This Trident thing...

[andygates]

Please explain to me just who we're going to nuke?

For extra credit, compare to insurance against badger attack: £1000 premium, and we promise to gas the one wot bit you.  Explain how Trident offers a substantially more well-priced policy against a more credible threat.

Please explain to me just why this is anything more than reluctance to leave the Big Swinging Dicks Club?

Comments

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

http://www.octopustruth.com/

I can't believe you even needed to ask!

[skean.livejournal.com]

This explains everything. And if it doesn't, this one should

[simoneck.livejournal.com]

It isn't.

But it might almost be worth it, if we then shut up about Iran breaking the nuclear poliferation treaty. We signed that too and said we'd work to reduce then remove our capability. Can't see any sign of that yet.
I don't want Iran to gain this capability, but we shouldn't be so hypocritical and sanctimonious about it.

[jonnycowbells.livejournal.com]

We're going to nuke Iran and North Korea, but only if the US get nuked first. We're a strategic back up - a probably not very effective effort to avoid a single point of failure.

Quite how this was deemed acceptable between the USSR breaking up and other nasty foreigners getting nuclear programs I'm not sure. I guess it's a problem with mutually assured destruction - it's like being on the phone with your new girlfriend going "You hang up first", "No, you hang up first.", "No you....you still there?", "No you.."

Both situations leave me slightly sick.

On Greenpeace estimates I make it about £36 per person per year and it's more of a vaccine than an insurance policy. A vaccine that might not work, so more like a Rabies vaccine then. Or a Malarial prophylaxis. Do badgers carry Malaria?

Right - I'm off to swing my dick...