War and Peace

Apparently the world is too peaceful. That's the clear sub-text to the reporting of the jobs losses in the UK's arms industry which were announced today. The losses aren't just down to the Tories' slashing of the UK's defence spending, but also a decline in defence spending worldwide. Obviously, not enough wars are being fought, otherwise there would be greater demand for new tanks, planes, missiles and the like. At least, that's what it sounds like. Clearly, the thrust of British foreign policy should be to go around the world, stirring up conflicts. William Hague has already had a go at it in Libya, but that looks to be winding down, and has all been pretty low-tech. Indeed, the only 'High-Tech' weapons employed in Libya were used by the UK and its allies - at considerable expense to them, which rather defeats the object.

What we need are local conflicts which don't require international intervention, but will require both sides to expend large quantities of weapons and munitions, so as to stimulate demand. Perhaps there could be a whole new role for our intelligence services: spreading disinformation to the governments of target countries, so as to increase tension with their neighbours. Special Forces could get in on the act as well, creating acts of sabotage that can be attributed to rival states, in order to ramp up international tensions. Of course, the really radical alternative would be for the UK to restructure its manufacturing industry so as to be less dependant on arms exports. Damn it, we have a whole section of the Ministry Defence, the Defence Export Services Organisation, devoted to helping our manufacturers sell weapons to foreign countries. (I once refused a move there on the grounds that I thought it was completely immoral).

Consequently, my feelings over these job losses is mixed: whilst I'm always saddened by the news that people are losing their livelihoods, another part of me is quite happy that we're not helping to kill as many people as before. I don't think being a merchant of death is really something to be proud of. It's the same with the reduction in size of the armed forces. Whilst ex-Admiral Alan West (aka 'Captain Towpath'), might think that it is a bad thing to be reduced, militarily, to the level of 'bloody Denmark or Belgium', I quite welcome the idea that, as a nation, we might finally be shedding our delusions of international grandeur. Which isn't to say that I, in any way, support or approve of the Tories' spending cuts. Sadly, they aren't designed to transform us into a liberal-minded modern European state that respects civil liberties and lives within its means. Quite the opposite, in fact. The money saved from down-sizing the armed forces won't be redistributed to pay for schools and hospitals, and redundant munitions workers won't be found jobs where they can employ their skills peacefully. Bastards.