Home› Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Options

What would happen if Britain got rid of its Armed Forces?

2»

Comments

  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Flashman's Ghost wrote: »
    But you'll only have a for a few years before it sinks under global warming... Still may be good to have to scuba dive to your new possessions

    No probs, we get a few more of us and take Diego Garcia :thumb:
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BlackArab wrote: »
    No probs, we get a few more of us and take Diego Garcia :thumb:

    I am sure you could get the inhabitants who were forcibly removed back in the 1970's, to join your throng. :)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    All of the countries you've listed Aladdin are either backed up by the USA or have defence agreements with other countries because they are too small to be able to afford their own army.
    If you took the armed forces of a world player, such as the UK away then things would be different.
    The Falklands would go, what with the oil underneath them.
    The North Sea would no longer be ours to get oil from, any country that currently relys on the UK for defence would be shafted, ie anywhere in the Caymans or Gibraltar and the UK itself would be at risk of attack.

    We still have considerable stockpiles of natural resources, they're stockpiles because we import, keeping them in reserve.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    Apparently shit loads of [countries have no armies]. A search on the internets reveals [this]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_without_an_army

    Why haven't they been invaded?
    Because most of those listed are small, insignificant countries which never do anything particularly controversial on the world stage. That said, the UK is hardly doing much good at the moment abroad - Iraq is practically a safe haven for terrorists, and Afghanistan seems to be a mission going nowhere.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    Because most of those listed are small, insignificant countries .

    That describes the UK about right to me.
    One of you must be able to tell me what makes us in anyway a player.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    morrocan roll wrote: »
    That describes the UK about right to me.
    One of you must be able to tell me what makes us in anyway a player.

    You mean apart from population size, economy, strategic position and historical legacy?
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Flashman's Ghost wrote: »
    You mean apart from population size, economy, strategic position and historical legacy?
    Yes. The economy has shifted to somewhere else as in a manufacturing economy. The banking and insurance is following rapidly. The strategic position is only strategic to the USA and wont be much longer as they move into Eastern Europe. The historical legacy gets easily shunted aside by emerging empires. And lets be honest here ...theres only London that counts.
    The most important things in the world today are raw materials and what you turn them into. We have no raw materials and little machinery thats turning anything into anything.
    Even our agriculture has been decimated with the mad idea we will be able to just buy our food elswhere ...which is becoming increasingly difficult.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The economy has shifted - but so what? We have less people in heavy engineering (but we still produce a hell of a lot with less people), and we're still one of the world leaders in high-tech (I toured a couple of places last week). There's no great flight of service industries - sure we're going into a recession, but that's unlikely to be any more lasting than any of the dozens before it. We do produce lots of food, admittedly we import a lot, but that's because of variety and people wanting to eat strawberry's in March.

    Strategic position - who controls the UK controls the North Sea, and basically the entire Scandinavian coast and western European waters. More so now that at any other time with the rise of long range jets and modern shipping.

    raw materials - UK has always been shortish of these. that's why we had a trading empire (we still do). didn't stop people wanting the Uk before
    And historical legacy is from the Falkands (via , Gib, Oman etc) to Brunei. All of whom are dependent on us and a large chunk are also strategicaly relevant (Gib), produce Oil (Brunei), or have the potential to produce oil (Oman) or produce Oil and are strategically placed (Oman - top place by the way)
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    All of the countries you've listed Aladdin are either backed up by the USA or have defence agreements with other countries because they are too small to be able to afford their own army.
    If you took the armed forces of a world player, such as the UK away then things would be different.
    The Falklands would go, what with the oil underneath them.
    The North Sea would no longer be ours to get oil from, any country that currently relys on the UK for defence would be shafted, ie anywhere in the Caymans or Gibraltar and the UK itself would be at risk of attack.

    We still have considerable stockpiles of natural resources, they're stockpiles because we import, keeping them in reserve.
    But that implies you believe nations such as Spain or other Western democracies would actually would use force to either take Gibraltar or the North Sea oil. Do you really believe such thing could actually happen???

    I will concede the Falklands might be at a higher risk, but as for the rest... this is 2008. Things have changed vastly in the last half a century, and IMO they're not going to change back.
  • Options
    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Aladdin wrote: »
    But that implies you believe nations such as Spain or other Western democracies would actually would use force to either take Gibraltar or the North Sea oil. Do you really believe such thing could actually happen???

    I will concede the Falklands might be at a higher risk, but as for the rest... this is 2008. Things have changed vastly in the last half a century, and IMO they're not going to change back.

    Aladdin, poor you. You believe current country leaders anywhere are not greedy, evil fucks? The fact the UK and America (and a few other helpers) went to the Middle East to assert our claim over thier oil surley shows otherwise? And how the Powerful, strong, Mid East nations were all left, nice and alone and happy.

    A navy, from ANYWHERE, if we did not defend our waters, would claim the North Sea ASAP. They'd all be gunning it, full ahead, out the be first to this nice, free, oil source. And fishing too. I think the Dutch might get it first, or the Norweigans. Though those craft Swedes have got that FAC stealth boat thing.

    All our Island teritories would be gobbled up faster than you can imagine. Why? Islands are a GREAT strategic advantage and forward posting base. Why do you think WE have the Falklands? Or the Channel Islands?

    An Armed Forces in a non-unified world is necessary for defense. Even if we were unified, it'd be needed for some duties - not least the ever present but unkown threat of possible invasion from space. I wouldn't risk it.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    But that implies you believe nations such as Spain or other Western democracies would actually would use force to either take Gibraltar or the North Sea oil. Do you really believe such thing could actually happen???

    I will concede the Falklands might be at a higher risk, but as for the rest... this is 2008. Things have changed vastly in the last half a century, and IMO they're not going to change back.

    Possibly, but I wouldn't bet a couple of quid on it, never mind the safety of Gib...
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    China has boasted that it can deploy an army of two hundred million men!
    Just look at it's mechanised factory workers:nervous:

    cinarobotsed8.jpg

    This is morning roll call!
    Forget the British factory worker who clocks on and nips to the bog for a quick fag before starting.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote: »
    But that implies you believe nations such as Spain or other Western democracies would actually would use force to either take Gibraltar or the North Sea oil. Do you really believe such thing could actually happen???

    I will concede the Falklands might be at a higher risk, but as for the rest... this is 2008. Things have changed vastly in the last half a century, and IMO they're not going to change back.

    yes I do believe that. The only reason neither country attempts to take Gibraltar or The Falklands is that we're still quite capable of beating the snot out of any country that tries.
    Armed forces are a deterrent, and it wouldn't be long before one country or another is knocking at the door.

    And besides, who says Spain or Argentina could invade, why not China? If I was China I'd love a strategic little bit of land right on Europe's door step.
  • Options
    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Runnymede wrote: »
    Don't forget that the dastardly French, regardless of what they say to the contrary, still haven't gotten over that whole Joan of Arc business.

    here here, lol thats so funny an army is not a bad thing to have and could be used for other things than wars (for example in romania when they were hit by floods the army were mobilized to bring help we are not quite so sofisticated yet...) the thing we need to get rid of is running in the foot steps of america (bush) and stepping in all the shit they leave behind them
Sign In or Register to comment.