Re: Really ....
"Consider the WIDER situation. When the Spanish build the tanks we will find ourselves paying unemployment to the men who would build the tanks in the UK, ..."
No, those men, and women, would be applying their talents in other industries making products the UK can export profitably (Cheddar cheese, Jaguar cars, Rycote microphone mounts, Tata Colorcoat prefinished steel, Rolls Royce jet engines, etc.). Some of them would be working, in the UK or overseas, as engineers, architects, artists and teachers. Others would be working in tourism, etc.
In my perception, long-term support of uncompetitive industries always hurts the taxpayer and, ultimately, the people in those industries. The UK has the potential to export many products and services, but some are more attractive to import. (And many will be imported and exported at the same time, in different flavours.)
Though I'm also unhappy about the way financial services, etc. have been overemphasised in recent decades. Unfortunately many in the UK don't seem to be interested in studying to become an engineer or technician/craftsperson. Hopefully that will change again.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
