There’s this series of carriage ads on the tube at the moment for BAE, which really bother me.

The one I first saw depicts a hummingbird, and explains how BAE developed the quite astounding technology which enables Harrier jump jets to land and take-off from a vertical position - no mean feat on an aircraft carrier in the middle of a tempestuous ocean. Which makes the world a safer place.

Woah. Back up a second. What?

Creating a massive weighty object that not only flies, but hovers and takes off vertically is an amazing innovation, a marvel of modern engineering and something to truly be chuffed about.

It does not, however, make the world a safer place.

What you’ve quite simply done there, you see, is make a political statement, not state a fact.

Creating a thing that will prevent the planet spinning off its axis makes the world a safer place. Inventing a device to predict earthquakes makes the world a safer place. Creating something which is meant to be used in conflict does not. It might make the country safer (depends on definition) and for the poor person flying the thing and trying to land on a platform in a stormy sea, it makes the experience of landing safer, but it doesn’t make the world safer, just like me waving a gun around doesn’t make my community safer. It makes my community more likely to get shot, because there’s some fool waving a gun around while she’s trying to type.

No war is safer. Not having the possibility of being killed is safer. Peace is safer, but it cannot be established on the basis of the bomb and the bullet. Creating weapons of war and vehicles which support mass destruction does not further peace and security for the world - it represents a political agenda, and I resent the implication that making another snazzy fighter plane makes the world - it’s enormous, what a generalisation! - my world any safer. I don’t feel safe knowing that billions of pounds are poured every year into funding research in how to kill people. I feel like there’s another fighter plane on one side - and then another, and another and another.

If I could figure out how to withhold the percentage of my income tax which goes to fund arms, I would.

On a related note, my mum’s in court next week on charges of creating a breach of the peace while sitting in the road outside Faslane nuclear (not nucular, thankyouverymuch) submarine base on the west coast of Scotland. She’s defending herself, and we talked about it quite a lot this weekend. Some suggestions for her line of defence were as follows:

1. Reference the speeches in which Bush and later, Blair spoke out against weapons of mass destruction. Point out that a trident submarine is a weapon of mass destruction, and if Bush and Blair condemn them, then it’s ok for her to do so too.
2. Point out that sitting in the road is somewhat less of a breach of the peace than, say, firing a nuclear missile from a submarine, and enquire (politely) when the MoD case will be coming up in court. Point out further that a peaceful, nonviolent protest doesn’t breach the peace whilst nuclear weapons threaten everybody’s peace and safety.
3. Remain silent when asked to make a statement, in recognition that it will be 11am on 11/11, and as a mark of respect of all those who have died in wars throughout history. Then make the point that nuclear submarines increase the likelihood of other people dying, because that’s what they’re designed to do: kill people.
4. Point out that the legal definition of a breach of the peace is:
   

   “whenever harm is actually done or is likely to be done to a person or in his presence his property or a person is in fear of being so harmed through an assault, an affray, a riot, unlawful assembly or other disturbance”

   …which is quite different to sitting peacefully in the road on a legal demonstration, which is an open, nonviolent obstruction of weapons of mass destruction, and which causes no alarm or distress to anyone.

5. If all else fails, point out that she had a conversation with HRH Liz, who said it was OK for her to sit on the queen’s highway. Well, it worked for Mr Burrell, sort of…

I wish I could be there to support her. I’m so proud of my mum.