Go tell the Marines
According to Grant Shapps I and a heck of a lot of other people are unpatriotic. As he said in a major speech "Some people, especially on the left, have a tendency to talk Britain down.. they believe Britain can no longer have the power to influence world events... I passionately believe these unpatriotic, Britain belittling doom-mongers are simply wrong..."
This is, to put it kindly, a bit rich, coming as it does from the man who is now in charge of the smallest Armed forces since the 1800’s. The Armed Forces which are in the middle of a recruitment crisis, with not enough sailors to man its few ships, so even more have to be mothballed or sold off, with too few soldiers, and too few pilots for the far too few planes that it still manages to keep in the air.
In the middle of a war in Europe the Defence Secretary is asking the Royal Marines to “justify” their existence, the kind of pathetic, inadequate, middle management mind game that Mr Shapps thinks is clever. I imagine many of the answers will have to be bowdlerised before Mr Shapps gets to see them.
As for being a “belittling doom-monger” well there is nothing belittling about the truth.
There is a lot of belittling if you make the economy smaller and weaker, the defence budget lower, the influence of the country weaker in Europe and Washington, if you undermine its reputation for human rights and threaten to break international law numerous times. It also happens if you stop listening to scientists and business leaders about what they need, if you make the country a laughing stock and lie through your teeth about the true state of affairs, because it is what the xenophobic far right want to hear.
Let’s not mention the Russian money and influence that helped push Brexit through, the Brexiteers were happy to get into bed with our enemies.
But yes, please do lecture us all on how you are patriotic and your critics are not and wrap yourself in the flag. Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, because when their failure is complete and they are exposed, it is what they use to try to protect themselves.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
If it helps, remind the next person you’re in a discussion like this with, that if they’re beloved National Service is brought back, the only conscriptees would be the avacado-quaffing, gender fluid wokies who’ve been watching others play video games for the last decade.
Enjoy the smirk sliding off their face as it sets in.