Swords into Ploughshares?

I know its not exactly local government territory but the signing of the contract for aircraft carriers got me thinking about whether it really is the great thing it appears . Sure it "saves' jobs but despite being a 10 year programme, its another example of short-termism in Government.

I know that we need some capacity to replenish out of date military equipment but it strikes me that we need as a society to make a choice about what kind of nation we want to be. We should use these 10 years to look seriously at how the skills and talents of the workers in the shipyards resources can begin to be moved from always being dependent on military projects to more peaceful purposes. As well as being of more benefit to everyone this would avoid dependency on what become political decisions – keeping order books open at the last minute – and lead to more sustainable jobs in years to come.