From the Falklands to the Gulf
Apr 4
The week that saw British servicemen humiliated by a former client state was also, as it happened, the one when Britain was marking the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war.
For Tony Blair, Britain's prime minister, the symmetry is uncomfortable. It contrasts Mrs Thatcher's conduct of the war in the Falklands with his own difficulties, in Iraq in particular. Worse, for a man who believes in his ability to persuade, Mr Blair is out of touch with his people. In a YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph this week, 61% of respondents said Britain was right to retake the Falklands, while 72% think the country should hesitate to get involved in conflicts that do not concern it. The British people want out—most clearly from Iraq, but also now from Afghanistan.
Based on a 1998 Strategic Defence Review, Britain is spending £14 billion ($28 billion) to improve its ability to conduct expeditionary operations far from home. Under Mr Blair, however, the armed forces are far more active than they planned to be.
Today, Britain—with an economy that has grown without recession for 15 years—has the money to buy military hardware. It also has a prime minister given to bold idealism. But a missing link has been highlighted by the past week's events in Iran. Without thoughtfulness and attention to detail (especially the detail that can be provided by good intelligence), all the military hardware in the world is insufficient to protect a state against others that bear old grudges against it.
從?？颂m群島到波斯灣
本周英國軍人受到了一個前受保護國的羞辱。而此時正值英國發(fā)動福克蘭群島(阿根廷稱馬爾維納斯群島)戰(zhàn)爭25周年之際。
對英國首相托尼·布萊爾來說，把撒切爾夫人在?？颂m群島戰(zhàn)爭的表現(xiàn)和他面臨的困難，特別是在伊拉克的困難相比是令人不快的。更糟糕的是，布萊爾先生相信他的說服力，但是他卻脫離人民。根據(jù)YOUGOV本周為“每日電訊”所做的一項民調(diào)：61%的受訪者說，英國奪回?？颂m群島是對的；而72%的人認(rèn)為，政府介入跟他們國家無關(guān)的沖突有欠考慮。英國人民希望撤軍，特別是從伊拉克撤軍，也希望從阿富汗撤軍。
根據(jù)1998年的“戰(zhàn)略防御回顧”，英國花費140億英鎊(280億美元)來改善遠離本土的遠征作戰(zhàn)能力。在布萊爾先生的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，武裝力量的活動比計劃的要強得多。
隨著持續(xù)15年沒有衰退的經(jīng)濟增長，今日的英國有錢購買軍事上的硬件。英國現(xiàn)在還有一位大膽的理想主義的首相。但是，上周發(fā)生的伊朗事件突顯了脫節(jié)的危害。如果考慮不周和不注意細節(jié)(特別是當(dāng)細節(jié)可以通過情報而得到的情況下)，世界上所有的軍事硬件都不足以使一個國家抵御它的宿敵。
Apr 4
The week that saw British servicemen humiliated by a former client state was also, as it happened, the one when Britain was marking the 25th anniversary of the Falklands war.
For Tony Blair, Britain's prime minister, the symmetry is uncomfortable. It contrasts Mrs Thatcher's conduct of the war in the Falklands with his own difficulties, in Iraq in particular. Worse, for a man who believes in his ability to persuade, Mr Blair is out of touch with his people. In a YouGov survey for the Daily Telegraph this week, 61% of respondents said Britain was right to retake the Falklands, while 72% think the country should hesitate to get involved in conflicts that do not concern it. The British people want out—most clearly from Iraq, but also now from Afghanistan.
Based on a 1998 Strategic Defence Review, Britain is spending £14 billion ($28 billion) to improve its ability to conduct expeditionary operations far from home. Under Mr Blair, however, the armed forces are far more active than they planned to be.
Today, Britain—with an economy that has grown without recession for 15 years—has the money to buy military hardware. It also has a prime minister given to bold idealism. But a missing link has been highlighted by the past week's events in Iran. Without thoughtfulness and attention to detail (especially the detail that can be provided by good intelligence), all the military hardware in the world is insufficient to protect a state against others that bear old grudges against it.
從?？颂m群島到波斯灣
本周英國軍人受到了一個前受保護國的羞辱。而此時正值英國發(fā)動福克蘭群島(阿根廷稱馬爾維納斯群島)戰(zhàn)爭25周年之際。
對英國首相托尼·布萊爾來說，把撒切爾夫人在?？颂m群島戰(zhàn)爭的表現(xiàn)和他面臨的困難，特別是在伊拉克的困難相比是令人不快的。更糟糕的是，布萊爾先生相信他的說服力，但是他卻脫離人民。根據(jù)YOUGOV本周為“每日電訊”所做的一項民調(diào)：61%的受訪者說，英國奪回?？颂m群島是對的；而72%的人認(rèn)為，政府介入跟他們國家無關(guān)的沖突有欠考慮。英國人民希望撤軍，特別是從伊拉克撤軍，也希望從阿富汗撤軍。
根據(jù)1998年的“戰(zhàn)略防御回顧”，英國花費140億英鎊(280億美元)來改善遠離本土的遠征作戰(zhàn)能力。在布萊爾先生的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，武裝力量的活動比計劃的要強得多。
隨著持續(xù)15年沒有衰退的經(jīng)濟增長，今日的英國有錢購買軍事上的硬件。英國現(xiàn)在還有一位大膽的理想主義的首相。但是，上周發(fā)生的伊朗事件突顯了脫節(jié)的危害。如果考慮不周和不注意細節(jié)(特別是當(dāng)細節(jié)可以通過情報而得到的情況下)，世界上所有的軍事硬件都不足以使一個國家抵御它的宿敵。