Britain Learned and Unlearned Nuclear(worksinprogress.co)
worksinprogress.co
Britain Learned and Unlearned Nuclear
https://worksinprogress.co/issue/how-the-uk-learned-and-unlearned-nuclear/
4 comments
The UK also shut down it's space program very shortly before they put their first satellite in orbit. Is this the same sort of decision?
My recollection is that decision was a straight-up "success is irrelevant, HM Treasury has decided that the UK cannot afford to have an orbital launch program".
Wikipedia's version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow#Cancellation
From the timing, one certainly could speculate that the needed pounds were being squandered on other programs - ones given higher prior, but less-competent leadership.
Wikipedia's version: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow#Cancellation
From the timing, one certainly could speculate that the needed pounds were being squandered on other programs - ones given higher prior, but less-competent leadership.
It doesn't matter what fancy tech you have, or how much money, or anything else - if the people you have making the decisions and doing the work either are shit, or they go to shit, then you'll never be able to produce much beyond expensive steaming heaps.
And just how far Britain has fallen, over the past 6 to 12 decades, strikes me as one of the great tragedies of Western history. );
And just how far Britain has fallen, over the past 6 to 12 decades, strikes me as one of the great tragedies of Western history. );
Key quote:
> We’ve got to have this thing over here whatever it costs.
And he's not even talking about nuclear power for electricity. But the weapon that has that as a byproduct.
And that's fine, but a modern state finds it hard to hide the military subsidy and doesn't want to admit it.
So it is getting more expensive or is it like autism, we're just getting better at detecting the underlying condition and pretending that it's something new to score political points.
> We’ve got to have this thing over here whatever it costs.
And he's not even talking about nuclear power for electricity. But the weapon that has that as a byproduct.
And that's fine, but a modern state finds it hard to hide the military subsidy and doesn't want to admit it.
So it is getting more expensive or is it like autism, we're just getting better at detecting the underlying condition and pretending that it's something new to score political points.