Why On Earth......

[diddlydo]

Is this government spending EXTRA billions on defence when the biggest war we're fighting at the moment is Covid? Complete madness.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54988870

[dannyk13]

agc // there's already speculation the international aid budget could be cut."//
Good, a lot of that money is either being pocketed by corrupt foreign officials or wated.

[dannyk13]

^wasted^

[Peter Pedant]

Boris budget
and speech 13 30
did anyone catch the reference to 1963

the white heat of the technological revolution ( one Harold Wilson? )

Boris this pm "and the white heat of an electric spanner or something" - remember he read Latin at uni - o mia cara! o mee-o my-o !" and not engineering

[Sunk]

It was a promise in the Conservative Election Manifesto. The Tories won, so it is right that they are honouring their pledge.

// We will continue to exceed the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and increase
the budget by at least 0.5 per cent above inflation every year of the new Parliament. //

[Peter Pedant]

// TBF I think the US has a point about the other members niggardly attitude to defence spending.”//

its pax americana remember and not pax americana et costa rica et poland et francia

and if it is not americana it will be rooska and chinoisia

[Ken4155]

About time someone spent some money on our defence instead of seeing numbers dwindle year upon year. Yes i know much of it will be spent on AI and IT, etc, etc, but we'll always need boots on the ground to do the 'mopping up' afterwards.

[agchristie]

Is it true that the largest tree in Britain now is 'Borisus Magicus Moneytreeus'?

[bobbinwales]

From the article:

//Labour welcomed more defence spending but asked how it would be funded.//
So diddlydoo doesnt afree with Labour clearly so a wonder whuch party- Communists?


//However Ben Zaranko, from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, said that while this represented a big rise in spending, the figure of £16.5bn was a "misleading way to present this announcement".

He continued: "It would be more accurate to say that by 2024-25, defence spending will be £7 billion higher than it would have been under previous plans."//

So its perhaps not quiet the boost and spending levels (or bad spending in diddlydoos case) that it look's like

[gulliver1]

"Why on Earth" Because thanks to Boris and Co , they have turned our friends in the E/U into our enemies.

[Bobbisox1]

//// our friends? ////

the EU was never a friend of mine

[emmie]

nor mine Bobbi

[KARL]

Because the UK sees the military and wars (past and present) as such a huge part of its identity. The military is the British version of the Holy Cow, Koran, Kaba, Prophet etc. all rolled into one.

[allenlondon]

Costa Rica had the right idea 70 years ago when they ABOLISHED their army.

Think of the savings if we didthe same!

[ToraToraTora]

^^^^ MAABOF!

[Khandro]

Si vis pacem, para bellum "If you want peace, prepare for war".

Or, don't mess with that guy with the big stick.

[ToraToraTora]

Costa Rica is defended by the US. Their police take on defence duties.

[gulliver1]

Love your B/A, Diddly.

[Old_Geezer]

"now why didn't those italics work?"

Italics don't like some punctuation marks. Apostrophes included.

[jno]

apostrophes? Good grief. All that money going on defence while small companies are left with inadequate computing strength to deal with punctuation.

[fender62]

read about all the failed military equipment projects, it's like all forgiven and here's another blank cheque, and we cannot even stop illegals entering the uk, perhaps they should get there house in order first..mod is the military is it not, and they procure equipment?