As to ignoring facts, it is FACT that while carriers have been useful many times since 1970, they've been ESSENTIAL just once, in 1982.
How many times have we actually
needed to use the following:
RAF's UK air defence assets
Army's main battle tanks - GWs 1 and 2, I know, but were they really needed/useful?
RN's SSBN - never, thank God
However, we have them all to hand to deter those who might deterring.