A depressingly accurate editorial in this week's 'Speccie' (no link to the editorial) entitled "Little Britain". Perhaps 'Miniscule Titchy Britain' might have been even more accurate. The writing on the wall, or perhaps, the writing down of our armed forces, has been evident since 'Dave' cut the defence budget but simultaneously increased the Foreign Aid budget by exactly the same amount. What bullets will not achieve, apparently bedpans and blankets will! Anyway, it is now clear that it is not just that Britain has no appetite for foreign adventures/projecting power (you choose!), the fact is that today we are incapable of it. The French, with a little help from their friends(!), managed to fly a few troops to Mali in order to shoot up some 'Fuzzie-wuzzies' who quickly ran away but who, once reorganised, now appear to be coming back. In the meantime, nos chers alliés, having run out of real bombs, were forced to drop concrete bombs during their recent Malian campaign. And 'Dave', with all the dexterity of a card-sharp, has now reversed his earlier policy by ear-marking part of the Aid budget to the military. By jingo, it's this sort of clear, decisive thinking that has got us where we are today!
We're fucked, the French are fucked, NATO is fucked - and Obama doesn't give a fuck! He, of course and not without cause, is fed up with defending Europeans who refuse to cough up a reasonable amount of dosh for the service provided, and anyway he has turned away to face what he considers to be a truly grand strategic problem - China. Given the potential riches already flowing from shale oil, his interest in the Middle East is also waning. If Europe is still highly dependent on Arab oil then, he will let it be known, let them take on the burden of providing the security for it. It is now clear beyond doubt that he has no intention of lifting a finger to stop Iran gaining nuclear capability. All those many Europeans and Brits who moaned and groaned about 'irresponsible American adventurism' now have what they wished for. Let's hope they enjoy it!
They will still grumble about American adventurism, but the adventures will be somewhat closer to Taiwan and Hawaii. Meanwhile, the danger for the Middle East is that the Israelis might think that they have "one last chance" to take a whack at Iran, without having the wherewithal to finish the job. If that happens, it will be a very cold twenty years over here while we try to build a few nuclear power stations...
Posted by: Whyaxye | Friday, 01 March 2013 at 20:12
Well, it's probably time to flee. Pack your bags and take to the road. Remember the Okies in the 30's with all their possessions stacked on the back of the old truck.
You're keen on Arkansas and you have friends there.
Bon voyage!
Posted by: Andra | Friday, 01 March 2013 at 20:43
That about sums it up, 'W'!
Well, as most of the 21st century action is likely to take place in the Pacific, Andra, it might be you who will need to pack up and move! Actually, now I think about it, Australia being very roughly equidistant from China and the USA will need to choose a friend.
Posted by: David Duff | Friday, 01 March 2013 at 22:06
"Well, as most of the 21st century action is likely to take place in the Pacific"
Are you sure? Watching what is happening in Italy (mirrored elsewhere in Europe, not to mention the 'Arab Spring', Islamification, etc. - coincidental with the close links the Italian Clown has with Tehran) I'm wondering if we're in for WW II part 2.
Lets' be honest here, fascists do like to have nice shiny (and large) militaries and when they start collecting matching Panzer divisions either we gather a few of our own or we'll all be learning the goose-step (see your previous article, so your powers of prediction are still [mostly] intact).
Still with 'Neville' Cameron in power who knows, but we definitely won't be able to count on JK and his scooter (I forget, it was one wasn't it?) riding friends to come help again with the 'O' in charge.
Interesting times ahead!
I'll just get back to downloading some Vera Lynn before she hits the charts again.
Posted by: Able | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 14:57
I'm off the "scooter" now Able. The only things lately I've been riding anywhere on, are pickups and helicopters. The occasional private single-engined Cessna.
But you're correct - none of those have the range to make it across the pond.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 17:10
JK
It wasn't so much a comment on either your willingness or ability/range (although I would have been a little surprised if you had your A-4 parked in your garage +/- drop-tanks just in case needed) as on whether your CoC would choose to allow you to. (I'm sure the Navy could find you something to strap on if they really wanted to)
No pickups here (not classy enough for a British gentleman) or helicopters, although I did recently fall out of a Pilatus Porter (PC-6) over Catterick - I was pushed I tell you! See, you chose the wrong role. Being older (although I prefer to think of myself as 'gently aged' like a fine wine) may preclude you from combat flying (unless an Israeli) but I'll still be able to fall out of one as gracefully as I ever did [ie. not at all] for another twenty years (assuming it has space for my zimmer frame).
Posted by: Able | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 21:54
Got myself whacked a few years ago Able - downslope of some few tons of tumbling steel. Nowadays I'm called not to strap into the ol' A-4, I'm a consultant.
Which means mainly, I just talk if given the opportunity - lately though, I'm primarily tasked to listen.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 22:19
Able, rumour has it that good ol' JK was blown up by some damned Fuzzy-wuzzy in a far-flung corner of the American empire but Andra and I know the truth - one day he imbibed too much of his own product, made a mistake and the still blew up!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 09:13
DD
Either of those may be true although I suspect it is still a case of 'not being allowed to' rather than 'unable to'.
Should someone 'accidentally' park an A-4 where his Cessna was or even just retrofit it with a couple of Ma Deuces I suspect JK would be slipping into his G-1 as we speak (type?).
(Having witnessed some of the Wounded Warrior events as well as a shoot at 'Rifles Only' in Texas where Marines and Rangers with IED caused bilateral and even triple amputations still out shot my average scores I'd be surprised if the mere Boo-Boo of being "downslope of some few tons of tumbling steel" would slow him up much)
Posted by: Able | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 16:15
True enough, Able, if his own liquor can't stop him nothing can!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 19:11
"We're fucked, the French are fucked, NATO is fucked"
Sorry, I missed this t'other day:
http://www.duffelblog.com/2013/02/facing-mass-layoffs-taliban-protests-against-automatic-us-budget-cuts-from-sequester/
Posted by: JK | Tuesday, 05 March 2013 at 17:57
JK
You will be receiving a bill for the in-depth coffee removal from both my monitor and keyboard (I'm letting you off for the medical costs of singed sinus treatment) in the return post. Failure to settle will result in my wingeing and moaning about you on your next SSBI-PR, so there :-p
Posted by: Able | Tuesday, 05 March 2013 at 18:50
Able,
Check's in the mail - however there's an advisory som'ere's in Her Maj's gubmint - seems to be some problem occurs whenever David posts cheques to me. A regular clusterfuck if you know what I mean.
Might want to swaller before you read what the rascals at "the US Military's Premier News-Service" got our Republican Senate Minority Leader McConnell to swaller:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mcconnell-office-duped-onion-style-piece-gitmo-140113809--politics.html
Ain't paying anymore on your frivolous IT repairs.
Posted by: JK | Tuesday, 05 March 2013 at 23:04