Elderly PT and Proone have hit the nail pretty well in my view,
to be honest -
The global assets you mention are not the Governments to sell apart from a few embassies.
doesn't seem to make sense, maybe there's an edit I missed - but the UK is pretty well off, we just keep pi$$ing it against the wind, and the sooner we stop doing that the sooner we'll all realise the truth of it.
Arguably we're in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya to protect our access to oil, primarily no doubt because despite our sure knowledge of the limitations of the fossil fuel supply we've not really put the time, effort, or research into finding an alternative. Okay, but having decided this (killing Johny Foreigner) is something we have to do, then we need to fund it for success - it's cheaper to recruit more of the lower classes and have them killed than to provide the kit needed to do the job properly to completion. We've done that for centuries....We ALWAYS work this way, frankly. It's only recently that the global comms revolution has brought the swapping of lives for oil (etc) into clearer focus.
Call Me Dave isn't really the most cynical piece of garbage on the planet, it's just that every year anyone with half a brain gets to understand realpolitik a bit better... it's all downhill from here, get used to it!
Unfortunately the death of servicemen only ever affects a small number of people - they are devastated, but the rest of the population hardly even notice. While society doesn't give a toss - and on the whole it really only stirs if something really odd happens - then making do with very little will remain the order of the day.
Should the senior ranks stand up and talk sense for once? Yes, of course they should - self respect should have told them that a long time ago however, and when they don't stand up and be counted they are pretty much following the example of centuries, not just a few decades, past.
Dave