The UK's entire nuclear-powered submarine fleet will be told to leave the Clyde and go back to England if Scotland votes for independence in September, the Scottish Government has said.
This would deal a fatal blow to Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to make the Faslane naval base near Helensburgh the UK home port for all its 14 reactor-driven submarines over the next few decades. As well as the four Trident submarines, three Trafalgar-class submarines and seven new Astute-class boats would all have to find a new base on the English coast.
#1
Other than Scotland being Scotland, what is the motivation for this? I'd like to think they want less to do with the EU and tighter immigration and welfare policies.
#3
If the Brits had any nerve, they'd do what the French did to Guinea:
... French President Charles de Gaulle made it clear on 08 August 1958 that France's colonies were to be given a stark choice between more autonomy in a new French Community and immediate independence in the referendum to be held on 28 September 1958. The other colonies chose the former but Guinea under the leadership of Ahmed Sékou Touré whose Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG) had won 56 of 60 seats in 1957 territorial elections voted overwhelmingly for independence. The French withdrew quickly, and on October 2, 1958, Guinea proclaimed itself a sovereign and independent republic, with Sékou Touré as president.... De Gaulle withdrew the French administration, with much of the French population following, which took much of the countrys infrastructure and large amounts of capital. Three thousand French left the country, taking all their property and destroying anything that could not be moved: schools, nurseries, and public administration buildings were crumbled; cars, books, medicine, research institute instruments, and tractors were crushed and sabotaged; horses and cows on farms were killed; food in warehouses was burned or poisoned. The purpose was to send a clear message to other colonies that the consequences for rejecting France were high.
#4
It would be a considerable capital outlay for a new submarine base. Further, the lower North Sea really isn't suited for it -- shallow and a long distance before a sub would have enough water under its keel to be comfortable.
But the Brits English could do it. Then Scotland would have an empty submarine base in Faslane. Maybe they could turn it into a port and shopping mall, the way the Filipinos did Subic Bay. We all know how well that turned out.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/14/2014 20:58 Comments ||
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I thought East Asians had trouble metabolizing milk products once they've been weaned. Ah well, not our problem if the entire nation of China is doubled over from abdominal cramps due to an expired metaphor.
#2
tw: It depends on how much of Chinese history you believe. I suspect large parts of their population are either only of part-Han descent or of mostly non-Han descent, and mostly assimilated to the dominant Han culture.
But being descended from pastoral groups like Mongolians, or Manchurians, or Tibetans or even groups from India and Nepal that we don't know much about... they're a lot less lactose-intolerant.
In the 19th century, when China was a backwards backwater, this wasn't too much of a challenge to social stability.
Now though, China is a bit more developed, confucianism and neo-confucianism and exam-confucianism are all starting to regenerate, and any old peasant (and not really one of the "right" people) can go down to the store and buy a 10-15 IQ point boost for their kids on top of the one they'll get for not growing up starving to death in the Great Leap Forward (which itself is probably something like 15-20).
And I wonder to myself, is that the 'problem' all the milk-poisoning is supposed to solve?
[WASHINGTONTIMES] Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ... the charismatic senator-for-life from Nevada, currently majority leader ... renewed his crusade against the Koch brothers Thursday, and demanded that Republicans disavow the two men who have spent tens of millions of dollars to back conservative causes.
"Is even one of you -- is even one of you -- willing to stand up and disavow the Koch brothers' agenda?" Mr. Reid demanded on the Senate floor as he opened Thursday's session.
It's the latest installment in what's becoming a frequent attack by Mr. Reid on David and Charles Koch, two of the wealthiest men in America. Mr. Reid led off his weekly press availability Tuesday with an attack on the two brothers, and then followed with the latest barrage of criticism.
"I'm not afraid of the Koch brothers. None of us should be afraid of the Koch brothers," he said.
Agreed. There are those with much more influence due to political donations -- those who place 1-58 on this list, for instance. Notice the rank of the first Republican one, dear Reader.
Mr. Reid objects to anti-Obamacare ... aka the Affordable Care Act, an ineptly designed and worse executed piece of legislation designed to bring 17 percent of the U.S. economy under the direct control of the government. The previous iteration, known as Hillarycare, was laughed out of Washington. This stinker was passed on a party-line vote without being read... ads being run by groups in the Koch organization, which Mr. Reid says are untrue. Fact-checkers have also poked holes in those ads.
But Mr. Reid has more than an academic interest in the matter. The ads are running in states where Democrats are in danger of losing Senate seats in November's elections, and if Democrats lose six seats, Mr. Reid will lose his position as majority leader.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/14/2014 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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#1
He right. Nobody should be afraid of the Koch brothers. They aren't the ones trying to destroy the best healthcare system on the planet. He and Obama and Queen Nancy are.
#2
It may be true that Harry Reid is not afraid of the Koch brothers.
But it probably is true that Dirty Harry suffers an acute case of diaper rash, complicated by his messing himself every time he hears the name Sheldon Adelson.
#3
Reid's great-grandfather was hanged for horse thievery back in the day.
Apples, trees, short falling distances.
Posted by: no mo uro ||
03/14/2014 7:49 Comments ||
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#4
Every time I hear the Champ parrot that phrase "do nothing congress," I get a mental image of Reid and an in-box full of legislation that he's sitting on. This fellow has got to go.
#5
Has Harry ever answered those charges of pederasty? Notice that he has never denied them.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/14/2014 7:55 Comments ||
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#6
Brian Sandoval is another matter. I'm sure the Donk equivalent of the Watergate break-in and Media Sleaze teams are working very very hard right now.
#14
Developing a fictitious enemy to rally the liberals around. Guess Bush is a worn out enemy. He is building for mid terms, sort of stage setting. Now every republican will be a Koch Nazi to be slandered by the dems. Mr. Reid, you are an evil mark on our democracy. You bring nothing but partisan politics to the table and you have lost touch with those whom you were elected to serve. You are bought and paid for by conspiring and evil men. While you hold one of the most prestigious positions in our government you will not be remembered as a leader of democracy, you will be remembered as a coward and slave to your crony masters. May you live in history forever, a shame to yourself, your family, and your party...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
03/14/2014 13:13 Comments ||
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#15
I don't care if he was railing against the Baldwin brothers, the Majority Leader using the Senate Floor to personally attack individuals is as inappropriate as using a handgun to fix a loose nail.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Harry Reid
