Should GB be a world power

I think my comments about rebuilding the infrastructure have been misunderstood. I am not suggesting our involvement would be to make the damage worse.

I was suggesting that after the conflict is over and the rebuilding of the infrastructure begins, as one of the leading coalition countries we would be well placed to pick up contracts - as we've done in all the other conflicts when we've been involved.

AnnieBach more than 60 countries are involved in some way now.

Rosequartz, how many countries are involved in the bombing ?

djen the government has been criticised for reducing defence spending.

Defence - even in your link the word is defence
Not war, or aggression.

So, would you feel ok if this escalated into a Third World War, even to the extent of our "standing alone" against IS?

I don't see why it would, really, as we would not be 'standing alone' - the majority of countries are against them.

Cameron wants us to be a bigger world power.

stopwar.org.uk/index.php/news/follow-the-money-uk-government-review-of-defence-spending-reeks-of-war

None of this expansion is to do with Syria. If it is he expects the war to last a lot longer than most people want it to.

out of synch on the thread but just to say I am under 65 and am the child of colonial Britain. My father was in the colonial service until the 1960's and I remember very well the life that we had as part of the 'ruling group' in East Africa. My brother was born in E Africa and is still in his 50s! So not all people from the colonies are that old and decrepit.

Re GB being a world power, we are influential but not as powerful as we once were. Not a bad thing.

We need to be influencing the financial support/ arms sales that keep Daesh going, be providing safe havens and safe air space for the ordinary people of these strife ridden countries to get to places of safety. That is the way to undermine terrorists. Bombing and killing only perpetuates the situation and increases the numbers angry people, ripe for persuasion by Daesh, on the ground.

My posts were addressed to Margaretofnorthants btw.

So, would you feel ok if this escalated into a Third World War, even to the extent of our "standing alone" against IS? Has the world really not progressed at all since the 1940's. You sound as though it would be something to be proud of, and the rest can go to hell.

I wish I could be so certain of the right thing to do.

I don't think anyone can be certain of the right thing to do because no-one can be certain of any outcome or what would have happened if a different decision had been taken.

"And yes, civilians will be killed, but at the end of the day that is because we can't agree to get along with each other. "

Oh that's ok then. So long as the children know why they are being horribly maimed.

I wish I could be so certain of the right thing to do.

Just read Margaret's last post, and I see I have echoed what she said

But to bring in another aspect. The West makes money from rebuilding the infrastructure of countries reduced to rubble by conflict. Is one of the reasons for expanding air strike to make sure we get a bite of that huge cherry?
Wilma
That is shocking and cynical. Have you seen any pictures of the state of Syria already?

Anyway - the proposed air strikes would be targeted to avoid civilian casualties as far as possible, so not a huge bombing raid like those in WW2 destroying vast amounts of infrastructure in the process. (Do some people not understand that?). It is because Britain has the expertise to do that that we have been requested to help.

Me too!

MargaretinNorthant

I like the way you post .

Why does this sound familiar!!! Like you, I said (and do say!) Nothing!!!

NigglyNellie
Exactly.....we know nothing......and we don't even come from Barcelona (Fawlty Towers)! When my girls had babies I was informed things had changed from my day, and I thought to myself, maybe but babies haven't. The same daughter said to me a couple of years back "it's a shame every generation has to find out the same things for itself, instead of just being content to build on what's known" . I never said a word!!!

Margaret you do write such sensible realistic posts. Your sons remark totally echoes what my DH used to say many years ago when conducting business in the ME. Of course life isn't fair and a lot of life is luck, one way or the other. Luck where you're born, what era you're born in, and the circumstances you're born into. One generation earlier it would have been me not my mother who was the war widow, if it hadn't been for a chance encounter she would never have met and married my much loved step father. Had my father lived who knows how life would have panned out?! Like you though I'm just Granny to my beloved grandchildren who probably doesn't know an awful lot and has to be indulged!!!

Thanks for the clarification, vamp. It is what I assumed you meant

Some UK industries are subsidised by government.

Surely life itself is not " fair ". So some countries subsidise their industries, then surely the answer is that what we make must be better quality. At one time Sheffield steel was considered the best in the world, now you can't tell me no-one else in the world was making steel? The best of everything will always be the most sought after.
Returning to the original topic for a moment, and ISIL not being an exact target as were Hitler and the Nazis do you doubt for one minute that we have SAS on the round in Syria? I don't. With today's technology we can pinpoint targets in a way that was unthought of 50 years ago. Mass bombing such as we had in the 2nd world war, on both sides, is not necessary. And yes, civilians will be killed, but at the end of the day that is because we can't agree to get along with each other.
As for doing business in the ME, no 2 son flies all over the world for business, and doing it in China, Taiwan, India, poses the same problems. He said jokingly to me "the trouble is Mum, they don't have the English concept of a man's word being his bond."
Thanks for the encouraging posts. I'm just a 78 year old Gran, and have given up thinking I can change the world!!!!!
Margaret

Apologies for using GB rather than UK. No intention of forgetting or insulting Northern Ireland.

Some countries subsidise their industries so we're not competing on a level playing field.

That word "should" appears again. Why is there any should about it? We either are a world power or we aren't and that's all there is to it.

Whether anyone should regard GB (did you mean GB, vamp, or the UK, and if the former, why aren't you including Northern Ireland? Just asking because curious) as a world power is debatable. Personally I don't care whether we are or aren't nor whether anyone regards us as a world power or not. I do care about how we, as a country, behave.

Another question: why shouldn't British industry have to fight to survive in a competitive global market? Every other country's ndustry has to. Why should we be different?

I agree with your DH, vampire. My brother was also in the Gulf War. He also has nightmares.

Thank you Vampirequeen for replying.

DH was in the Gulf. He saw and did things that still give him nightmares. He doesn't think we should bomb or put in ground troops.