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!
