[WMCoolmon]

Wildlife interests aren't too happy about it

[Mr. Vega]

Ok, this is nothing but a big "**** you" by Bush, not only does the navy not need to do it there, it doesn't need to do it at all. There is no conceivable threat that justifies having a navy of this size. I wonder sometimes if Congress spends all that money on useless defense projects just so they physically can't spend any more on education and social services.

[Mefustae]

But the US needs a massive Navy! Without it, who'll protect Ma, apple pie, and baseball? Who will protect the American way of life against a world that seeks to destroy it?

Hell, they should be using those whales as target practice!!

[Mr. Vega]

We have 18 Ohio missile subs that can kill off pretty much 90% of China's population if we wanted to. That's all the navy we need. Any time some nation is acting up, we park an Ohio off their coast so they can see the captain wave at them with binoculars. Same level of intimidation, 1/500th the cost.

[Flipside]

Time to break out those head-mounted laser beams, if the Navy want a War, the Dolphins should give them one

[blowfish]

Time to break out those head-mounted laser beams, if the Navy want a War, the Dolphins should give them one

When the Dolphins win we can blame you.

[Mefustae]

We have 18 Ohio missile subs that can kill off pretty much 90% of China's population if we wanted to. That's all the navy we need. Any time some nation is acting up, we park an Ohio off their coast so they can see the captain wave at them with binoculars. Same level of intimidation, 1/500th the cost.

But that would take American foreign policy back to the 'massive retaliation' lunacy of the 50's. It prevents any kind of scaled response, whereby even the smallest attack would require a massive response, or else the US would be seen as unwilling to commit in any situation.

They abandoned that doctrine for a reason. Although my previous post was dripping with sarcasm, the fact remains that the US needs a damn sizable Navy to ensure future force projection on a scale that can deter attacks and intimidate nations without firing a shot.

[Flipside]

Time to break out those head-mounted laser beams, if the Navy want a War, the Dolphins should give them one

When the Dolphins win we can blame you.

Actually, the American Navy armed them in the first place, it seems to be a favourite habit of the American Armed forces actually, 'Sell other factions all our old weapons so we have an excuse to blow the **** out of them later'.

[Mr. Vega]

We have 18 Ohio missile subs that can kill off pretty much 90% of China's population if we wanted to. That's all the navy we need. Any time some nation is acting up, we park an Ohio off their coast so they can see the captain wave at them with binoculars. Same level of intimidation, 1/500th the cost.

But that would take American foreign policy back to the 'massive retaliation' lunacy of the 50's. It prevents any kind of scaled response, whereby even the smallest attack would require a massive response, or else the US would be seen as unwilling to commit in any situation.

They abandoned that doctrine for a reason. Although my previous post was dripping with sarcasm, the fact remains that the US needs a damn sizable Navy to ensure future force projection on a scale that can deter attacks and intimidate nations without firing a shot.

If I'm a bully at a school, and I've been picking on a boy, and I learn this boy can now bring a loaded sawed off shotgun to school, I'm not thinking "what can I do to him that won't result in him shooting me in the face?". I'm thinking I'm going to stay the hell away from him.

[Mefustae]

If I'm a bully at a school, and I've been picking on a boy, and I learn this boy can now bring a loaded sawed off shotgun to school, I'm not thinking "what can I do to him that won't result in him shooting me in the face?". I'm thinking I'm going to stay the hell away from him.

Or, you could keep hassling to a minimum level. You keep hassling the kid with the sawn-off, but just not enough to warrant getting shot in the face, which is a pretty big damn reaction. Let's also not forget that you know that there'd be big damn consequences if someone used a sawn-off shotgun at school, so you could use that against him.

Eventually, the kid will either shoot you and suffer the severe consequences, or just realize that it was a bad idea to make a threat that he knew he couldn't back up.

[WeatherOp]

Nuke them Wales.

[Flipside]

Whales! Not Wales, I'm pretty sure Wales has done nothing to deserve nuking, except, possibly inflicting the Male Voice Choir on the world....

Actually, no, you were right the first time....

[Ford Prefect]

Are you referring to a specific group? Because if you're referring to the generic concept of an ensemble of male voices, A) you can't really credit one place with that invention, and B) FOR SHAME, MAN.

[Flipside]

Well, it was actually the Welsh miners that used to do the voice choir stuff that drove me up the wall, to be honest, they were popping up everywhere during the early 90's. I'd have given my right arm for, just once, one of them to sing 'Hi-Hooooo!' just for the hell of it.

[Ford Prefect]

Ohhhhh I thought maybe you were talking about classical ensembles.

On another note, one could also conclude that Wales is actually being instructed, albeit sans a comma, to nuke a mysterious "them." Do you guys keep nukes in Wales?

[Flipside]

Well, mostly we use Wales to store spare Slate, Sheep and any mountains we couldn't squeeze into the Highlands or the Pennines

Seriously though, Wales is Nuclear Free as far as I'm aware, most of our nuclear weapons are sub or ship based really.

[captain-custard]

Well, mostly we use Wales to store spare Slate, Sheep and any mountains we couldn't squeeze into the Highlands or the Pennines

Seriously though, Wales is Nuclear Free as far as I'm aware, most of our nuclear weapons are sub or ship based really.

the UK does not have nuclear weapons , they have nuclear devices that we can fire when we like, after this it becomes a little more complicated, we have to ask the American government very nicely to arm the guidance system !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Flipside]

Our ICBM's are American, our smaller Nuclear missiles are not, but they are still weapons

I also have a feeling that even if the American government said 'No' the UK government is more than able to prime and launch those missiles.

[captain-custard]

Our ICBM's are American, our smaller Nuclear missiles are not, but they are still weapons

I also have a feeling that even if the American government said 'No' the UK government is more than able to prime and launch those missiles.

to my knowledge ( maybe this has changed in the last few years) all our missiles use the same satelite system , which is american , and we have to get permission to use this ............;;

so we have an independant system yes i agree but we cant target them without the permission of the american president

[Bobboau]

I thought you gave your launch codes to the UN or something?