'Britain lacks money to protect itself'

kanmano
By kanmano

Britain cannot afford to protect itself against all potential threats to its security, defence secretary Liam Fox has warned. He further added

"We don't have the money as a country to protect ourselves against every potential future threat," he said. "We just don't have it."

No money flow from colonies itseems..

By Lafanga• 24 Jul 2010 23:32
Lafanga

What has 2nd world war got to do with current defense budget of England :-/

P.S.- I apologize for my fellow countryman's poor grasp of history.

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 22:20
britexpat

Yes, that would save a few pounds :O)

But, here I think he is looking to restructure the armed forces to suit the new environment. For example, lot of our hardware was sourced with a strategy of defending Europe from USSR in mind. That threat is no longer there. So perhaps we don't need as many tanks or APCs. Perhaps we need more helicopter gun ships and long range bombers and drones...

The idea is to have a complete review of the armed forces and their structure ..

By kanmano• 23 Jul 2010 22:17
kanmano

Dot.com What about Iraq

By anonymous• 23 Jul 2010 22:13
anonymous

shapil

if the pull out their forces from Afghanistan, probably they can save it.

By kanmano• 23 Jul 2010 22:09
kanmano

exile- British had washed-up India's economy, and perhaps unity too.

By shapil• 23 Jul 2010 22:05
shapil

passage to where .Com?

By anonymous• 23 Jul 2010 22:02
anonymous

i can offer them a safe passage.

By Harry99• 23 Jul 2010 22:00
Harry99

Your sense of history is rather skewed. I can understand patriotism, but you are stretching it a bit ;)

By anonymous• 23 Jul 2010 21:52
anonymous

Ha ha venky, japan wanted to save India from the imperalists!!! No wonder you needed the British to unify your country and put it's instituitions in place before you could run it yourselves....

By crnkshft• 23 Jul 2010 21:41
crnkshft

Fat Man was dropped by Boscar, only Little Boy was dropped by Enola Gay

By shapil• 23 Jul 2010 21:34
shapil

if money alone would have saved...no rich man would have been killed.

By crnkshft• 23 Jul 2010 21:29
crnkshft

The US aided the British because we are allies, that is why countries had alliances, it was the precursor to the UN, and Japan got involved to eliminate the US fleet of Carriers, they were unfortnate in attacking a place where the carriers weren't, so the US mobilized all the carriers, and setup for a massive invasion, but realizing the defensive positin Japan had, and knowing what it needed for Normandie, the US opted to save US soldiers, an resources and sent Enola Gay with Fat man and Little Boy to avoid excessive loss of US resources.

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 21:26
britexpat

You don't neccessarily have to be attacked to take up arms. Japan's objectives had always been to secure the resources of Southeast Asia and China.

India would imho would have had to fight in the end.. However, it is all conjecture isn't it.. India did fight and aided the fight on many fronts.

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 21:19
venky_83

britexpat: Why would an Independent India wanted to enter the war unless it was attacked. The only reason the Japanese wanted to attack India was because it was under British Occupation.

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 21:16
venky_83

exiledsaint: My argument is this - it was a fight of colonial power all along even United States involvement was because of its interest in the Pacific and SouthEast Asia.

For a long time after the breakout of war, US used to export oil to Japan and the US held an isolationism policy of non-intervention.

Till the Japs decided that for it to expand in Southeast Asia and in China it had to neutralise the American fleet, which led to Pearl Harbor and we know after that what happened.

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 21:08
britexpat

Such are the spoils of war :O)

I am sure that as the conflict spread, even an independent India would have felt compelled to enter the fray...

But the fact remains that it was a World War ....

By mmyke• 23 Jul 2010 21:06
mmyke

have fun,,

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 21:04
venky_83

britexpat: It was fought at every colony held by European powers. You had those wars in Burma since the Japs raided in from that side to get at the British and Egypt was also under Britains occupation. That's why some of the theatres of War was in Africa too.

It wasn't like these colonies had any independent choice in choosing whether or not to enter into the war. In India, there was a huge protest when the British Indian Govt. announced that it was going to be part of the war without consulting the Indian political leadership.

BTW, eventually it seems that India contributed 2.5 Million men to the WW2 campaign.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_in_World_War_II

By mmyke• 23 Jul 2010 20:58
mmyke

...

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 20:56
venky_83

mmyke: Isn't that the kettle calling the pot black :P

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 20:54
britexpat

What about Burma and Egypt ?

By the way, we are digressing :O)

By mmyke• 23 Jul 2010 20:54
mmyke

you are an idiot

By anonymous• 23 Jul 2010 20:53
anonymous

The defence secretary wants to make sure his budget does get cut too much, but then again who will attack Britain? France? Germany? Norway?

By anonymous• 23 Jul 2010 20:52
anonymous

Well I guess japan would argue against that. The war in the pacific and they got close to indias Borders.....

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 20:48
venky_83

britexpat: I am Indian, I am of the view it wasn't really a World War, more European :P

By kanmano• 23 Jul 2010 20:37
kanmano

AbuAmerican-

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Britain-lacks-money-to-protect-itself/articleshow/6203687.cms

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 20:31
britexpat

Let's not get into that old argument... It'll only spoil the special relationship :O)

By venky_83• 23 Jul 2010 20:28
venky_83

britexpat: The Yankees feel it would have been a reality had it not been for their 'timely' intervention :P

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 20:11
britexpat

Hitler said - “Where Napoleon failed, I shall succeed, I shall land on the shores of Britain”

Look where it got him :O)

By csymllr• 23 Jul 2010 20:07
csymllr

lol weve heard that one before

By csymllr• 23 Jul 2010 20:07
csymllr

lol weve heard that one before

By mmyke• 23 Jul 2010 20:01
mmyke

it will never be defeated,,,

By britexpat• 23 Jul 2010 19:52
britexpat

This was from an interview yesterday...

Basically the government is looking to cut defence budget, so they are "rationalising" the expenditure.. It's a way of forewarning the armed forces and the public..

There may be cutbacks in expenditures on new tanks, planes etc or even a reduction of troops based overseas like Germany, Falklands, Sierra Leon etc..

By moonblues67• 23 Jul 2010 19:27
moonblues67

Britain sissy don't worry big brother Sam will protect you.

Log in or register to post comments

More from Qatar Living

Qatar’s top beaches for water sports thrills

Qatar’s top beaches for water sports thrills

Let's dive into the best beaches in Qatar, where you can have a blast with water activities, sports and all around fun times.
Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part Two

Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part Two

This guide brings you the top apps that will simplify the use of government services in Qatar.
Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part One

Most Useful Apps In Qatar - Part One

this guide presents the top must-have Qatar-based apps to help you navigate, dine, explore, access government services, and more in the country.
Winter is coming – Qatar’s seasonal adventures await!

Winter is coming – Qatar’s seasonal adventures await!

Qatar's winter months are brimming with unmissable experiences, from the AFC Asian Cup 2023 to the World Aquatics Championships Doha 2024 and a variety of outdoor adventures and cultural delights.
7 Days of Fun: One-Week Activity Plan for Kids

7 Days of Fun: One-Week Activity Plan for Kids

Stuck with a week-long holiday and bored kids? We've got a one week activity plan for fun, learning, and lasting memories.
Wallet-friendly Mango Sticky Rice restaurants that are delightful on a budget

Wallet-friendly Mango Sticky Rice restaurants that are delightful on a budget

Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a sweet escape into the world of budget-friendly Mango Sticky Rice that's sure to satisfy both your cravings and your budget!
Places to enjoy Mango Sticky Rice in  high-end elegance

Places to enjoy Mango Sticky Rice in high-end elegance

Delve into a world of culinary luxury as we explore the upmarket hotels and fine dining restaurants serving exquisite Mango Sticky Rice.
Where to celebrate World Vegan Day in Qatar

Where to celebrate World Vegan Day in Qatar

Celebrate World Vegan Day with our list of vegan food outlets offering an array of delectable options, spanning from colorful salads to savory shawarma and indulgent desserts.