British army will never again be among military superpowers, report claims

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Britain's shrinking military will "never again be among the global superpowers" but will have enough capability to assist in operations such as Libya and Afghanistan in the future, a study said on Tuesday.

However, the MoD's finances will be capsized and its resources further diminished unless there is a substantial increase in defence spending to cover the "looming" costs of the replacement for the Trident nuclear deterrent.

The warning comes from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinktank in a tough report which questions whether Britain's defence crisis is really over.

Last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review led to sweeping redundancies across all three services, and the early mothballing of, among others, the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, and the fleet of Harrier jets.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/sep/27/british-army-never-again-superpower

[provis99]

1. what, no more warmongering imperialism for the British Empire?

oh, the horror!


"When i was young i used to be as fine a man as ever you'd see
the prince of wales he said to me: "come and join the british army"
too ra loo ra loo ra loo, i've made me mind up what to do
i'll work my ticket home to you and fuck the british army!"

[Kennah]

2. Britannia doesn't rule the waves? Does this mean Britons shall be slaves?

[stockholmer]

3. It matters not a twit, for the City of London banksters have the dullard, deadly junkyard dog US

military to enforce their will to power on a global scale. The Crown Corporations are at the deep nexus of global hegemony on every single vital point of human endeavour. Until they are routed out, all else anthropocentric is doomed to centuries more of terror, tyranny, chattel debt slavery, and wars of profit for the top, and death for all else.

[lunatica]

4. Quick! Invade the Falklands again!

Or something.

[bossy22]

5. Falklands are british territory

the Argintinians invaded- the British pushed them out

Edit: Not to mention that people who inhabit the Island prefer their UK identity

[lunatica]

7. Ok. Thanks for the correction

[kentauros]

11. They had to keep the Falklands

"for strategic sheep purposes" :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=6omQ5JjjLsE#t=436s

[Uncle Joe]

6. I believe that as the world equalizes via development, populations will be the driving force

toward superpower status.

More nations will conglomerate along the lines of the E.U and a nation with the population of the UK simply doesn't have the labor force to maintain a dominant position.

That's why China and India are surging.

Thanks for the thread, alp.

[24601]

8. How can this 200 year-old news be "late breaking?" n/t

[Nihil]

9. If you'd said "20-years" then it would have been both funny & correct ...

... but "200" just shows your total ignorance of history ...

Plus ca change ...

[24601]

12. Perhaps it instead shows yours. Please brush up on the actions

leading to the War of 1812. Clearly downhill for the Brits after that. They had some regional successes, even temporarily in India - but were never again in a position to conquer North America.

[Nihil]

14. Ah, just like Vietnam then?

Start a war, get your arses kicked and declare "victory"!

:P

Seriously though, you consider that side-show some kind of
"turning point" in the fortunes of the British? OK ...

Have a nice day! :hi:

[Agent William]

15. YES! You are correct...

Contrary to what most people believe, Britain did not conquer the world with a massive military, rather large multi-national corporations (e.g. The British East India Company) forced their way in and started the colonizing process. HM's forces were only involved when the corporations could not totally suppress the local population.

Additionally, after 1815, Britain entered a period of peace and as such the military did not keep pace with Britains expansion. In fact prior to the Beor War, WWI and WWII, British forces were drastically underfunded and undermanned. So I guess this isn't anything new.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Why would they want to be?

[wuushew]

13. Why on Earth does Britian still have nukes?

Does the British voter really still want to have these weapons twenty years after the end of the cold war?

France and Britian are the only thing stopping a nuclear free Europe, a very viable and attainable goal.