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Britain
Cuts 'threaten UK intelligence'
2008-02-16
Planned job cuts could undermine the UK's intelligence performance, former top security officials have warned. A reduction of 121 posts has been proposed for the Defence Intelligence Staff (DIS) which analyses information from GCHQ, MI6 and the MoD. John Morrison, former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, said the losses would be "ludicrous" and mean giving up large areas of the DIS's work. The MoD insisted intelligence capability would not be compromised.
Priorities, please — there are polygamous preachers to support here!
Posted by:Fred

#3  
The MoD insisted intelligence capability would not be compromised.


i think he means compromised further....

Once you hit 'totally ineffective' you can't slip any further...

the DIS is all managers and no workers any reduction will only remove some of the remaining non-managing managers and thus not affect output.
Posted by: Abu do you love   2008-02-16 13:13  

#2  Important note:

Good government emphasizes and performs the two most important functions of any government -- foreign and domestic defense. The importance of any other activity of government is far behind these two priorities.

Bad government neither understands nor is able to bring about adequate levels of defense against foreign and domestic threats. So it concentrates on unimportant micromanagement of its people, while ignoring its primary duty. It is a "Bread and Circuses" government, deeply concerned about its popularity, and generous with largesse.

Terrible government is so inefficient and incapable that it becomes intensely micromanaging, yet even that is far below the standards it promises. This indicates that the government is so weak and brittle that it is about to fall. If it does not fall, it threatens the existence of its nation, to foreign or domestic threats.

The first case is the situation of a new government. It is often authoritarian, but only on the two big issues. It ignores the activities of the people as long as it has taxes to sustain its two priorities. It has very high growth and considerable liberty.

The second case is the situation of a mature, but undisciplined government. It begins to consume progressively more public resources in its pursuit of lower priorities demanded by the public. From there, it degenerates to some variety of welfare state. It becomes a case of "the public voting itself the treasury."

The best example of the third case was the old East Germany. Its military was decrepit, and its secret police so obsessed with minutiae on law abiding citizens that it ignores serious criminals. Its infrastructure decayed and collapsed, yet the government continued to make endless rules for its people to obey, most of which were unknown to the public.

Britain is rapidly approaching the state East Germany was in before it collapsed. And while Brussels hopes to absorb Britain into its control, it is just as ineffectual in its own way. It has pretense to being a new government, but in truth it is near collapse itself.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-02-16 09:01  

#1  Going by the latest news from UK, this seems to be an empty threat.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-02-16 08:36  

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