Starmer's Pipe Dream

Joy, another opportunity to throw money at a bottomless pit. Multinational defence initiatives: because who needs effective spending when you can have a never-ending cycle of bureaucratic bickering and national interests butting heads? The F-35 fighter jet program is the poster child for this catastrophe, a $1.7 trillion disaster that's been plagued by cost overruns, delays, and a general sense of incompetence. Let's highlight some of the "achievements" of these initiatives:

• Cost overruns that would make a drunken sailor blush: the F-35 program has seen costs balloon by over 50% since its inception
• Delays that would put a sloth to shame: the program has been pushed back by over a decade, with no end in sight
• Technical issues that would make a kindergartener facepalm: the F-35's software is so buggy, it's a wonder it can even take off

And the best part? Most "experts" are too afraid to speak out against this debacle, fearing backlash from the politicians and defence contractors who are lining their pockets with our money. How convenient. The emperor has no clothes, folks, and it's time to stop pretending otherwise. Defence spending is driven by politics, not economics or strategic sense. It's a game of pork-barrel politics, where contractors and politicians collude to waste our money on pet projects that serve no purpose other than to line their pockets. Don't be fooled by the gullible influencers and "experts" who peddle this nonsense – they're either corrupt or incompetent, take your pick. Some notable red flags and lies include:

• The constant claims of "progress" and "improvement" despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary
• The ridiculous excuses for cost overruns and delays, ranging from "unforeseen technical issues" to "changing operational requirements"
• The blatant disregard for statistical embarrassment: the F-35 program has a staggering 50% failure rate in terms of meeting its own development milestones

And yet, the sheep continue to follow the herd, bleating about the importance of "defence spending" and "national security" without questioning the blatant waste and corruption that's occurring right under their noses. Wake up, people – the joke's on you.

The latest pipe dream to dupe the gullible masses: "cost savings" through multinational defence initiatives. How quaint. How utterly ridiculous. The proponents of this farce are either delusional or deliberately misleading, but either way, they're banking on the public's inability to do basic math. Let's take a closer look at the "flawed maths" behind this debacle:

• The infamous F-35 program, which has seen costs balloon from $233 billion to over $1.7 trillion, with no end in sight.
• The Eurofighter Typhoon, which has been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and a plethora of technical issues, making it a prime example of how not to manage a defence project.
• The bloated, inefficient defence bureaucracies that seem to exist solely to justify their own existence, sucking up taxpayer dollars like a black hole.

These are just a few examples of the "cost savings" we can expect from these initiatives. Yeah, right. The defence industry is a masterclass in creative accounting, with contractors expertly exploiting loopholes and manipulating contracts to maximize their profits. And who foots the bill? The taxpayers, of course. Because what's a few billion dollars here and there when it comes to lining the pockets of politicians and contractors? The sheep-like masses will just keep on paying, won't they? We've got "experts" and influencers peddling this nonsense, touting the "benefits" of these initiatives without ever bothering to fact-check or do their due diligence. They're either complicit or incompetent, but either way, they're a menace. And the gullible public laps it up like the good little sheep they are. Wake up, people! This is a scam, a boondoggle, a catastrophic waste of resources. Don't be fooled by the slick talking points and glossy brochures. This is a nightmare, and it's only going to get worse. The numbers are stark, the examples are numerous, and the warning signs are flashing like a neon sign. But hey, who needs facts when you've got empty rhetoric and pie-in-the-sky promises? The politicians and contractors will keep on lying, and the taxpayers will keep on paying. It's a never-ending cycle of corruption and incompetence, and we're all just along for the ride. Joy.

Oh joy, the UK's national security is being held hostage by the altar of multinational cooperation. Because, you know, relying on other nations to have your back has always worked out so well in the past. I mean, who needs a cohesive defence strategy when you can just wing it with a bunch of nations who may or may not share your priorities? The excuses are already rolling in:

• The "experts" claim that cooperation will lead to a stronger, more unified front against threats. Yeah, sure, because that's exactly what happened with the EU's migrant crisis response.
• Some gullible souls believe that the benefits of cooperation outweigh the risks. Tell that to the victims of the OPM hack, where the US government's data was compromised due to a contractor's lax security.
• The usual suspects are peddling the line that "we're all in this together". How cute. Until, of course, someone's priorities don't align, and the whole house of cards comes crashing down.

Let's take a look at some of the horror stories that have already played out:

• The Snowden revelations, where the NSA's cooperation with foreign governments led to mass surveillance and data breaches.
• The infamous NotPetya attack, where a cyber attack attributed to Russia spread like wildfire due to vulnerabilities in multinational corporations' systems.
• The pathetic response to the WannaCry attack, where the UK's NHS was crippled due to outdated systems and a lack of basic security measures.

And what about the statistical embarrassment that is the UK's current defence strategy? With a budget that's being stretched thinner than a politician's promise, it's a wonder they can even afford to pay lip service to the idea of national security. The numbers don't lie:

• £10 billion in defence cuts since 2010.
• A 20% reduction in the armed forces' personnel.
• A cybersecurity budget that's a fraction of what it should be, leaving the UK vulnerable to even the most basic attacks.

But hey, who needs facts when you have "experts" and influencers peddling their brand of nonsense? It's not like they have a vested interest in keeping the status quo, or that they're just trying to line their pockets with consulting fees. Nope, they're just genuinely concerned about the UK's national security. Sure they are.

Let's get real here. The initiative is nothing but a thinly veiled attempt to sell out the UK's defence autonomy to the highest bidder. It's a classic case of "follow the money" – and the money trail leads straight to the EU's defence contractors and bureaucrats. The so-called "cost savings" are just a joke. We've seen this movie before, and it always ends in disaster. Remember the EU's botched attempts at creating a unified defence policy? It's been a laughingstock, with countries like Germany and France refusing to play nice. And now we're supposed to believe that the UK will somehow magically benefit from this mess?

• The EU's defence budget is a black hole, with billions of euros disappearing into thin air every year.
• The UK's defence spending is already being dictated by EU bureaucrats, with our military being forced to adopt EU standards and protocols.
• The initiative's proponents are either clueless or corrupt – or maybe both.

Gullible influencers and "experts" are already parroting the EU's talking points, claiming that this initiative will create "new opportunities" for the UK's defence industry. Are they kidding us? The only opportunities being created are for EU bureaucrats and defence contractors to line their pockets with UK taxpayers' money.

• The UK's defence industry has already been gutted by EU regulations and red tape.
• Our military is being forced to rely on EU-made equipment, which is often inferior and overpriced.
• The initiative's supporters are either ignorant of these facts or deliberately ignoring them.

And let's not forget the horror stories of EU defence projects gone wrong. Who can forget the A400M fiasco, where the EU spent billions of euros on a transport plane that's still not operational? Or the Galileo satellite system, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns? These are just a few examples of the EU's defence policy in action.

• The A400M project has been delayed by over a decade, with costs ballooning to over €20 billion.
• The Galileo system has been plagued by technical issues, with many of its satellites failing to function as intended.
• The EU's defence policy has been a catastrophic failure, with the UK being dragged down into the mess.

So, to all the naive believers out there who think this initiative is a good idea, wake up and smell the coffee. You're being sold a bill of goods that's nothing but a recipe for disaster. The UK's defence policy is being hijacked by EU bureaucrats and defence contractors, and it's time to take a stand against this blatant power grab.