Normally UK’s defense chief does not go on media for interview. Here’s one recorded on November 8 –a candid talk with the Sky News.
“I think you know we’re living at a moment in time where the world is a very uncertain and anxious place and of course the dynamic of global competition is a feature of our lives as well and i think the real risk we have with quite a lot of the regional conflicts that are going on at the moment is you could see escalation lead to miscalculation and that’s the thing I think we have to guard against miscalculation,” says the British defense chief to Sky News interviewer.
“It’s a unique time –UK is under lock down and is facing an economic crisis that the British haven’t known for for generations”, he points out.
The defense chief says “history has a rhythm and if you look back at the last century before both world wars, it is unarguable that there was escalation that led to the miscalculation which ultimately led to war at a scale we would hopefully never see again”.
“So are you saying that’s a real threat that there could be another world war?”
“”I’m saying it’s a risk and I think we need to be conscious of those risks”.
“History tells us that economic crises lead to security crises…global economic crisis brought on by coronavirus could lead to new security threats potentially even war.”
COMMENT: A defense analyst tells DesPardes that European “major powers” just as “soft states” rely on protection (borrowed’ security).
According to him, “sovereignty and independence are conceptual constructs…”
“…that is where external patrons gain such import”.
“Need for protection and interests of others come into play”, says an observer.
