[abawany]

I'm not a brit but I see things a bit differently - the culture is innovative ('clever') and favors restlessness, which holds hope. Consider the raspberry pi and 3d printing, both relatively recent british innovations that changed the world considerably. The current government and their troubles aside, I have a feeling the british boffins will continue making a difference in the world and remain relevant on the world stage for a while yet. Also, all this talk of british weakness but no one would dare attempt a falklands for quite a while without getting a bloody nose for it. Finally, while brexit was more than a flesh wound, I feel confident the country will work its way through it eventually though it will likely require a different party in power before that happens. Edit: minor updates to post.

[andyjohnson0]

> no one would dare attempt a falklands for quite a while without getting a bloody nose for it.

I'm pretty sceptical that the UK could mount an out of area expeditionary war on its own anymore. In 1982 the british army had about 160,000 troops - now its down to 78,000. We dont have the air or sea lift capability, and the merchant ships that were requisitioned back then now sail under other flags. We have a couple of caarriers (built at vast expense) but we can't afford the planes to fully populate them, and we don't have enough ships and submarines to form proper carrier groups. At least one of them is flying US planes with USAF pilots, and last I read was encorted by US navy ships.

The Falklands wasnt the pushover its often made out to be. And more recently we got our arses cicked in Helmand.

> Consider the raspberry pi

Yeah but that was 2012 and what has there been since? And does that compensate for ARM holdings (originally a UK company) de-listing in London, for example?

[ThisIsNotNew]

ARM delisted in 2016 because they were bought by SoftBank and became private company. The fact they (and the others listing in US) are not going to EU tells you a lot, they view it lower than London.

Helmand/Afghanistan was an insurgency war. IEDs, bombs under the road, shoot and scoot. The Taliban would run rather than take on NATO troops head-on. The US also failed, doesn't mean the US cannot handle a conventional war because of Afghanistan.

[andyjohnson0]

Re ARM: you're right about the delisting date. I was thinking of their decision to list in NYC rather than London when they go public again this year. I suspect this says something about their lack of confidence in rhe UK, but thats not the only factor I'm sure. And I confused rhe point by referring to "delisting".

Re Afghanistan: tha fact that the US can still handle a conventional war, post defeat, doesnt mean that the UK could.