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Off Topic WW3 How Close?

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by Nozs’ Hat, Jan 20, 2022.

  1. Daz

    Daz Well-Known Member

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    We are a small fish in a big pond these days, but like you say it still helps.
     
    #2361
    The Redbaron likes this.
  2. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    Most of who …

    … that's quite a statistic you've made up there.
     
    #2362
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2025
    C Montgomery Burns likes this.
  3. Monkey69

    Monkey69 Well-Known Member

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    Thought this song might fit on here.
     
    #2363
  4. flandersmackem

    flandersmackem Well-Known Member

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    As one of only 9 countries in the world to have a nuclear capability the UK will always remain a relevant voice in any military conversation. To think that Poland, Canada etc would be ahead in any military global discussion of the UK would be a non starter
     
    #2364
  5. Gordon Armstrong

    Gordon Armstrong Just another S.A.F.C. fan
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    The U.K. has been and always will be 'relevant' in world affairs . . . . the whole world has virtually always respected our military expertise, including psychotic Putin, who will be very wary of our might in that respect :emoticon-0148-yes:

    There's not much good about Starmer, but he seems to want to take a leading role in helping to defend Ukraine's right as a country to defend itself against current tyranny from the aggressors.
     
    #2365
  6. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    Starmer seems to be acting for the right reasons and not just attention seeking. As a new PM I’d expect this is the last situation he wants to walk into but, as you say, he seems to be doing what’s best and not for selfish means.

    Johnson wanted to be Churchill but couldn’t pull it off …

    … Starmer is attempting to be Chamberlain which is quite brave in my opinion .
     
    #2366
  7. Brainy Dose

    Brainy Dose Well-Known Member

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    Since our exit from the EU,one of their major concerns has been that they no longer hold control over the major military might in their region...us and the French have it.
     
    #2367
  8. The Redbaron

    The Redbaron Well-Known Member

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    The Tories can and do carry some of the blame but the root cause of the decline goes way back to Tony Blair and Gordon Browns and their policies.
     
    #2368
  9. Blond Bombshell

    Blond Bombshell Well-Known Member

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    Interesting, didn't know that. Any articles on this?
     
    #2369
  10. rooch 3

    rooch 3 Well-Known Member

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    Didn’t know that?
    I know you are a WUM now <laugh>
     
    #2370
    The Redbaron and Blond Bombshell like this.

  11. Blond Bombshell

    Blond Bombshell Well-Known Member

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    I'm certainly not taking your word for it after the tories hollowed out the services
     
    #2371
    clockstander likes this.
  12. WorkyTicketFTM

    WorkyTicketFTM Well-Known Member

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    Top and bottom of it is Labour made it easier to claim asylum here through a series of migration related parliamentary acts. Net migration quadrupled under their last tenure and we’ve had to deal with the consequences ever since. The population of the UK was 58m in 2000 it’s now 68m. Thats what, a 16% increase or thereabouts? In the same time Germanys population has risen just 2.6%.

    It’s beyond me how anyone can’t see that this is the issue and still go down the “go and print more money” route. How much ****ing money do you think we can throw at public services? It’s getting to the point where ordinary working class people are paying for private healthcare. People bang on about the NHS being brilliant because it’s free. If that’s the case Danny Graham must’ve been brilliant because that **** was free anarl. It’s all good being “free” to use if you can actually use it, but when the majority of us can’t even get an appointment at our local GP never mind waiting years for operations whilst you can get booked in for a hip replacement within a month privately, what’s the point?

    Infrastructure wasn’t built for this many people unfortunately and the budgets have risen with inflation. They just havent risen enough because of the immigration boom, and we all know those who’ve inundated the shores aren’t exactly all engineers and doctors contributing to the economy. So the whole “more people means more tax for services” is a load of ****e.
     
    #2372
  13. Gordon Armstrong

    Gordon Armstrong Just another S.A.F.C. fan
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    As far as the NHS is concerned it's all about money and greed, I think, when dentists won't take on new patients and actively get rid of some existing patients because they want us all to go private and pay an awful lot more (to see the same dentists for the same treatments) . . . . greedy bastards :steam:
     
    #2373
  14. rooch 3

    rooch 3 Well-Known Member

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    Don’t quite see the link you seem to have made with the Tories and me <laugh>
     
    #2374
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  15. Draig

    Draig Well-Known Member

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    We might have Trident, but that is a very narrow power base, Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales probably outrank that in terms of power projection.

    As far as Europe is concerned, Trident was always been about keeping the USSR at bay, but these days conflict is all about drone and hybrid warfare, with attacks upon international power and data links. No amount of nukes will keep you sitting at that top table.

    The geographical location of Poland together with its massive investment in weaponry, including agreements for domestic production of much of its purchased heavy equipment, certainly gives it a place at the top table - where it isn't just an observer, it carries a lot of clout.

    Trump might not understand it yet, but it is Poland and Ukraine that protect the gateways to the majority of Western Europe and that these days NATO is less about protecting the Atlantic Sea Lanes and more about protecting the beds of the North Sea & Baltic Sea.
     
    #2375
  16. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    I’ve honestly no idea how far these problems go back and who’s to blame …

    … I just don’t follow things that closely.

    But it’s embarrassing that, after 14 years and a big majority, Tories are now jumping on the new government at every opportunity and saying, ‘Where you’re going wrong’ and ‘What you should be doing’.
     
    #2376
    rooch 3 and Blond Bombshell like this.
  17. WorkyTicketFTM

    WorkyTicketFTM Well-Known Member

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    British politics in a nutshell. Been this way for decades it’s always ****-slinging at the other party instead of accountability. I’ve long thought it’s easy for the opposition to wait to see what goes wrong then say, well you should’ve done this or we would’ve done this.
     
    #2377
  18. Blond Bombshell

    Blond Bombshell Well-Known Member

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    I trust in Starmer to put things right. It's going to be an interesting couple of years.
     
    #2378
  19. rooch 3

    rooch 3 Well-Known Member

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    I think you are right, two more good winters and most of the disabled and pensioners will be dead.
    All those lovely pension pots he can dig into.
     
    #2379
  20. Brainy Dose

    Brainy Dose Well-Known Member

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    Well,if you don't follow things that closely....here's an update.
    The problems this country has in providing public services and generally looking after its' people.....its' primary function......are the result of decades of under-investment and the systematic failure to address the reallity of the future staring the various Govts.....of all persuasions....in the face. It's completely ridiculous to blame the current ills of this country on 14 years of Conservative Party rule.....as pathetic and horrendous as it was.....when the overall problems lie well before,which no party of any persuasion has addressed since the 60's.
    Unfettered,uncatalogued and unplanned increase in the numbers of people arriving to settle here has resulted in a total breakdown of our society.
    It wasn't great to start with.....for most,it's beyond miserable now.
     
    #2380
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