The Student Room Group

What would you say is the biggest threat facing Britain today?

Be it low wages, Brexit, radical Islamic terror, far right extremism, China, Russia etc.

What would you say represents the greatest threat in your opinion, please justify your reason as well :smile:

Personally I’m inclined towards saying China quickly followed by America.
China due to its determined push back against the liberal western order and the fact it has both the economic and military clout to back this up (Russia doesn’t really get a toe in on either count comparably)
As for America due to its incessant war mongering - out of all the countries in the world America has an unparalleled history for starting wars which are not in any one else’s interest - it’s edging towards hostilities with Tehran being a current example - if people think the Iraq war had unpleasant consequences it would pale in comparison to a war with the ayatollah’s.
Equally it’s mercantilist economic policy - one of if not the key reason I support Britain in the EU is because they stand up to America and won’t readily sell themselves like a cheap whore to American companies to exploit them.

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Yeah let’s ditch one of our most important and long standing allies who are crucial to us in military, political and economic terms because some bloke on student room says they’re evil war mongering imperialists. What a genius, why did I never think of this before?
Reply 2
Original post by Hazzasufc
Yeah let’s ditch one of our most important and long standing allies who are crucial to us in military, political and economic terms because some bloke on student room says they’re evil war mongering imperialists. I wonder what could ever go wrong....


Did I say that? Nope. Don’t make up fibs now please.
Original post by Napp
Did I say that? Nope. Don’t make up fibs now please.


America is one of the reasons we’re still relevant in this world. If anything you’re a danger to the UK.
Reply 4
Original post by Hazzasufc
America is one of the reasons we’re still relevant in this world. If anything you’re a danger to the UK.


Britain isn’t especially relevant. Aside from its banking prowess it’s a small country in a very big world.
Oh ouch the insult :rolleyes:
Original post by Napp
Britain isn’t especially relevant. Aside from its banking prowess it’s a small country in a very big world.
Oh ouch the insult :rolleyes:


But it is relevant though. It’s not exactly a major world power but to deny its relevancy in world politics is just simply uneducated.
Reply 6
Original post by Hazzasufc
But it is relevant though. It’s not exactly a major world power but to deny its relevancy in world politics is just simply uneducated.


Pray tell how, bad legacy’s from a bygone age?
It is a member of the sc, granted, but the fact of the matter is there wouldn’t be a hope in hell of retaining such a position if it was reformed today - Britain’s only relevancy is acting as a small and ineffective enforcer of American policy.
Hell we couldn’t hold Iraq, Afghanistan nor do much I Libya before running out of missiles.
We’re only able to do the odd token strike in Syria because we delayed the retirement of our strike aircraft.
I feel it might be you who is uneducated about Britain’s real clout in the world.
Overpopulation.
Reply 8
Research and Development because of cuts in European funding and a gradual decrease in University graduates because of inflated tuition fees.
Original post by Napp
Pray tell how, bad legacy’s from a bygone age?
It is a member of the sc, granted, but the fact of the matter is there wouldn’t be a hope in hell of retaining such a position if it was reformed today - Britain’s only relevancy is acting as a small and ineffective enforcer of American policy.
Hell we couldn’t hold Iraq, Afghanistan nor do much I Libya before running out of missiles.
We’re only able to do the odd token strike in Syria because we delayed the retirement of our strike aircraft.
I feel it might be you who is uneducated about Britain’s real clout in the world.



We have the 5th largest economy in the world.
We are the 5th largest military power.
The English language is a virtual Lingua Franca.
British banking and insurance industries are among the most influential in the world.
We are the founding members of NATO and have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
We are one of 9 nations to own nuclear weapons.

We are by no means a superpower but we still maintain a degree of great relevancy in this “big world”. To deny our importance in global politics is, as I said, simply uneducated.
Reply 10
Original post by Hazzasufc
We have the 5th largest economy in the world.
We are the 5th largest military power.
The English language is a virtual Lingua Franca.
British banking and insurance industries are among the most influential in the world.
We are the founding members of NATO and have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
We are one of 9 nations to own nuclear weapons.

We are by no means a superpower but we still maintain a degree of great relevancy in this “big world”. To deny our importance in global politics is, as I said, simply uneducated.


It’s 6th and likely to fall.
How exactly are you defining ‘largest’ here? As outlined before it’s rather ineffective and incapable of acting unilaterally
So? If you could translate that into concrete power you might have a point but you can’t.
I’ve already mentioned those
I’ve also mentioned that - being there doesn’t convey anything more than a status symbol.
So we’re on a par with North Korea? Jolly good :lol:

If you say so sport.
Communism/socialism,the destruction of society through social change,ignorance and degeneracy (just think fall of rome) the worst thing is that unlike Rome we are accepting of our death, we import and create the poisons of society and few want to fight against it, it will take time 50 or 100 years but we will fall much like Rome although far worse
Original post by Napp
It’s 6th and likely to fall.
How exactly are you defining ‘largest’ here? As outlined before it’s rather ineffective and incapable of acting unilaterally
So? If you could translate that into concrete power you might have a point but you can’t.
I’ve already mentioned those
I’ve also mentioned that - being there doesn’t convey anything more than a status symbol.
So we’re on a par with North Korea? Jolly good :lol:

If you say so sport.


I take it that the glass is half empty or you’re just a bit of a mardy arse.
Reply 13
Original post by Hazzasufc
I take it that the glass is half empty or you’re just a bit of a mardy arse.


I beg your pardon?
Original post by Napp
I beg your pardon?


I never promised you a rose garden
Original post by Napp
Pray tell how, bad legacy’s from a bygone age?
It is a member of the sc, granted, but the fact of the matter is there wouldn’t be a hope in hell of retaining such a position if it was reformed today - Britain’s only relevancy is acting as a small and ineffective enforcer of American policy.
Hell we couldn’t hold Iraq, Afghanistan nor do much I Libya before running out of missiles.
We’re only able to do the odd token strike in Syria because we delayed the retirement of our strike aircraft.
I feel it might be you who is uneducated about Britain’s real clout in the world.



Oh please stop with this nonsense, we have one of the biggest economies in the world (top 10 and often top 5) we have a large army larger and more powerful than most countries, we have good stability, we have the infrastructure to grow and adapt unlike say india where there is so much wasted potential and poverty, we have a good standard of living. China is powerful but is poised on a very dangerous system that will not hold forever nor will Russia but we have secured ourselves a seat of stability

we may no longer be the superpower of the world but we are still a great power and have a very large amount of power and political clout.

Sure things could be better but at the moment our "bad time and our recession" we are still the envy of most nations and it is a fact
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 16
Original post by Hazzasufc
I never promised you a rose garden


What’re are you prattling on about?
Reply 17
Original post by AperfectBalance
Oh please stop with this nonsense, we have one of the biggest economies in the world (top 10 and often top 5) we have a large army larger and more powerful than most countries, we have good stability, we have the infrastructure to grow and adapt unlike say india where there is so much wasted potential and poverty, we have a good standard of living. China is powerful but is poised on a very dangerous system that will not hold forever nor will Russia but we have secured ourselves a seat of stability

we may no longer be the superpower of the world but we are still a great power and have a very large amount of power and political clout.

Sure things could be better but at the moment our "bad time and our recession" we are still the envy of most nations and it is a fact


I’m inclined to ask what your point is?
We have a tiny army actually... it might have a bit of interesting kit but it is not large by any stretch of the imagination.
‘More powerful than most countries’ considering by that you can only be comparing it to despotic 3rd world countries or tiny little island nations, in general, that is rather shy of a ringing endorsement. And as I laid out earlier the fact of te matter is the armed forces are completely useless if it came to defending the homeland from any kind of threat, as trump is fond of mentioning, Britain is a leach when it comes to its defence.
We are at best a regional power - to pretend to be more is laughable. We have no projection power and the army concurs with this. Mainly because polticians don’t want to pay for it.
Again comparing Britain to the 3rd world and war ravaged countries isn’t a particularly strong defence here.
Original post by SCIENCE :D
Overpopulation.


Population will likely peak at 11 billions.

As countries become more and more advanced and invest more and more into healthcare, education, contraceptives and individual standing within society, birth rates go down exponentially.

The EU has birth rates of just 1.6.

2.1 is the replacement fertility rate, meaning on a whole, Europe population is currently decreasing. Britain is 1.4 (i think), and our population is only increasing due to immigration

As Asian countries e.g. China and India fund development, their birth rates are, and will continue to go down.

Overpopulation is only a problem if you know nothing about overpopulation (no offence intended).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5BM7CE5-8
Reply 19
Original post by HighOnGoofballs
Population will likely peak at 11 billions.

As countries become more and more advanced and invest more and more into healthcare, education, contraceptives and individual standing within society, birth rates go down exponentially.

The EU has birth rates of just 1.6.

2.1 is the replacement fertility rate, meaning on a whole, Europe population is currently decreasing. Britain is 1.4 (i think), and our population is only increasing due to immigration

As Asian countries e.g. China and India fund development, their birth rates are, and will continue to go down.

Overpopulation is only a problem if you know nothing about overpopulation (no offence intended).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA5BM7CE5-8


In fairness to the other poster Africa and Asias population is currently exploding and isnt forecast to stop for quite some time. Equally the argument can easily be made that large populations abroad directly impact Britain - be it with the rising cost of food globally, more conflicts over space and resources etc.

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