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Subject: More big news about the French
interestedamateur    6/17/2008 9:17:41 AM
Large defence cuts announced in France today. Has to be ratified by their government, but unless they want to spend big, it's going to happen. Details nicked from Fantassin on arsse (http://www .arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/viewtopic/t=99178.html): 1) 54.000 jobs (both civilians & military) will be cut in the coming six or seven years. The "Armée de terre" (army) will go down to 130,600 ( - 17%), the "Armée de l'air" (AF) will go down to 50,000 men (-25%) and the "Marine nationale" will go down to 44,000 men (-11%). 2) Decision on the second aircraft carrier is pushed back to 2011; same thing for the FREMM frigates. 3) Emphasis will be put on spatial defence with the creation of a dedicated command and new satellites will be launched 4) A new early warning system to detect balistic missiles will reach initial capability in 2015, being fully operational by 2020. (Hello Mr Bush...) 5) The "operational contract" of the army is now to be able to deploy 30.000 men 7/8000 km from their bases within a coalition during a year, in six months increment. More (in French) at: secretdefense.blogs.liberation.fr/ Fantassin doesn't mention that the MN will drop down to 18 DDG/FFGs. Rumours that the Rafale buy will ber cut to 200 planes. When you think of the reports recently about maintainance difficulties they really are in trouble. On the other hand, one could argue that they are merely being realistic. This also has big implications for us Brit's I think. The French spend roughly the same amount as we do - if they are having to make big cuts we may also have to again in due course.
 
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Herald12345       6/24/2008 11:06:59 AM

Herald are you saying Iraq is a good or bad thing?
What do you think?
 
Herald

 
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JFKY       6/24/2008 11:21:11 AM
If I knew I wouldn't have asked...and I didn't care to assume....
 
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interestedamateur       6/24/2008 1:13:13 PM

"We Brit's are having the same problem adjusting to the end of empire"

 

You already have had 60 years to adjust....



Not long enough  !
 
It's only going to get worse for us. Quite frankly I'm amazed we're able to keep our permanent UN Security Council seat.
 
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JFKY       6/24/2008 1:37:05 PM
You won't lose your UN seat until another World War occurs and the global power structure is redefined....Heck if you're lucky and are on the winning side you might get to keep it or its equivalent.  Heck if Twilight 2000 or Traveler 2300 occurs, you might even be a SUPER POWER again...of course if you lose or just play a middling role, yeah you lose the seat, but until then rejoice you have a permanent veto on the UNSC.
 
They won't take it from you, they might just expand the UNSC to include..Japan...India...or the Big Powers might just keep the club exclusive.
 
Finally, its only in relative power that Great Britain is poorer, Britain today is a very strong nation, just as compared to the US or the Britain of 1850, relative to the world, is Britain "weak."  Even so, can yo name any other nation that carries as much weight, besides Britain, not India, not Japan, not Australia, Britain has a global presence.  And this is from an American....
 
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The Lizard King       6/25/2008 7:19:14 AM
"Quite frankly I'm amazed we're able to keep our permanent UN Security Council seat."
 
The perament seats of the UK & France should be replaced by the a single seat of the EU.....
 
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prometheus       6/25/2008 8:49:48 AM

"Quite frankly I'm amazed we're able to keep our permanent UN Security Council seat."

 

The perament seats of the UK & France should be replaced by the a single seat of the EU.....


Why? As it stands the EU does not possess the necessary political structure to make foreign policies for it's members. The EU does not, as one voice, have an opinion of such matters andit's difficult to see how such a thing would work.
 
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JFKY       6/25/2008 10:51:31 AM
As the EU is pretty much moribund, with the Irish "No" vote, why would it get a UNSC seat?  The EU has NO foreign policy and NO military...might as well give the OAS, ASEAN, and OECD a seat on the UNSC.
 
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Herald12345    The OAS has a military and diplomatic policy.   6/27/2008 7:05:10 AM
1. Hamstring Uncle.
2. Unless its the Monroe Doctrine, in which case, its PILE ON as Uncle leads the charge.
 
Herald 

 
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Flakbait       6/27/2008 8:37:14 AM

 
You're right about conscription, it was a burden that seemed to have few payoffs, but at least you had the security of knowing that men could be called up in times of extreme emergency.... now what will France do? Call the US?


Well, if History is any kind of indication...  Surrender to the invading force(s),then make a lot of noise at the United Nations?

-Flakbait

 

 



 
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wjr1    French OOPs   6/29/2008 7:40:24 PM
Take a look at this.
 
 
A shame, really.
 
Best,
wjr

 
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