere bystanders in these sort of issues, watching while the US and China and potentially Russia (if it can get its military act together) engage in global sumo wrestling.
We should be honest with ourselves, and the public, and accept that we have now joined the group of euro nations who possess armed forces for absolutely no apparent reason. Despite a bold post cold war review (SDR + Ch11)telling us what HM Armed Forces would be scaled for in the brave new world, all the positive spin has not materialised into actuality. We are neither financed nor resourced for today's adventures and are unlikely ever to be so.
Why don't we just admit we can't do it and cut our losses. All we really need is a small Home Guard for MACP, a few Guardsmen to march up and down outside important places, a couple of boats and aircraft to keep immigrants out of Calais and ensure our fishermen aren't infringing the rights of other nations to hoover up our haddock and cod and er, thats about it. Jobsa goodun
Voila, you shave billions off your budget, nobody hates us anymore and we can all live happily ever after
I can't see any problems with this and I commend it to the next administration.
We may of course have to give up our place on the UNSC Big 5 as er, we won't be very big anymore, but hey, I'm sure somebody will be pleased to take it off our hands, we could auction it to the highest bidder. I'm guessing Tel Aviv or Pyongyang might be interested.
Well thats that little problem sorted out. Back to the Merlot.
