Commonly and mistakenly referred to as General Max Hoffmann’s comments upon the British Army on the Western Front, the origins of the phrase pre-date the First World War. During the Crimean War a letter was reportedly sent home by a British soldier quoting a Russian officer who had said that British soldiers were “lions commanded by asses.” This was immediately after the failed attempt to storm the fortress of Sevastopol in October/November 1854.
Notwithstanding this, the phrase is still an apt one to describe the present government, particularly the sad comedy of errors in re the plans to replace the country’s existing electric power generation.
The approval of the country’s next generation nuclear reactor was expected at the end of June 2011. Our dearly beloved climate change secretary is worried that the UK will suffer a level 8.9 earthquake and wants to know if any nuclear reactors can withstand such.
The British Gazette can answer this question: Yes and the UK will not have an 8.9 level quake – ever.
We do not no how long the delay caused by Mr Huhne’s review will be but it is likely to add an extra twelve months, so expect the EPR to be finally approved in July 2012 (during the Olympics so the public will be distracted).
Of course, this will not mean that construction will begin at that point. Construction proposals and the planning process will then take place. This of course will be an absolute field day for lawyers as each stage of the planning process will be subject to lengthy and expensive legal appeals. Any attempt by the government to reduce this by legislation will of course be appealed – up the European Court of Human Rights. It is unlikely that any construction will take place before the summer of 2017. At that point the country will be into power cuts.
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
Or we can kick the can down the road for another 100 years and ride the cheap nauatrl gas train until it runs out. Then what? Get on your bike and figure out an alternative. I can’t even calculate how rich you’d be if you cold find a fuel as efficient as hydrocarbon.Of course, it’ll be worth your investment. Way worth it. You won’t need government subsidy because you’ll have no shortage of investors. There’s no such investment to be had, alas. All we have is government burning money in the green energy crony subsidy pit – money that could eventually be used to fund a really worthy invention when it appears. And when it appears, enough private money will recognize it that it won’t need subsidy.But, that’s if there is such a thing as peak oil. The peak oilers have been screaming about the falling sky for a long time. It’s a myth.