oyuki

Sunday, September 06, 2009

In Other News

It seems the Russian mafia was trying to sell to Iran some of Russia's most advanced surface to air missles. And rumour has it, it was Mossad who scuttled the errant voyage of the ship Arctic Sea. There has to be more to this, stay tuned.

While the American Obama administration is busy absorbing various private enterprises like the auto industry and banks. Along with trying to sell to a very wary public the idea that the health care industry is like the US postal system, troubling news is emerging from the United Kingdom. It seems after over a half century of collecting private industries, with only a brief interruption under Dame Thatcher, the possible incoming Conservative government is considering privatising publically held entities. There is talk of spinning off parts of the BBC and making private the Royal Mail and banks. It seems the UK is in a funding bind and the NHS, which consumes one-fifth of the budget, is a sacred cow that can not be downsized or privatised so other items are on the chopping block. If the Americans are wise, they may learn from the British lessons.

3 comments:

pat said...

Anna, here is another source.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6823300.ece

And as you likely know, there are a variety of secret treaties that do not allow Moscow to have these systems land based in Kaliningrad. Or else we would but a bevy of Lance Missiles in Poland which would turn Russia into a desert in 20 minutes.

Mike's America said...

What will Britain do when they've sold all their assets and are still stuck with the NHS?

What a mess!

Anna said...

Pat, the SA-10 Grumble violates the US-USSR ABM treaty more than the Patriot PAC-3 ever could. Under the now expired ABM treaty, only the Soviet and American capitals would be protected by an ABM system. The Soviets went and built such a ring around Moscow, the US never did. Now we have the SA-10 which has been deployed extensively to protect strategic areas of Russia like command centers, which gives Russia a limited ABM capability nationwide. And President Obama opposes further US development or deployment of any missile defense system while negotiating away American nuclear weapons, which will make the Russian job of killing what weapons we have left easier since the SA-10 can also engage cruise missiles.

And oh yes, Russia has been trying to sell this system to Iran since 2007. Any wonder why Israel is nervous? The US should also as it would give a rogue nation with possible nuclear capability a very credible defensive shield as it attacked its neighbors with nuclear weapons. If Mossad did prevent the sale of this to Iran, the least we can do is buy Mossad a few pizzas in thanks.

Mike, well we could apply NICE criteria to the age and health of the UK. NICE would recommend at that point, euthanasie of the patient. The US's possible future, lets prevent it.