Not since the early 1800s has Great Britain seen the number of soldiers in its army reduced to the levels now planned — as part of an austerity scheme to rein in catastrophe-grade spending.
Seventeen major army units are getting axed en route to slashing the number of regular soldiers from 102,000 to 82,000. An aircraft carrier and a fleet of jets are also on the chopping block.
In this process of downplaying if not ignoring the single most important reason why a country’s government exists — national security — news accounts say that Britain may become unable to fight simultaneously in two major operations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
There is every reason to believe the massive downsizing of the military will give Britain’s enemies cause to think that they can, with greater impunity, attack British individuals or British interests abroad. You cannot fight traditional battles nor cowardly terrorists with troops and equipment you do not possess.
But you also cannot pay for reckless social welfare entitlements with money you don’t have. And Britain, buried deep in the costs of “free” programs such as its socialized National Health Service, is gutting its defenses to sustain the illusion that it can afford to maintain its welfare state.