Royal Navy scuttled.

This is what passes for a defence policy from Tony Blair's Labour government.

• No Royal Navy promotions for five years;
• All Type 42 frigates to be mothballed;
• Another 2 Type 42 destroyers to be mothballed;
• Possibly no new aircraft carriers.

The Daily Telegraph has the wretched details, here and more here, and if you can it stand there is even more here.

Across the pond, the American Thinker picks up the story, and points out some salient lessons for America from the debacle, all of which are depressingly accurate and have been made on Crumbling Spires in the past. In paraphrase they are: the UK government puts social and welfare spending before defence spending the UK government prefers supra-national military forces to its national ones; and Europe may be anti-American but it expects Uncle Sam to defend them when necessary and to pick up the tab.

Remember, this is a government that puts soldiers injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan in civilian hospital wards where they have been verbally assailed by Muslims; and which has put troops injured in combat on civilian hospital waiting lists; and which has cut the pay of troops on combat duty; and which provides service families with accommodation that is little better than Victorian slums. They care nothing from the bravery and sacrifice of our servicemen; indeed, such qualities are an embarrassment to the majority of social inadequates and dishonest chancers amongst ministers.

No doubt the the many anti-military extremists in the Labour party will be celebrating.

Previously on CS: Britannia used to rule the waves; and Britannia used to rule the waves 2.

Tags: Defence, Royal Navy