Two Plus Two Doesn’t Equal Five, However Often You Say It: Home Thoughts From Abroad

One of the privileges of old age is the opportunity, assuming one remains reasonably fit, to take very lengthy trips abroad out of season, and in quiet and relaxing places. One can indulge in the luxury of memories as well as in viewing one’s own country from a distance. I have just finished such a trip, during which I was able to think further about our defence posture and over my own experience in the planning of our national defence. Times change of course, as do social and political values, but it is often possible to find longer term trends and principles which seem to remain valid. HMS R…