Revealed: Blair's nuclear bombshell (Trident Missiles)

Independent Via IRNA ^

[Decepticon]

I'm not sure how you get from my suggestion that the funds could be better spent ensuring that our soldiers who are actually in harms way have the very best support and equipment to disbanding the army...

Depriving Britain of her "Big Stick" ensures that her soldiers are the equivalent of every non-nuclear army in the world. The best backpacks, knives and conventional weapons in the world mean diddly-squat when an entire army is removed from existence by a nuclear weapon. At that point, retaliation in kind is required.....and you apparently approve of removing that option from the table.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The obvious implicit alternative is to shelter under Uncle Sam's nuclear umbrella, along with the Canadians, Germans, Scandinavians, etc.

[RightWhale]

That's right. I was looking at history and possible futures at the same time. England certainly has a history of gov't that enabled international commerce, and America was founded on international commerce and the English model. China and India are trying hard to build international commerce for themselves rather than waiting for it to come to them. Pakistan was on the list because they must develop international commerce from a position of relative isolation or eventually fade from the world scene. Russia is on the list because with such immense resources they could come back from invisibility at any time.

[Canard]

Your rationale for spending £20 billion on a nuclear detterent is that, when it fails to deter some unspecified other power from obliterating us for some reason, whoever is left in a deep bunker under the smouldering ruins can obliterate them back?

We seem to agree that we cannot identify or presently conceive anyone that it is actually deterring anyway.

[Decepticon]

We seem to agree that we cannot identify or presently conceive anyone that it is actually deterring anyway.

Contraire my FRiend. If the 3rd US ID was tactically nuked rolling into Baghdad, every despot, dictator and mullah in the mideast understands that they would ALSO be on the receiving end of a tactical nuclear warhead. And ours (the West) are much more accurate.....for now. Deterrence works, and keeps those that can't hide relatively honest. You seem to miss the point....Iran, China, India, Pakistan, N. Korea all want or have recently acquired nukes, the Big Stick. Why? And why should the Brits give them up, when so many other nations will do anything to acquire them........hmmmmmmm

[null and void]

OK, but will they actually fight this time, or will we have to bail out your sorry butts again?

[Vicomte13]

Fight whom?

[Tribune7]

To our British friends: welcome to official third world status.

?????

The Brits seem to be going ahead with the plan. Just because lefties are squawking doesn't mean it's been scrapped.

[Decepticon]

FRiend, I hope I don't come across as some nuke loving warmonger. The US and USSR have played this game before, rational minds and terse diplomacy kept the stalemate in check. I truly believe that scientists on both side realized they were playing with fire beyond their control. Unfortunately, I have much less faith in the islam mindset.....perhaps they should read up on Mike, the 4th largest H bomb ever detonated....a mere 10.8 megatons.

The mushroom cloud climbed to 57,000 feet in only 90 seconds, entering the stratosphere. One minute later it reached 108,000 feet, eventually stabilizing at a ceiling of 120,000 feet. Half an hour after the test the mushroom stretched 60 miles across, with the base of the mushroom head joining the stem at 45,000 feet.

[Phsstpok]

Yeah, I know, I overstated the case. I was trying to make the point by exagerating the circumstances, but you're right. Gotta watch that hyperbole now and then.

However, their food still.... no, won't go there ;^>

[smonk]

wow. for a PM from the Labour Party, Blair certainly isn't annoying very often.

[Tribune7]

However, their food still.... no, won't go there ;^>

Oh, go ahead. Say it. A cuisine that deserves warm beer :-)

[rightinthemiddle]

Blair needs to switch parties.

[null and void]

I think you just made my point...

[Southack]

"Who knows about quaternion output star trackers? England, America, China, India, Russia, Pakistan. Nobody else."

True...but ultra-long-range guidance can be otherwise accomplished, too.

[Canard]

"Blair needs to switch parties"

You ever hear any of his actual policies?

[rightinthemiddle]

Yes, he is a liberal...but the WOT is the most important issue.