Nuclear weapons keep you safe

[Havana Saint]

We have a renewal of nuclear weapons. Sleep well Scotland.....the mind boggles

[babychunder]

We've never needed to use them and I hope we never do. How about bluffing we have them, and spending the money on something else?

[Abernethy Saint]

Can't do that. Tony Blair will invade us.

 

[Hendo]

The Trident vote was a foregone conclusion sadly.

For me the outcome wasn't as disappointing as some of the arguments that people used to justify their existence. Arguing that they created job is like arguing to retain slavery because labour rates would go up.

It was also disappointing to see politicians who purported to have opposed nuclear weapons all their lives voting for them. And don't even get me start on Hillary Benn; Tony must be rolling in his grave.

[rik2304]

I sleep better at night knowing that if the Ruskies nuke us then a short while after I'm vaporised millions of Russians will similarly be vaporised in retaliation.

[Abernethy Saint]

Nonsense. Communist. It's great that we have weapons of mass destruction to protect our food banks. 

[dunblanemike]

A large number of uk MPs have a vested interest in the companies that make trident or in the banks etc that supply money to these companies. This is among both Tory and red Tory MPs. There should be rules in place that stop MPs voting in issues in which they can gain monetarily. I thought there was such a rule but it clearly did not apply in this vote.

[AthensSaint]

Yet another issue that we shouldn't let local yokels vote on by means of a referendum. 

[Abernethy Saint]

 

A large number of uk MPs have a vested interest in the companies that make trident or in the banks etc that supply money to these companies. This is among both Tory and red Tory MPs. There should be rules in place that stop MPs voting in issues in which they can gain monetarily. I thought there was such a rule but it clearly did not apply in this vote.

Normal MP's have to declare an interest, but having done so can then vote how they like. Ministers would be in fairly deep brown stuff if they did this, though. Most of them sell-up any potentially dodgy or even all investments on appointment these days. But that's not how the money is made - it comes in directorships and consultancies with the companies they regulate after they leave office.

In fairness, Rolls Royce, BAE etc are such ginormous companies that it would be difficult not to have any connection with them in some way if you invest. You might not own shares in them, but you might in the company that makes a widget for them, or sells them loo roll, etc. That's why so-called ethical investments are a bit of a joke - economies now are so integrated that everything relies on everything else.

[dunblanemike]

Perhaps unsurprisingly these banks, in particular RBS and HSBC, also supply money to the companies that make the Russian equivalent of trident. These weapons are far too profitable to be voted out by MPs, it has nowt to do with deterrents.

[Abernethy Saint]

Spot on. I think a combination of that, little Englanders empire types (ie most of the Tories and UKIP and much of Labour) wanting to "keep Britain at the top table", and the fact that only colonised Scottish people will die if there's an accident explains it. 

A solution remains available.

[Gort]

Is anyone seriously suggesting we get rid of them whilst China and Russia etc have them, saving £200 billion is no good if the country is radio-active.  One bomb hitting London alone would cause £200 billion damage in about 20 seconds, also 5 million dead. The money would be spent on aircraft carriers, tanks and other weapons if the nuclear weapons were scrapped, not on bairns and foodbanks as some believe. Do you think the Yanks would have bombed the Japs if the Japs could have sent nuclear weapons to the Yanks west coast, almost certainly not. Fair enough, if EVERYONE gets rid of them then fine, but not the UK on it's own. 

[babychunder]

Not everyone is going to disarm at once. Someone has to go first. It could be us.

[Abernethy Saint]