Politicians do not think like us.
They see no massive coordinated conventional threat to this country. They recognise that the electorate will not tolerate another Iraq/Afghanistan type debacle. They know that there are no votes in Defence. That makes us ripe for more cuts without political pain.
I have said that we are heading for a UK Defence Force for some time.
The Nation will get poorer as time passes. Our debts are unsustainable. We are only headed in one direction and that is down. Great Britain is no more and I think those in power do actually understand this. They cannot afford to come out and say this as it would lead to social melt down. Instead there will be a steady erosion of living standards (I doubt my Grandchildren will enjoy a State Pension or NHS like it is now) and - to get back to the original point - the Armed Forces are smallfry and ripe for the chop.
Come back in 100 years (or less) and we will be just like Greece, but without the weather.