If one's policy was to only use nuclear weapons as a retaliatory measure then they presumably they'd only be deployed after a foe's first strike? It's all very well taking the moral high ground, but not very satisfying when all you are is radioactive dust.
They're supposed to be a deterrent aren't they? Who the **** are we going to use them against on a first strike basis? All they do is make us a target. This government is making us look pathetic in the eyes of the rest of the world, desperately trying to cling on to some pretence of importance on the world stage when all we will be is a little island off the coast of Europe.
Having just looked this up it seems I was labouring under a misconception of what our nuclear bomb policy was. The only countries with a 'no first use' policy are China, India and, wait for it, North Korea. The other nuclear club countries including us and the US, Russia and Pakistan have said that they would only use if attacked and are at risk of destruction (that's not necessarily a nuclear attack). The wild card is Israel, which does not officially admit to having such weapons. Of course it would have been better if nuclear weapons had never been invented, but they have and you can't univent something. Deterrence has worked every single day since the first Soviet atomic bomb test.
Andrea Leadpoisoning and Defra ordered to produce drafts of immediate measures to tackle Nitrogen Dioxide levels in areas where levels are illegally high. Government plans to delay doing anything about this until after the election rejected by the courts (after delaying previously). It is estimated that the pollution levels are contributing to the early deaths of 64 people a day. If I remember correctly, a lot of the worst affected areas were near schools. If only Andrea had kids, perhaps she'd take this more seriously....
Sorry, Strolls, you win the title of Self-Flagellator of the Week. You ignore the fact that this country has one of the largest economies in the world, and sits on the UN security council alongside China, France, US and Russia. We are not the Isle of Wight!
Murders, knife crime and acid attacks up substantially. A predicted 10,000 jihadis in the UK, walking amongst us. Thwarted terrorist attacks every few days, criminal courts dealing with mad Islamic zombies who want to bomb a pop concert or stab anyone in sight. We live in a dangerous world now.
I'm sure there is blame to be attributed to everyone from Labour to whoever encouraged widespread coal mining at the start of the industrial revolution. I'm not sure that justifies delaying any response and action further than the months already wasted (on top of the requested deadline extension) because it might be controversial and affect political gains.
There are politics in play on both sides. This decision is by one judge at first instance. If the government appeals, it will probably take it past the election date anyway. I agree it's a pressing issue, as a result of past failures
Might be a good idea apart from the fact he would nave to tip toe around all the inter continental nuclear missile silos located there.
I'd probably not emigrate, but be happy to live in lots of different places for a bit, just for the experience. Only comfortable, interesting places of course. Nothing to do with Brexit, crime rates, just how I have lived since I was 21. Nearly moved to Germany a few weeks ago, but the job wasn't quite right. What are you doing to improve your country (it's mine too of course)?
Quite peripatetic, aren't you? Improve? - I guess, pay a lot of taxes, for over 20 years most of the work I did was for clients out of the country so I was a decent export, donations to worthwhile charities that don't chug, get involved in the local community, neighbourhood watch, you know the stuff, Stan. How about you?
Yep, I am the archetypal citizen of nowhere, or more accurately anywhere. And I do all the stuff that you do, except neighbourhood watch. For the past 16 years I've been paid with US money, so all the taxes I've paid and all the money I've spent in the UK is new to the system. My kids have been educated mostly privately, healthcare mainly private, my public sector footprint is almost nothing. I am exactly the kind of citizen May should be thanking, instead of telling me that I'm not actually a citizen at all. But I don't think either your, or my, outstanding contributions are going to stop acid being thrown in nightclubs or reduce the number of militant Muslims around, which I thought was your issue of the day.
You're a good export, Stan. As you say, May would love you. I'm quite sure she'd say you're a most welcome and upstanding citizen. As to my issue of the day, you and I aren't going to stop it but drawing attention to it helps the public focus on deterioration. Turn your head and it gets worse. New York cleaned up its act with zero tolerance and clamping down on even low level stuff like grafitti making it more difficult for gangs to dominate their turf. We have an increasing problem with gangs, more young black men are being killed by knives as a result of reducing stop and search, kids are taking cleaning fluid and ammonia to school in bottles because it's easier than a knife. We ignore this stuff at our peril