'What is it about aircraft carriers?
Of course they are big. And they are expensive. The latest estimate is that the Royal Navy's two new carriers, HMSs Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales, will cost £5bn - 25% up on just a year ago.'
'...Perhaps more than any weapons except nuclear ones, aircraft carriers tend to be seen as a statement of how a country views its military role in the world. And therein lies a lot of the controversy which seems to surround them.
The steel-cutting ceremony in Glasgow is certainly a historic event. It marks the formal start of construction of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The last time that happened in Britain for a "proper" full-size aircraft carrier was 65 years ago. (The ship then was HMS Hermes, of Falklands fame, still serving now in the Indian Navy as the Viraat.)
But the carriers have also been at the heart of the arguments over the levels of and priorities in defence spending.'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8137257.stm
A famous political slogan from American history comes from Americas first real foreign entanglement- the Barbary war. "Millions on defense, not a penny on tribute". The pirates of Morocco and Tunisia wanted 'tribute', bribes, to stop from plundering the ships of the industrial nations.
Apparently, the reverse is what many of my compatriots, especially the ones on the left, want for Britain today "Millions on tribute, not a penny on defense". What a shambling shitpot this country is becoming. If we wont protect ourselves who will? The mad mullahs of Tehran? The tepid tyranny in Moscow? The fat verbose boyscout in Caracas? All those people around Europe who love the English so much?
Oh, and by the way 'expensive'? Five paltry billion out of FIVE HUNDRED BILLION is not expensive. Morons.
No comments:
Post a Comment