The
adage, Si
vis pacem, para bellum,
would appear to be more and more interpreted by the UK and western
European countries as Si
vis bellum, para bellum. Those
with a far better knowledge of Latin than this Blog will no doubt
correct us as to the the accuracy of our adaptation.
Whilst
such intentions and actions may benefit the Underwood's of the world
they place the majority in danger of death and destruction.
Since
it is the majority who run capitalism on behalf of, and for the
benefit of, the minority exploitative class can we suppose that a
section of the working class will welcome the employment
opportunities that such pre-war preparation offers?
As
the propertyless majority have little choice but to to sell their
labour power to the capitalist class in order to obtain wages and
salaries in order to acquire the necessities of life and to reproduce
themselves should those who choose to work for the various merchants
of death concern themselves with the use and consequences of their
labour?
Many
workers are already employed in various positions which reinforce the
repression of others in diverse ways on behalf of capitalists and of
the state.
The
resonant lines from a Percy Bysshe Shelley poem deserve to have more
impact, 'we are many, they are few.'
The
solution is not if you want peace you must prepare for war. The
solution is a society where quality goods and services are produced
for use not profit – a moneyless, leaderless, stateless society.
War and weapons manufacture, and the horrendous outcomes of such will
have no place in socialism.
'The UK will sharply
boost explosives production to reduce dependence on the US, The
Times reported. The outlet cited a growing concern over the
reliability of American military support.
According to the
report, shipping containers will be deployed across the UK to
manufacture RDX, a key explosive used in 155mm artillery rounds and
other British weapons.
BAE Systems, Britain’s
only producer of the rounds, also plans to build three new sites to
improve the system’s resilience, according to Steve Cardew,
business development director at BAE’s Maritime and Land Defence
Solutions.
“One large
facility is clearly a big security threat. If you have dispersed
facilities, it is much more secure,”
Cardew told the outlet.
Traditionally, RDX has
been made in large, inefficient plants. Cardew said the
container-based model would be faster, cheaper, and more efficient,
with each unit capable of producing up to 100 tonnes annually.
He said the ramp-up
was essential “to
effectively match Russia and other hostile nations,”
adding that rising global demand had “forced”
BAE to speed up production.
The report noted the
UK had supplied much of its 155mm ammunition to Ukraine as part of
its multi-billion-pound military assistance.
It also cited US
President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy – including
tariffs and a temporary halt to military and intelligence aid to Kiev
– as a reason the UK and EU are increasingly wary of relying on
American weapons.
Currently, 155mm
rounds made with US-sourced explosives are subject to International
Traffic in Arms Regulations (Itar), restricting their use and resale
without US approval.
Cardew said BAE, which
previously imported RDX from the US and France, will be able to
market its own ‘Itar-free’ products globally once local
production ramps up.
The company aims for a
16-fold increase in 155mm rounds when its new plant in south Wales
opens this summer.'
'The UK would support
Germany if it decides to give long-range Taurus cruise missiles to
Ukraine, The Telegraph reported citing British government
sources.
London has long backed
arming Kiev with the German-made weapons, which have a 500km range
and are capable of striking targets deep into Russian territory, the
report stated. Moscow has warned that supplying long-range missiles
to Kiev and allowing it to strike Russian territory will be
considered an escalation of hostilities.
“We continue to
work with our partners, including Germany, to equip Ukraine as best
we can to defend its sovereign territory,”
a British foreign policy official told the outlet, commenting on the
potential Taurus deliveries.
The report follows
recent remarks by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who
signaled he was willing to supply Taurus missiles to Kiev.
“I have always
said that I would do it,”
Merz told German state broadcaster ARD.
“Our European
partners are already supplying cruise missiles… The British are
doing it, the French are doing it, and the Americans are doing it,”
he added, referencing the UK’s Storm Shadow and France’s Scalp
missiles respectively.
The move must be
agreed upon with Berlin’s European partners, Merz said. His CDU
party has said the missiles could be used to strike Russian command
centres and supply routes, including the Kerch Bridge to Crimea.
Merz’s stance
contrasts sharply with that of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who
has repeatedly refused to give Kiev Taurus missiles and warned that
the move could escalate the conflict and draw Germany directly into
war with Moscow.
Merz is expected to
take office in May, once his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and
Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) finalize a coalition agreement. CDU
defence spokesman Roderich Kiesewetter told The
Telegraph
that the missile delivery issue “remains
a point of contention”
in coalition talks.
SPD members have
expressed concern over the Taurus’ range and power, arguing it
poses a greater escalation risk than British or French systems. Party
leader Matthias Miersch this week suggested Merz might change course
once he receives classified intelligence on the missiles.
German
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, an SPD member, has previously
stated there are “many
good arguments”
against the delivery, citing confidential national security
concerns.'
