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We were fab once. Twatted the Spanish, courtesy Frannie D. Lizzies dad Henry had the idea of ousting the bish and creating the Andrew, relating to your last point of militarism begetting riches. Saw the French off through alliances with the Dutch, Prussians, and even the Irish. The Germans? Well, some success in Mesopotamia and Syria notwithstanding, a bit of a draw first go, Jutland for one example, Ypres and the Somme bore witness to the futility of massed units. A test drive in Spain for Franco and wahey, modern mechanized warfare is born. Were it not for Turing we might not have had the supplies our generous friends kept sending, but even their deep pockets were months, even weeks from being empty by the end in the Pacific.
Some might say this influenced Imperial Japanese thinking when they went from some local invasions in Siberia, China and the islands, to poking the enemy with the big stick and oil, with its (the Japanese) arguably superior aircraft and tactics. Could have gone their way too but for some individual bravery from search aircraft crews and more codebreaking that did for the Kaga, Akagi, Soryu and Hiryu, and put them on the back foot for the next few years, ending with Little Boy and Fat Man paying a visit to end all visits.
With the rise of the BRIC countries, esp India and China, should we be worried that they acquire our old assets and try to copy our tech? If we could put aside our differences in Europe (ha!) we would be economically more powerful than the USA, and so might it follow we could afford a military to suit? But even the only superpower is finding the spending of 6% of GDP (depends who you ask/believe) unsustainable when healthcare is robbing 29% of your electorates hard earned. If only those cheeseburgers weren't so damn tasty...
No I as referring to the fact that he is now a Labour Peer, some earn places on boards of BAE and some earn peerages, guess it depends how you like your bread buttered, all a bit incestuous to me.
The whole reason for my initial dig and follow up is that the OPs quote from the BBC has him as a Labour Peer and not a cross bencher. If he is indeed a cross bencher then I retract my statement, but if indeed he is a Labour Peer, which is what I keep seeing repeated through various searches I stick by my original comments.
