interestrateripoff Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-2041393/BAE-Systems-axe-3-000-jobs-cuts-defence-budget-start-bite-hard.html Defence and aerospace giant BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest manufacturing company, is considering huge redundancies as savage Government spending cuts start to bite.Disclosure of the possible axeing of up to 3,000 skilled engineering workers in the middle of the party conference season is politically explosive and the Government is keen that BAE delays any final decision. The timing of large-scale job cuts in the defence industry could not be more embarrassing for the Coalition as it seeks to rebalance the economy away from service industries and towards manufacturing. More job cuts looming... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 we dont need more bullets. Guillotine the bankers, I say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aa3 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 If the government cuts back or merely stops increasing spending, the British 'private' sector.. which is mainly contractors to the government will cut back the number of workers they employ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up2late Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Another bombshell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Sally Bercow seems to think it is a good thing although she qualified her comment about the job losses... Typical socialist thinking seeing only the advantages from one direction.... Lets do away with all arms manufacturing companies and the export earnings they drive for the UK. Tell you what it would pretty much shatter the welfare state.... Like it or not Arms sales are a very important chunk of the UK's export earnings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matroskin Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 (edited) Typical socialist thinking seeing only the advantages from one direction.... Like it or not Arms sales are a very important chunk of the UK's export earnings. Such exports are NOT destined to improve anyone's welfare or quality of life. Quite the opposite. Even if they don't maim anyone or take anyone's life, there is a utilization price to pay, sometimes huge, when certain weapons reach EOL. But let's abstract from the above and consider the situation where arms sales are MAIN UK export, just like N.Korea's. Would anyone in the UK be happier? Edited September 25, 2011 by matroskin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJJ Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Such exports are NOT destined to improve anyone's welfare or quality of life. Quite the opposite. Even if they don't maim anyone or take anyone's life, there is a utilization price to pay, sometimes huge, when certain weapons reach EOL. Playing devil's advocate, did nuclear weapons stop world war III? How many lesser wars never happened because all sides were tooled up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Loo Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Sally Bercow seems to think it is a good thing although she qualified her comment about the job losses... Typical socialist thinking seeing only the advantages from one direction.... Lets do away with all arms manufacturing companies and the export earnings they drive for the UK. Tell you what it would pretty much shatter the welfare state.... Like it or not Arms sales are a very important chunk of the UK's export earnings. When you boil it all down, our "tribe" has to provide for itself the following items: food, water, shelter and safety. if you are running low on any of them, you need to take action....that usually mean taking someone elses, or stopping someone else from taking yours. we dont need rubber dog turds from China, but we do need a gun or two to ensure we have what we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 Lets do away with all arms manufacturing companies and the export earnings they drive for the UK. Tell you what it would pretty much shatter the welfare state.... Like it or not Arms sales are a very important chunk of the UK's export earnings. Er not really they are an important part of govt subsidy. If the local dictator doesn't pay doesn't the UK taxpayer pick up the bill? The arms industry is one of the most heavily subsidise industries. http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/ecgd.php The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) is an independent Government department responsible to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills. It guarantees that companies and banks involved in an export deal will not lose out if the overseas buyer does not pay, or makes late payments. The ECGD charges the companies a premium and aims to break even, but any shortfall comes from the UK tax-payer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 but but but.......they're private sector innit! Don't worry, Osborne knows what he's doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 (edited) The jobs going are in Typhoon (a plane no-one wants to buy and only exists because of political meddling) production and the Hawk (a plane designed in the 60's and should have been replaced 10 years ago)... It's not a sign of a downturn in defense spending - just a sign that no-one wants to buy crappy products... Edited September 25, 2011 by Krackersdave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Such exports are NOT destined to improve anyone's welfare or quality of life. Quite the opposite. not true defence is a fact of life, part of a functioning society of course we should aim to minimise its need but opposing the sale of weapons is morally equivalent to opposing the sale of locks and doors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me me me Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Cuts, I'd hardly call £90 billion on replacing Trident cuts in spending. Yet another U-turn by The Lib Dems. Just who are we going to nuke exactly and should I take a week off work???? If we must make weapons, they should be non lethal, you've seen them about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 not true defence is a fact of life, part of a functioning society of course we should aim to minimise its need but opposing the sale of weapons is morally equivalent to opposing the sale of locks and doors +1 - force is not going away - it's the ultimate means by which all humans interact and weapons will ALWAYS be needed to defend freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Cuts, I'd hardly call £90 billion on replacing Trident cuts in spending. Yet another U-turn by The Lib Dems. Just who are we going to nuke exactly and should I take a week off work???? If we must make weapons, they should be non lethal, you've seen them about. Is that not 90bln over 20 years though? Not that much if it means we can't be pushed around by the big boys... (except the USA of course) I mean we spend 120bln a year on the NHS and yet the mortality rate in the UK is still 100%.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frederico Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 The jobs going are in Typhoon (a plane no-one wants to buy and only exists because of political meddling) production and the Hawk (a plane designed in the 60's and should have been replaced 10 years ago)... It's not a sign of a downturn in defense spending - just a sign that no-one wants to buy crappy products... you obviously have never worked in the industry and know very little about it. The Hawk is a very good aicraft which has been improved and updated many times over the years and has a lot of sales both past and present. The Typhoon is a fantastic aircraft which all air forces apart from the US (and maybe them) would love to have, the problem is the cost. The cost is mostly because the project is pan european and design to share technology and not for cheap production. I would like to highlight that this is a prime example of UK people slagging of UK industry and products from a position of complete ignorance, the French, Germans and US in the mean time have nothing but praise for their own. The aerospace industry is the only industry that can sustain the lifestyle that our service and finance industries pretended they could. In reality we should be at the heart of the airbus project and encourageing the huge production facilities to be built in the UK. Instead we basically pay other countries to make them... duh.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Er not really they are an important part of govt subsidy. If the local dictator doesn't pay doesn't the UK taxpayer pick up the bill? The arms industry is one of the most heavily subsidise industries. http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/ecgd.php Thats says nothing other than the UK taxpayer may pick up part of the bill if they don't pay. In the case of lets say a ground to air to air missle system you can be damn sure they purchasing Country will not get the codes to operate it until such time as payment has been made in full. The orders are sent in consignments. The normal relationship of exporter/buyer will prevail. I send you some good you give me some payment. If I don't get the payment you don't get the next lot of the goods. Simple as.... The Government guarantee will be in place for an eventuality like Greece purchasing half a dozen aircraft carriers from Vickers then going bust. Of course due diligence means Vickers would not progress such an order unless it had significant funding in place at the start anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 (edited) you obviously have never worked in the industry and know very little about it. The Hawk is a very good aicraft which has been improved and updated many times over the years and has a lot of sales both past and present. The Typhoon is a fantastic aircraft which all air forces apart from the US (and maybe them) would love to have, the problem is the cost. The cost is mostly because the project is pan european and design to share technology and not for cheap production. I would like to highlight that this is a prime example of UK people slagging of UK industry and products from a position of complete ignorance, the French, Germans and US in the mean time have nothing but praise for their own. The aerospace industry is the only industry that can sustain the lifestyle that our service and finance industries pretended they could. In reality we should be at the heart of the airbus project and encourageing the huge production facilities to be built in the UK. Instead we basically pay other countries to make them... duh.. FFS the prupose of the production of any product is to sell it. If no-one is buying it and the production staff are being laid off then IT IS A FAILURE. If the Typhoon's so good then why are the Pakistani airforce claiming they kicked the sh1t out of the so great RAF Typoons in dogfight exercises whilst flying upgraded F16's!! A much cheaper aircraft designed almost 50 years ago! Are we going to blame the pilots? Or maybe the aircraft is a honking big white elephant that no-one wants (not even the nations that ordered it). Typhoon a POS? Edited September 25, 2011 by Krackersdave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 not true defence is a fact of life, part of a functioning society of course we should aim to minimise its need but opposing the sale of weapons is morally equivalent to opposing the sale of locks and doors Yes I agree wholeheartedly...... Greece maintains a a standing army of around 400,000 persons. This army is of course well know for its deployments all over the world and is rarely off the International news. The UK army is circa 100,000 persons and getting smaller. It is not active anywhere and never gets any mention on the international news channels. This of course brings nothing to the BAE job cuts vs the need to produce and sell arms abroad debate but it will serve to show exactly what a pile of shit Greece is really in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 The Typhoon is a fantastic aircraft Indeed, but also totally pointless. You don't need such a fancy aircraft for bombing Libyan/Afghan/Iraqi peasants. You could use a jet from the 60s or 70s and achieve the same end result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Yes I agree wholeheartedly...... Greece maintains a a standing army of around 400,000 persons. This army is of course well know for its deployments all over the world and is rarely off the International news. The UK army is circa 100,000 persons and getting smaller. It is not active anywhere and never gets any mention on the international news channels. This of course brings nothing to the BAE job cuts vs the need to produce and sell arms abroad debate but it will serve to show exactly what a pile of shit Greece is really in. UK Army inactive??? And here was me thinking the UK army had just spend 10 years active in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not to mention the commitments to Canada, Germany, Belize, Brunei, Kenya and the Falklands... And were we not in the Balkans? And Christ alone know's where the special forces are - but I bet they're not sitting on their arses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffneck Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Sally Bercow seems to think it is a good thing although she qualified her comment about the job losses... Typical socialist thinking seeing only the advantages from one direction.... Lets do away with all arms manufacturing companies and the export earnings they drive for the UK. Tell you what it would pretty much shatter the welfare state.... Like it or not Arms sales are a very important chunk of the UK's export earnings. She's stupid , like there's not enough weapons on earth already to completely obliterate everything 10 times over anyway?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Indeed, but also totally pointless. You don't need such a fancy aircraft for bombing Libyan/Afghan/Iraqi peasants. You could use a jet from the 60s or 70s and achieve the same end result. +1 - this plane was created for polical reasons - (pan european defense integration and job creation/protection in the member states). It was designed to cold war requirements that have long expired... It's like turning up to a automatic shootout with a very expensive, gold plated single shot musket... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19 year mortgage 8itch Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 UK Army inactive??? And here was me thinking the UK army had just spend 10 years active in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not to mention the commitments to Canada, Germany, Belize, Brunei, Kenya and the Falklands... And were we not in the Balkans? And Christ alone know's where the special forces are - but I bet they're not sitting on their arses... Sarcasm dear, S-A-R-C-A-S-M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krackersdave Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Sarcasm dear, S-A-R-C-A-S-M. Which notoriously does not translate well to online media... Emotes dear, E-M-O-T-E-S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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