Ralph,
I think you're missing the point a bit. It isn't about spending priorities. It is about the Government saying things are OK when they know damn well they aren't, which is illegal.
The point being that, whilst the public may wish to build 3,000 cottage hospitals and have troops armed only with a toothpick, everybody is clear just how capable the toothpick is. In a democracy, this means that Parliament may decide against a Government deployment of the Army to Hades with said toothpicks, and the public may vote out Government for suggesting it and/or Parliament for agreeing to it.
p.s. It also means the troops are clear on what they've got to the job with, and can thus make an informed opinion on whether they wish to remain in the Armed Forces....at which point the public might decide that the one suicidal idiot left, with a toothpick, is insufficient 'Armed Forces' to allow themselves to get to sleep at night.
Last edited by Fox3WheresMyBanana; 20th Jun 2013 at 19:59.