The debate over the question of whether or not to renew the Trident missile system took a turn this weekend, when it was revealed that a Trident missile – in contrast to the Tories’ assurances in Parliament – had malfunctioned in a test-firing off the coast of Florida, accidentally heading in the direction of the USA.
The debate over the question of whether or not to renew the Trident missile system was briefly illuminated this weekend, when it was revealed that a Trident missile in a test-firing off the coast of Florida emerged from the ocean and took off in the direction of its parent nation, the USA.
This “incident” demonstrates a degree of independence regarding the Trident technology that was not fully covered during that debate about its renewal in Parliament last year. Such autonomy is hard to imagine and is in stark contradiction to all the assurances about the nuclear system’s technology offered by May and the Tories. It is also a damning indictment against the Blairites and their unsurprising eagerness to vote for Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Nuclear weapons, so we are told, are supposed to be the perfect deterrent to the use of nuclear weapons by others – but after this accidental stray firing it should be clear that any sane peoples would consider long and hard before daring to possess a set of armed warheads. Trident, it seems, is the doomsday machine that could prevent all future armed firings: a weapons system that has such a remarkable lack of predictability sewn into its fabric that it would surely deter anyone in their right mind from using it.
That Theresa May knew about the test failure all along is beyond doubt. Had she not known, she could have said so when questioned about it on the Andrew Marr show, without any risk to national Security. Clearly was aware of what had happened whilst the parliamentary debate was taking place; and, despite knowing that she was selling the nation a rogue (on behalf of the US arms industry), she went ahead and promoted it anyway. Denial was simply a face-saver.
In the colonial world, a member of the local ruling class who aids an imperialist power in exploiting their country is known as a “comprador” – a paid agent of imperialism. It seems that Theresa May has all the characteristic hallmarks of this particular breed. Her actions in covering up the faults of the Trident missile system and misleading Parliament illustrate perfectly the real nature of the “special relationship” between the USA and Britain: that of master and servant.
When a Labour MP on Question Time suggested that Nigel Farage would be happy to be Donald Trump’s butler, he could have mentioned the fact that Theresa May would also be happy to live “understairs” in the Trump household (now, worryingly, the White House). The Prime Minister recent fawning over the newly-inaugurated President and their scheduled meeting in Washington this Friday is yet further evidence of the subservience of British Establishment in relation to American imperialism.
If ever proof was needed, it is now more clear than ever that we can’t trust Trident – and we can’t trust the Tories!
