I have several different issues I want to raise. I will be posting my conversation with Judge Napolitano today. A good friend and staunch critic told me it was one of my best efforts. I'll let you be the judge.
Let's start with the military disaster that occurred in the United Kingdom. Britannia can no longer control the waves in the wading pool. For example, one of the two British aircraft carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth – died in the water.
Operation Steadfast Defender, NATO's largest exercise in Europe since the Cold War, was an ideal opportunity to show the modern face of British naval power.
Instead, it has proven to be a national embarrassment and a depressing metaphor for the parlous state of our armed forces.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of the Royal Navy's two advanced aircraft carriers and the fleet's flagship, was to occupy a prominent place in the British contingent.
Insultingly, it was sent to dry dock, apparently because of a rusty propeller shaft. She will be replaced in the exercise by her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, but that is not the point.
Having spent £3.5 billion building it, taxpayers are certainly entitled to expect the Queen Elizabeth to be kept in good condition.
The sad state of the British Navy is a symbol of the entire British Army. It's a disaster. One of my good friends, a retired former SAS (Special Air Service) operator, sent me the following early this morning:
Larry:
In other words: Our national football stadium can accommodate 90,000 people. So, we put the whole army in and we still have 15,000 seats to fill! How many fighters are there in reality?
Capita – or Crapita as it is known to the general public – has been an unmitigated disaster. By the time you put things together, the typical recruiter has already spent 9 months on the shelf. The potential recruit has moved on by the time he comes into his place. The care and maintenance of the Royal Naval College is also outsourced and is a total disaster dangerous grounds and poor housekeeping (personal knowledge) too https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-66603297
It is interesting that the barracks that are used to house soldiers are classified as unsuitable for illegal immigrants!809 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm F34B, is not at full strength and will not be until 2025 although our carriers (I use that term loosely) have been available for 3 years. It contains the RAF (lobster!!) and not just Navy personnel. Can you smell gang wars? There is also a delay of approximately 12 months in the transition from the Military Flying Training System to Operational Conversion Unit training. UK military pilot training in limbo for beleaguered RAF – Air Force Technology (airforce-technology.com) The RAF is facing the same problem, so it's not just Navy pilots suffering. Fast flying is a perishable skill.
Pensions and health care benefits for reservists? Should I point out that the Ministry of Defense sold off most of its military hospitals so that regular soldiers who had sustained injuries in the field were admitted to regular NHS wards, who were not accustomed to teams and the military mentality, and these wards were often served by immigrant Muslim cleaners . Yes, some of the wounded were assaulted in the hospital. Good deal.
The government is more than 4 years late in introducing the Veterans ID Card. There are no real benefits just an ID card.
Overall, the UK is in dire straits, the government is leaderless, foolish and weak. Who is in power is unlikely to change. Note that they only make a nominal contribution of 2% to NATO because they include pensions in their spending figures. Last time I checked pensions don't kill enemies.
Yes, I'm angry that almost all the other vets will be watching the state of play today. The rant is over.
My friend, like most native Britons, is a reserved man of great self-control. His anger reveals a lot about the depth of England's problems.
Speaking of weakness, the United States is bombing more than 85 targets in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, with no noticeable effect. These are expensive operations because the United States uses bombs and cruise missiles that it cannot replace/resupply easily or quickly. Why are we bombing so many targets in Iraq and Syria? There was only one site that fired the device that hit Tower 22, killing 3 American soldiers and wounding 47 others. Instead of punishing those responsible, the United States is engaging in collective punishment and will likely kill innocent tribesmen scattered throughout the deserts of western Iraq and eastern Syria. This simply creates new enemies who will be energized to take revenge on America. It's not smart politics, but how can we expect Biden to be smart?
In fact, the Iranian-backed fighters wasted no time in responding today:
At least six US-backed Kurdish fighters were killed in a drone strike on a US base in eastern Syria, claimed by Iranian-backed factions and the target of US air strikes on Friday.
These deaths are the latest indication of how the conflict has spread across the Middle East since the beginning of the war in Gaza, with unpredictable consequences for regional stability.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which fought ISIS in Syria, said six of its fighters were killed in an attack on its commando academy at a US base in the Al-Omar oil field east of Deir Syria. Al-Zour Governorate.
18 others were injured. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll was seven.
Despite the US bombing, attacks on US bases in Syria are likely to intensify, not decrease, in the coming weeks.
I discussed these issues today with Judge Napolitano.
