Why is there such a fuss about defense spending cuts in Britain ?
Even without commitments in the Middle East, we still need an effective military force to defend not only the United Kingdom but also her overseas dependencies (e.g. Bermuda, the Falklands, the Indian Ocean Territory etc). A foreign power could have all sorts of reasons for invading us, and having a ‘bad climate’ is immaterial. Don’t forget that we are also part of the European Union; thus if an EU member is attacked, we have an obligation to intervene. Any cutbacks in defence spending would seriously undermine our ability to maintain an army, navy and air force that are at the cutting edge technologically. It’s a harsh world out there and it would be naive to rule out another major global conflict taking place. Should a worst-case scenario occur, our very existence would be at stake and no amount of hospital beds or computers for disadvantaged children could ever save us.
