The British government’s financial troubles during the global economic downturn have been taken extremely seriously by the recently elected Cameron governemnt, and have led to plans for major cuts across the board, including in military spending.
The military spending under the Blair government had regularly been criticized as unsustainable, but as the military has been continually dispatched in a secondary role in US military adventures abroad, the large budget was a necessary side effect (and never enough, to near British military officials talk).
But the planned cuts have sparked a flurry of warnings from US officials, first in private and now in public by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who insisted she was “worried” and that Britain and every other NATO member had a responsibility to keep their military expenses up for “the common defense.”
Of course, the US military’s expenditures are nearly as much as the rest of the world combined. Britain’s military is also one of the largest in the world, though only about 10 percent of America’s.
And it isn’t really the “common defense” so much as the “common offense” Secretary Clinton is worried about. The US-led occupation of Afghanistan, entering its 10th year, is getting bigger and more expensive all the time, and a number of nations have simply decided they can’t afford to keep those troops there forever. Britain’s force, the second largest in Afghanistan, would be a big loss to the US claims that it is an international mission.
It's touching that Hilary would be so concerned about Britain's armies. Of course, she doesn't care about Britain, what she cares about is whether Britain is ready to join in America's next invasion!
Where will it be, I wonder? Pakistan or Iran? Perhaps invading Venezuela might give the marines a welcome change of scenery.
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
Who's the colony now?
You are mate…. If you dont believe me, ask the Israelis….. ha!
Don't get your nationalistic panties in a wad mate. If you don't pour contempt on your country's government for being the American's lapdog then they'll never change and British troops will continue to bleed and die for American big business.
And it isn’t really the “common defense” so much as the “common offense” Secretary Clinton is worried about.
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Congratulations and thanks for your honesty and refusal to participate in the spin of pro regime media lapdogs. Helen Thomas's spirit is still alive in the USA.
Our government bandies about the word “defense” when it is anything but. The “Defense Dept. ” used to be the War Dept., which was far more appropriate. The defense budget is anything but. It should properly be labeled the war-making budget.
We (the USA) are bullies, invaders, occupiers of foreign sovereign nations all in our own interests. We want control over the oil, minerals, strategic locations, etc. and we will take that control by manipulation or by force if necessary. Defense of our country would appropriately be the securing of our borders by land, sea and air by deployment of our armed forces at our borders and no farther. That means at our borders with Canada and Mexico and perhaps a hundred miles at sea on our east and west borders. That is national defense. Anything more is agression on our part, extremely costly in lives and treasure.Enough already with empire, it NEVER ends well.
The Soviet Union had a massive army too and look what that got them when the financial house came down around them.
Hillary needs a ruler – to alap the knuckles of those unruly British students who behaved so well when Blair was PM.
Ms. Clinton.., the entire countries which are involved in wars from Iraq to Pakistan are bankrupt and you know it.., at least the British government admits to this fact and don’t want to spend more where is a long, costly with no end wars that you and your predecessors started.., I mean from Balkan wars to present wars in Middle East. To some degrees, the governments in Europe have a responsibilities where they try not to create more homeless people as they have.., in contrary the present and pasts US government is willing to create more homeless and poor in USA to pay for these insane wars where poor people are forced into militarism system of your government. The US policies.., in regard to continues wars and its social economic situation is the indications that 1- US government have no respects for its fellow citizens and 2- that its compelled by and to those who needs wars for personal gains and you know well who these people are.., so stop being considered about English or others who want out of your wars.., look at the people in USA and see for yourself how they live.., you want to save them money for their education.., stop paying the Adolph Prince and his mercenaries.
"Common offense' indeed. There is no threat at all to the British isles. She just wants to make sure America has a posse as it plays sheriff around the world.
lob some $$ reserved for the ME parriah to their good doggy.
"Clinton: US ‘Worried’ By British Military Cuts?" No problem Hillary, just have the Fed print up a few more hundred billion dollars and give Great (what's so great about it anyway?) Britain some "foreign aid." The American taxpayers, their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren are presently sold into bondage to the major Wall Street banks for a fourteen trillion dollar national debt. What's a few more hundred billion dollars going to matter? I mean, bankrupt is bankrupt. Right?