AWE Shock

One of the many arguments for invading Iraq, you may recall, was that America's nuclear deterrent does not work. The Hitler of the Middle East and his weapons of mass destruction had us all forty-five minutes from doom, so that unless a bit of humanitarian shock and awe could be applied immediately, we might all wake up one morning and find a mushroom cloud over New York. Similar arguments have been used with regard to Iran's supposed nuclear weapons programme, which requires the setting up of batteries of missiles pointing at Russia. Although the deterrence dogma states categorically that nuclear weapons (or, more precisely, Britain's and America's nuclear weapons) have helped to keep the peace in Europe since 1945, the Israeli arsenal has signally failed to do the same for the Middle East, or even to protect the Righteous State from the existential threat posed by home-made rockets from Gaza.

In this context, it is a little difficult to understand the fuss being made about the sale of Britain's remaining stake in its nuclear warhead manufacturer at Aldermaston. A third of the business is already owned by Lockheed Martin, and another third by Serco, which runs the detention centre at Yarl's Wood with such exemplary humanity and efficiency. National institutions that don't work - from public transport to data protection - are the natural province of the private sector, which can at least ensure that the right people profit from the cock-ups.