The sooner the UK finds the money or matches its strategic ambitions against the reality of rebuilding capacity the sooner we can manage the mess that comes with an American Empire in its death throes.
The alternative though is very bad.
The decision to build that manufacturing plant needs to be taken soon though.
It only costs a few million to buy but it will take four years to acquire a rifle barrelling machine.
SO this isn't just about money. It is also about investing in capacity.
If the UK invested in small arms now, the unit cost per weapon would be very high. But that investment is offset during times of war.
Repeat that across the UK land industrial supply chain & you have high unit costs for all sorts of gear.
But we've experienced the alternative on 3 separate occasions: between 1789-1815 & in the FWW/SWW
The French revolutionary wars led the UK govt to invest in the Royal Smalls Arms Factory.
Why? Because the Birmingham trade could not supply enough guns to the right standard & instead gouged prices.
e.g: to rebuild small arms manufacturing capacity in the UK would cost at a guess around £150m.
That would insure the UK had capacity when war broke out, demand was high & defence inflation went through the roof.
I've been to the US a few times recently. On each occasion I sat next to someone involved in deglobalising supply chains. The cost of repatriating industrial capacity is already being felt by consumers.
About time, govt reinvested in defence industrial capacity.
www.newstatesman.com/internationa...
Dugin pretty clear about the significance of Palantir for the West...
Generating targets is one thing. Servicing them is entirely different.
That mismatch defines the limits of the system as a whole even as it frames the extent of the possible.
Wherever military AI goes next, there will always be a balance between old and new technology. The workhorses of the current operations are airframes designed in the Cold War.
As a Haverford College alum I just wanna say re Karp and Howard Lutnick… fuck, I dunno, sorry?
Why speed can't overcome history and geography.
My discussion on the limits and possibilities of AI and its application to military targeting.
www.thesgnl.com/2026/04/tech...
People been talking about Rejoin again and whether joining the euro would be a good thing or not, presuming that we might either have to, or a campaign would have to presume that we would, even if some kind of Swedish waiting room reality was possible, or even less likely, another opt out.
Back in Blighty
The only way that split is overcome is if the UK faces a more serious security threat.
But those who wanted to deploy to Iran, can’t agree on what the threat actually is.
But let’s face it. With British politics split five ways, it is going to be hard to take any military action without it producing deep political division.
This is hardly the basis for going to war - regardless of the Tory wailing about the Special Relationship.
All this gnashing and wailing about defence.
All because the Tories wanted to get stuck into Iran and the penny finally dropped that the UK talks a good game but is actually only good at talking.
💯 but my point still remains.
The leaders talk about rebuilding capability but so what?
Britain’s politics make it hors de combat.
The only way that split is overcome is if the UK faces a more serious security threat.
But those who wanted to deploy to Iran, can’t agree on what the threat actually is.
But let’s face it. With British politics split five ways, it is going to be hard to take any military action without it producing deep political division.
This is hardly the basis for going to war - regardless of the Tory wailing about the Special Relationship.
All this gnashing and wailing about defence.
All because the Tories wanted to get stuck into Iran and the penny finally dropped that the UK talks a good game but is actually only good at talking.
awwww
Yet another beautiful day in Florida.
How is your day going?
Yet another beautiful day in Florida
Another beautiful day in Florida.
How’s your day going?
There was one young woman who said she disagreed with feminism.
That was also something of a shock!
White American males should. Everyone else. No so much.
I’m not American. It is not my place to tell Americans what to do. I tried to point out what the implications were from this. But what else could anyone who isn’t American do?
Was it instructive for me and British politics? You betcha. And I never miss an opportunity to drive this point at home.
