Categories: just-life
Date: 15 November 2007 23:31:03
I know that there are those out there that are against the nuclear bogie-man and so I suspect that they will be disapointed at my proclaimation, but without my normal interactions with wishy-washy, flip-floppy, liberal weiners I am slowly becoming more and more right-wing.
Mwhahahaha!!!!
On Newsnight tonight they were talking about how unlike the US, Russia and France where you need a multi-digit numerical code from the President to launch a nuclear missile in Britain, sorry, Great Britian the commander of the submarine (or until '98 the RAF bomber) had the ability of launching.
This is because unlike the US, Russia and France, British Submarine Commanders are in fact steadfast, reliable folk who don't tend to go round hoping to shoot something. That and it's not like you can fire a missile surreptitiously. The "Dr Strangelove" senario would require a large number of the crew to be slightly barmy.
Of course, the Chair of CND UK seems to have been watching far too many hollywood movies.... for instance when she started talking about the possibility of having a submarine being hijacked. Because, unlike the U(nder) S(iege) Navy, British Navel Vessels don't all have their own Steven Segal on board. She also started going on about all these previous examples of where things had gone "wrong". In the US Navy, the Russian Navy (but we already know they're not to be trusted with nukes). Any examples involving the British Navy and their "high risk, low tech" weapons you might ask...???
Apparently ther are, though she did seem to be unable to mention any. Well, apart from where one commander managed to prang the front of his sub and hoped no-one would notice.
The thing about having a nuclear deterance is that if the missiles were unable to be launched without prior notice from Whitehall, well, unlike some of these larger countries Whitehall is a very small target. It would not take a lot to remove all such "approved authority" and then we'd be in trouble. Of course, with our easy-to-fire missiles, in such a case we have a number of Trident Missile Subs that have the ability to turn the other country into a rather glassy car-park (though one that'll be ready to use in 50,000 years).
This is what a Nuclear Deterance means. You won't attack us, because if you do, your grandkids will have three eyes and webbed feet.