“We are in a new era,” stated defence secretary Grant Shapps recently, “and we must be prepared to deter our enemies, prepared to lead our allies, and prepared to defend our nation whenever the call comes.”
Shapps promised the “biggest show of strength” since the Cold War to face down the Russian “menace”. From February to May, Britain will be leading the charge in NATO’s grandiose-sounding ‘Operation Steadfast Defender’.
Styled as a purely ‘defensive’ measure, Britain will send a task force of 20,000 army personnel to ‘counter Russian aggression’.
The destination? Anywhere but Ukraine! Troops will be deployed in various NATO member states to practice repelling a Russian invasion, while leaving their ‘allies’ in Ukraine high and dry. No wonder Zelensky is complaining so much.
Ukraine will of course not be participating in these military games, since it is embroiled in an actual war spurred on by the western imperialists.
As western leaders cheer ‘Slava Ukraini!’ until the last drop of Ukrainian blood, cynical Tory politicians are trying to cash in on the carnage by presenting themselves as the guardians of the free world.
But this farcical chest-beating fools no one. The British imperialists have long been reduced to a mere lapdog of the Washington warmongers, whom they will faithfully follow to hell and beyond.
And just like a yapping Jack Russell, this dog is all bark and no bite!
Maria G, Mile End Communists
Sinking ship
Keen to flex their muscles on the world stage, the braggadocious British imperialists have eagerly started bombing Yemen.
But by banging their fists on the table in defence of the ‘rules-based (read: profits-based) order’, they are more likely to fracture their wrists than scare away the Houthis.
While RAF jets ‘heroically’ bomb an impoverished nation, the UK Navy is having to withdraw two of its warships from the Red Sea due to understaffing.
Recruitment in the Armed Forces has been described as being in “total collapse”. In the past year, there have been six thousand more leavers than joiners, with the Navy hit the worst.
Is it any wonder? Staff satisfaction is at its lowest-ever level. In exchange for pay cuts and rat-infested accommodation, recruits are risking their lives to defend Israel’s right to slaughter civilians.
Desperate Navy chiefs have resorted to offering £500 sign-on bonuses and waiving security checks. Unable to find any talent within their own ranks, they even advertised on LinkedIn to find a Director of Submarines!
The top brass is stuck shuffling a shrinking skeleton crew around a deteriorating fleet.
British imperialism puffs out its chest. But it is overstretched, atrophied, and a liability to its allies.
The rust-bucket Royal Navy should be scrapped. The billions saved should be spent fixing broken Britain, rather than decorating the ocean floor.
Jonathan Hinckley
Police, sir, can I have some more?
Back at home, things fare no better for the beleaguered British establishment. The Metropolitan Police is also in the throes of a staffing crisis.
Not only are the Met receiving just half of the applications they require, but the rate of officers resigning has increased by over 200 percent compared to four years ago.
Despite splurging millions on adverts and signing-up bonuses, Scotland Yard lost more coppers than it gained in 2023.
The force is “utterly demoralised”, according to one former bobby, who candidly revealed “it has always been a big ask to convince enough fit, brave, and smart individuals to sign up”.
So to do our bit to help the boys in blue, we’d like to appeal to our readers: Do you know someone who is racist, sexist, corrupt, abusive, or all of the above? Sign them up today!
Pierre Capponi
Doesn’t it feel like everything’s falling apart? Trains are cancelled left, right, and centre. It’s impossible to get an NHS appointment. And high streets increasingly resemble ghost towns.
For our ‘Broken Britain’ column, we want to hear your personal experiences of the crisis of British capitalism: whether you’re a worker in a waning industry; a young person whose school is collapsing; an employee on the frontline of austerity-ravaged local services; or just a pissed-off member of the public.
Write to us with your real-life stories. Help us fill the pages of The Communist, and turn it into a true voice of the working class. Send in your submissions today!
