Cameron - is anyone elese worried about his apparent lust for war?
15 March 2012, 03:12 PM
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Cameron - is anyone elese worried about his apparent lust for war?
Watching the speeches from Cameron and Obama last night I was struck by how measured Obama seemed in his comments about the possibility of military intervention in both Syria and Iran and conversely how seemingly ready Cameron is to hurl us into two more wars.
His language was along the lines of 'no time to waste, let's prepare for war and get something done about these problems' whereas Obama was far more keen to take a bit more time and use every slice of diplomacy.
It was like watching role reversal in actual fact!
Casmeron worries me as we haven't exactly done a lot of good in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya and yet he is seemingly lining us up for crack at the Iranians more or less using the excuse if we don't get in there then Israel will.
Not sure that is the best reason I can think of for provoking a nation far more military aware than those we have messed with so far.
Also how the hell are we as a country going to pay for this? We are broke, in the economic wilderness and in the process of having our AAA rating removed yet this guy thinks we need some more wars to fight!
Scary times ahead
His language was along the lines of 'no time to waste, let's prepare for war and get something done about these problems' whereas Obama was far more keen to take a bit more time and use every slice of diplomacy.
It was like watching role reversal in actual fact!
Casmeron worries me as we haven't exactly done a lot of good in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya and yet he is seemingly lining us up for crack at the Iranians more or less using the excuse if we don't get in there then Israel will.
Not sure that is the best reason I can think of for provoking a nation far more military aware than those we have messed with so far.
Also how the hell are we as a country going to pay for this? We are broke, in the economic wilderness and in the process of having our AAA rating removed yet this guy thinks we need some more wars to fight!
Scary times ahead
Last edited by f1_fan; 15 March 2012 at 03:15 PM.
15 March 2012, 04:02 PM
#2
If all our military withdrew from Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq. What other use would the UK have for its huge military.
I see this as jobs for the boys....saving face because our politicians don't want the reputation of being responsible for making thousands of troops redundant. Nor can it be seen employing them to sit in UK barracks twiddling their thumbs and having £billions of mothballed equipment.
I see this as jobs for the boys....saving face because our politicians don't want the reputation of being responsible for making thousands of troops redundant. Nor can it be seen employing them to sit in UK barracks twiddling their thumbs and having £billions of mothballed equipment.
Last edited by ALi-B; 15 March 2012 at 04:31 PM. Reason: moff-balled!!??? FFS. :mad:
15 March 2012, 04:44 PM
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Syria has a bigger standing army that we do. Have you see how many personnel are in the Indian army or the Chinese army? Our military is tiny in comparison.
15 March 2012, 06:09 PM
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Which doesn't necessarily mean very much. Iraq had a huge army, but were utterly steamrollered. There is a world of difference between a professional army and a conscripted one.
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
15 March 2012, 06:23 PM
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Watching the speeches from Cameron and Obama last night I was struck by how measured Obama seemed in his comments about the possibility of military intervention in both Syria and Iran and conversely how seemingly ready Cameron is to hurl us into two more wars.
His language was along the lines of 'no time to waste, let's prepare for war and get something done about these problems' whereas Obama was far more keen to take a bit more time and use every slice of diplomacy.
It was like watching role reversal in actual fact!
Casmeron worries me as we haven't exactly done a lot of good in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya and yet he is seemingly lining us up for crack at the Iranians more or less using the excuse if we don't get in there then Israel will.
Not sure that is the best reason I can think of for provoking a nation far more military aware than those we have messed with so far.
Also how the hell are we as a country going to pay for this? We are broke, in the economic wilderness and in the process of having our AAA rating removed yet this guy thinks we need some more wars to fight!
Scary times ahead
His language was along the lines of 'no time to waste, let's prepare for war and get something done about these problems' whereas Obama was far more keen to take a bit more time and use every slice of diplomacy.
It was like watching role reversal in actual fact!
Casmeron worries me as we haven't exactly done a lot of good in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya and yet he is seemingly lining us up for crack at the Iranians more or less using the excuse if we don't get in there then Israel will.
Not sure that is the best reason I can think of for provoking a nation far more military aware than those we have messed with so far.
Also how the hell are we as a country going to pay for this? We are broke, in the economic wilderness and in the process of having our AAA rating removed yet this guy thinks we need some more wars to fight!
Scary times ahead
It's Cameron desperately trying to restrain the US and Israel over Iran. The very last thing Cameron wants right now is a Iranian conflict.
Obama's pressures are of course very different, he has a strong pro-Israel lobby to appease in an election year and Republican candidates queuing up to sound more hawkish than the last.
I sense Cameron wants tougher action on Syria, but he knows full well nothing happens without the US.
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15 March 2012, 06:28 PM
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Britain under Cameron is hardly likely to take unilateral action against Syria or Iran, but Cameron is perhaps voicing support should America choose to do so. The rights or wrongs of actually getting involved are debatable, but not by me because I cant decide.
15 March 2012, 06:30 PM
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We can't put the burden if Iraq and Afghanistan down to Cameron.
Iirc it's not long till we completely pull out of Iraq?
And in all honesty he went about the Libya conflict well.
Iirc it's not long till we completely pull out of Iraq?
And in all honesty he went about the Libya conflict well.
15 March 2012, 06:33 PM
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15 March 2012, 06:37 PM
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Which doesn't necessarily mean very much. Iraq had a huge army, but were utterly steamrollered. There is a world of difference between a professional army and a conscripted one.
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
15 March 2012, 06:40 PM
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Which doesn't necessarily mean very much. Iraq had a huge army, but were utterly steamrollered. There is a world of difference between a professional army and a conscripted one.
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
The UK does have a huge military, it has, or had until a couple of years ago, the second largest annnual defence budget on the planet, at around $55billion (£35billion), (compared to the US at $400billion). I think with the the SDR we are now something like 4th
US defense spending is actually more like $700bn
15 March 2012, 06:41 PM
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15 March 2012, 08:25 PM
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I think the PM's equipped himself well over there; I actually can't think of a member on the other side of The House who'd have represented Britain with comparable statesmanship. They make a good partnership; imagine McCain and Miliband discussing policy! 
15 March 2012, 10:39 PM
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"equpped?"
Yeah don't think Millipede is an Air Force 1 candidate
I did hear that Israel doesn't have the in-flight refuelling aircraft to get their attack planes to Iran's underground facility so would need US help.
Doubt if Obama or Cameron will touch Syria. May be the Russians are right?
dl
15 March 2012, 10:45 PM
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Not sure what you are on about here.
It's Cameron desperately trying to restrain the US and Israel over Iran. The very last thing Cameron wants right now is a Iranian conflict.
Obama's pressures are of course very different, he has a strong pro-Israel lobby to appease in an election year and Republican candidates queuing up to sound more hawkish than the last.
I sense Cameron wants tougher action on Syria, but he knows full well nothing happens without the US.
It's Cameron desperately trying to restrain the US and Israel over Iran. The very last thing Cameron wants right now is a Iranian conflict.
Obama's pressures are of course very different, he has a strong pro-Israel lobby to appease in an election year and Republican candidates queuing up to sound more hawkish than the last.
I sense Cameron wants tougher action on Syria, but he knows full well nothing happens without the US.
15 March 2012, 11:05 PM
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I listened to the speeches last night too and this is exactly how it came across to me, certainly didnt hear it the way the OP heard it, in fact in some parts when Cameron spoke about being pretty relaxed and holding off you could see the fustration in Obamas face, he looked like he'd been forced to chill out lol
Good if Obama got a bit frustrated with Cameron's bright ideas. I remember how Obama treated Cameron in their first meeting. That wasn't very nice of Obama. I had been waiting since then for Cameron to show Obama that he wasn't just a pretty face but also a right ear basher.
15 March 2012, 11:17 PM
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Obama hates the Brits anyway. He's a Marxist Muslim after all. 
Oh yeah and his Grandfather was mistreated by the Brits in Kenya or something.
I do recall when Brown went over there he got some extremely 'crap' gifts from the Obamas...a kind of snub I suppose.
Oh yeah and his Grandfather was mistreated by the Brits in Kenya or something.I do recall when Brown went over there he got some extremely 'crap' gifts from the Obamas...a kind of snub I suppose.
15 March 2012, 11:19 PM
#29
As for the theocracy currently running Iran, well I'm sure they do a lot of good work for charity, but I'd have thought the Persian civilisation could have come to more than this.
I say room 101 for them as well.
15 March 2012, 11:21 PM
#30
Robin Cook?
Last edited by cster; 15 March 2012 at 11:31 PM.