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Q: Handling express error in Next.js with axios Im building the login functionality for my application with an asynchronous call to my API. My issue is that even though express is throwing an error, .then() is still being run with the error and not the actual user and token response. I am not sure why the login function is not 'catching' the error and instead running the code inside .then().
My express function:

// express funciton to login a user
app.post('/api/users/login', (req, res) => {
  const { email, password } = req.body
  database.getUser(email, password, (error, user) => {
    console.log(error)
    if (error) {
      res.send({ error })

//errors are being handled here and are returned in the result of my
frontend API call

      return
    }
    const token = jwt.generateToken({ userId: user.id, name: user.name, email: user.email })
    res.send({ token: token, user:user })
  })
})

//getUser function with mySQL query
function getUser(email, password, callback) {
  const query = `
      SELECT id, name, email, password
      FROM users
      WHERE email = ?
  `
  const params = [email]

  connection.query(query, params, (error, results, fields) => {
    if (!results || results.length === 0) {
      callback(Error("Email is incorrect"))
      return
    }

    const user = results[0]

    bcrypt.compare(password, user.password, (error, same) => {
      console.log(error)
      if (error) {
        callback(error)
        return
      }

      if (!same) {
        callback(Error("Password is incorrect"))
        return
      }

      callback(null, user)
    })
  })
}
exports.getUser = getUser

My login function in Next.js:

    const login = async ({ email, password }) => {
        return await axios.post('http://localhost:4200/api/users/login', {
            email: email,
            password: password
        })
            .then((result) => {

//when backend throws error, they are contained here as "result.error" still running these lines of code

                sessionStorage.setItem('token', result.data.token);
                axios.defaults.headers.common['Authorization'] = "Bearer " + result.data.token;
                console.log('user signed in');
            })
            .catch((err) => {

//want errors to be directed here instead so I can properly handle them within the UI

                console.error("Username or password is incorrect!!")
            })
    };

A: Where you have .catch(error) will only error if there is an issue with the axios promise itself being able to complete.
In this case, the axios promise is completing correctly, however, you are then returned a valid error code for why the login cannot complete.
Therefore one approach would be within your .then(result) function to look for that type of result and do something.
So something like
.then((result) => {
 if (result.error) { ... return an error message to user ... }
 else {
  sessionStorage.setItem('token', result.data.token);
  axios.defaults.headers.common['Authorization'] = "Bearer " +
  result.data.token;
  console.log('user signed in');}
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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jordache/Shutterstock.com
Can a Co-Op Incentive Model Save Europe's Real Estate Market?
Ireland's Dublin House program will give groups of residents great plots for cheap if they commit to developing them and living in what they build.
Boarded-up shops, unbuilt lots weeding over, buildings flaking and peeling—the ongoing economic slump in Europe has kicked its fair share of holes in many of the continent's less prosperous city centers. But while the recession hasn't really lifted yet, some crisis-hit European cities are experimenting with ways to revive their cores that don't necessarily involve huge investment. Should two new experiments in Athens and Dublin work out, they could provide useful models for cities across the world trying to shake off similarly high vacancy rates and run-down real estate.
First up is Athens. Greece's capital is currently struggling to find ways to restore an inner city that is now peppered with rundown or derelict historic buildings. Overall, the city has 1,200 abandoned buildings, a third of which have historical protection status. They include such properties as this fine neoclassical cinema and large old houses that are close to the point of no return, but also buildings on streets like this where surrounding houses are in good order. Aside from the economic pain they reflect, it would be a huge pity to let these buildings die, not least because their unique take on neoclassical architecture could make Athens tourism even more attractive in the future. Their presence is not a result of the economic crisis alone; buildings don't go from pristine to tumbledown in just six years. Their decrepitude is mainly the product of the longstanding drift of money away from downtowns toward the suburbs that was typical of cities across the West in the late 20th century.
Athens' solution to the problem is extremely simple: It will renovate derelict buildings itself.
Athens started to reverse this trend a while back. It has the revamped warehouse districts and formerly dark streets packed with bars that you'd expect of any western metro core. Since 2008, however, the money powering this process has partly dried up. Downtown is anything but empty, but there's not enough commercial demand to induce landlords to go out on a limb and renovate buildings whose rental income would struggle to recoup high restoration costs. Owners who actually want to renovate, meanwhile, are faced with a credit drought from wary banks. The greatest problem of all, however, is that the city just doesn't always know who owns the buildings: As Ekathimerini notes, Athenians who emigrated during the 20th century often forgot properties that drew little or no income, and tracing an unoccupied building's multiple owners can be a real headache. Meanwhile, formerly elegant buildings continue to totter.
Athens' solution to the problem is extremely simple: It will renovate the buildings itself. Once that choice is made, however, finding money to back it up is not so easy. With basic services are already feeling the pinch, Athens doesn't have the spare cash for building restoration. The city's way around this is to rake back any rental profits from restored buildings until a major chunk of its costs are recouped. Once it has its money back, the city will return the property to its owner, assuming one can be traced. In some cases, this might mean taking a tough line. If landlords are unwilling to hand over management, they will get a grace period to undertake repairs themselves before the city steps in and takes over.
Dublin will consider selling plots to specially formed co-ops, a group of two to four households (who don't have to be nuclear families per se).
Meanwhile, on the other side of Europe, Dublin is facing problems similar to those enmiring Athens. Ireland's capital may have fewer derelict buildings than Greece's, but it still has too many vacant plots. Readied for building during Ireland's property boom, they stayed empty when it turned out that Ireland's real estate market had, like a soufflé, been kept aloft mainly by hot air. Dublin also has another homegrown issue: a city center abandoned by families. Many of the city core's older homes have been converted to office space, a role they fill indifferently at best, leaving some of Ireland's most beautiful streets lifeless at night.
One possible answer to these twin problems comes in the form of a new project called Dublin House. As a pilot plan, the city is offering a vacant plot just south of the River Liffey for a mere €150,000, a rock-bottom price for a space big enough for a house of up to seven floors. The catch? Well, there are several. The city will consider selling the plot only to specially formed co-ops, a group of two to four households (who don't have to be nuclear families per se). The co-op with the best plan gets the plot—on the condition that they live in what they build for at least 10 years. To discourage speculation, anyone leaving before then will have much of their sale profit creamed off by the city.
If it works, the Dublin House model will be rolled out across the whole city. While it will always be small—the city needs to own or buy the land—it could provide some extra affordable housing, fill up vacant plots, and boost local businesses in the process. Just as in Athens, a plan like this won't alleviate the root problem of Dublin's ills—that is, being the heart of a country knocked flat by huge bank bailouts. It's still a step in the right direction for a town that wants to weatherproof its center after its recent battering by economic storm.
(Top image: jordache/Shutterstock.com)

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text:
Home Archived Articles APL, HCEDA Teamwork Advancing Tech Transfer
APL, HCEDA Teamwork Advancing Tech Transfer
In September, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) named the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) as one of 50 winners of its first Growth Accelerator Fund competition. HCEDA's Accelerator for the Commercialization of Technology (ACT) was selected from more than 800 applicants competing for $50,000 cash awards from the SBA, and was the only Maryland program to win.
Existing as a partnership between local research institutions and HCEDA's Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship (MCE), the ACT is designed to streamline technology licensing. The program's first Memorandum of Understanding was announced in August, with The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), in North Laurel. Agreements with other research institutes are expected to follow.
Coming just one month after that initial agreement was announced, the SBA award underscores the importance of a longstanding strategic partnership between HCEDA and APL. Significant as that relationship has been, though, leaders of both organizations say the new agreement is about to make things even more interesting.
Unique Advantage
First, however, here's a closer look at the SBA award.
Winners were selected from among 100 finalists by a panel of seven judges who are experts in entrepreneurship, investing and business plans, both inside and outside federal government. The participating accelerators inhabited a spectrum of industries and sectors, ranging from manufacturing startups to farming ventures.
"The SBA is empowering accelerators and startups that are on the cutting edge of successful, innovative new endeavors," said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, citing the success that communities like Silicon Valley have had with the accelerator model. "We believe we can export this type of sophisticated support structure across the country to help startups become commercially viable and create jobs more quickly."
In accepting the cash award, the ACT must commit to quarterly reporting for one year, providing metrics such as jobs created, funds raised, startups launched and corporate sponsors; this, in turn, will allow the SBA to create a useful database of accelerators and their impact, and to develop long-term relationships with the startups and constituents in innovative and entrepreneurial communities.
"We couldn't be more proud of ACT Director Valerie Gaydos and the team at the MCE, where the program operates," said HCEDA CEO Larry Twele. "Since signing the MOU, two companies have agreements to license technology, and we expect two more to follow in the next 45 days."
"With my background as an angel investor, I come at the program a bit differently," Gaydos said. "Our strategy enables us to get to market faster and cuts down on research and development time."
Participating companies have access to collaborative space, but Twele said he considers the talent surrounding those companies to be the best resource they have.
"Our Entrepreneurs in Residence make a big difference, because they speak the language and give startup companies the benefit of their expertise and experience," he said.
Big Numbers
At the APL, 2014 turned out to be a record year for transferring technologies to commercial industry. All told, the lab launched six startup companies, filed disclosures for 257 inventions and recorded 77 agreements to license APL-developed technologies.
The number of invention disclosures increased by 12% from fiscal 2013 numbers. Varying widely in subject matter, they include technology enabling a scalpel with integrated circuits that tells the user what type of tissue s/he is cutting; a socially networked air quality monitor; and light fidelity technology for autonomous transportation and improved situational awareness.
Compared with previous years, there was an increase in biomedical technology disclosures, likely related to APL's strategic focus on health care, said Heather Curran, senior technology manager in the office.
"There has also been a rise in bio-related sensors and information processing," she said. "It's also no surprise, given APL's strong background in space, that the recent public spotlight and growing commercial investment coincide with an increasing rate of APL disclosures for space and environmental sensors."
Partners in the Climb
Laboratory innovations led to six new startup companies last year, bringing the total number of APL spinoffs to 34 since fiscal 2000.
They include NexGen Forensic Science, marketing a technology that can identify each individual involved in a real-world crime scene; Articu-Tech, an educational company focused on exploring the science and technology behind mobile devices; Cognoscenti Systems, a cybersecurity firm; Reality Inc., which will leverage a backpack-portable mapping system for use in locations where GPS is not available; WREN Scientific, providing home care products for asthmatic patients; and Bioreactors Technologies, which intends to bridge the expensive development gap between lab research and biomedical tools suitable for FDA trials.
According to Norma Lee Todd, head of APL's Office of Technology Transfer, several of these new businesses are a direct result of APL's partnership with the MCE.
"The increases (in transfers) that we've seen over the last couple of years also directly reflect the vision and ingenuity of our staff members, the resourcefulness of our tech transfer team and the contributions from lab partners in industry [and] in government," she said.
Todd credited APL Director Ralph Semmel for placing a strong focus on innovation and creativity within the organization. "It has permanently changed the culture to allow better stuff to move forward and drive our intellectual property portfolio," she said.
To better support the Office of Technology Transfer, MCE has staffed a panel of business champions who review APL technology and give feedback on what's good, what might work and any commercial applications the technology might tie into.
"This new partnership exposes us to the right people who can help with commercialization," Todd said. "Our goal is to have more startup companies formed based on APL technology, and we expect the momentum we've experienced over the last year to continue and be amplified through this partnership."
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MetroHealth Transformation
Transformation Blog
Sharing Our Trauma Expertise
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Our Care (54)
Our Community (85)
Our Heroes (15)
The MetroHealth System Oct 10 2018
MetroHealth signed agreements with Mercy Health Lorain Hospital and Fisher-Titus Health in October 2018 to bring our acclaimed trauma care closer to home for residents in Lorain and Huron counties.
On July 1, 2019, MetroHealth trauma surgeons began rotating at Mercy Health Lorain to provide 24/7 trauma care.
MetroHealth's highly skilled and experienced Level I Adult Trauma providers now work in collaboration with Mercy Health Lorain to operate the Level III Trauma Center. MetroHealth also provides training and education for Mercy Health Lorain nurses and other staff to build upon Mercy's high standards for care.
"We are always looking at ways to adapt and respond to the needs of the families we serve," said Gil Palmer, MD, Mercy Health Lorain's Chief Medical Officer. "There was a gap in the county where a trauma program would fit, and now, we have worked to bring one to life."
The partnership with Fisher-Titus Health involves co-management of the existing Level III Trauma Center at Fisher-Titus in Huron County with MetroHealth physician and operational leadership. Specialized MetroHealth trauma surgeons work in collaboration with Fisher-Titus physicians and staff to provide trauma care for patients. A MetroHealth medical director and trauma coordinator manage day-to-day trauma operations.
"We are excited to partner with this locally and nationally recognized provider of trauma care," said Brent Burkey, MD, President, Fisher-Titus Health.
"MetroHealth is renowned for its trauma care," said Bernie Boulanger, MD, MetroHealth's executive vice president and chief clinical officer. "These partnerships save lives and keep patients closer to their families and loved ones as they recover."
According to the American Trauma Society, a Level III Trauma Center must demonstrate the ability to provide "prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care and stabilization of injured patients and emergency operations." Level III Trauma Centers include 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and the prompt availability of general surgeons and anesthesiologists.


Wow, what a crazy week! There were a lot of interesting looking releases, and it was hard choosing just 10. Honey Tribe Studios released a new puzzle game called Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians. Whereas their last release was quite cerebral and somewhat dark in tone, Yam Yam is action oriented and good for the whole family. Crescent Moon Games released their latest offering in the form of Dig!, a Qix clone involving a washed up archeologist and a mummy named Nigel. Cool graphics, a good sense of humor and magical hats makes this a variant worth digging into. If you're not completely sick of infinite running games yet, you'll definitely want to give Running with Friends a try. No bull about it, this competitive runner could breathe new life into the genre for those that have given up on such games.
Running with Friends – Never let it be said that I'd willingly run just for the sake of it, but I've decided to make an exception in this case. I was worried that this would be just like every other infinite runner out there, and as you might expect me to say next, in many ways it is. Still, the idea that you compete against others in matches where you each get to run three rounds to see who gets the highest score is enough of a "nice touch" to make the game feel different. The whole atmosphere feels different as you're running amongst other runners and the bulls themselves. I'm not sure if the other runners actually represent people playing the game or not, but it's still quite cool. It's also need to have an audience on the sidelines cheering you on. There are also tiles to collect to spell words for bonuses, secret paths to take that I presume give you something good if you don't die, and bonuses that include the ability to temporarily ride a bull and do some damage. So yeah, this is still an infinite runner at heart, but it does enough things just right so that it makes it worth playing despite all the time you've spent with some of the best.
Tasty Tadpoles – This is a cute little game where you get to lead your tadpole to safety while hopefully collecting some stars along the way. All you have to do is tap and your tadpole will follow, but you have to be careful because along the way the other critters in the pond will try and gobble him up. Some will just swim in patterns and wait for you to get close, but others will aggressively follow if you wander in their sphere of influence. To help out you can knock bugs towards the enemy tadpoles to keep them occupied or grab a shield to wander past unharmed for a limited amount of time. There are currently three ponds, each with 20 regular levels and 5 bonus levels that require you to do something special to unlock them. You must complete a level to unlock the next, but you only need a certain number of stars to unlock each successive pond, so you can somewhat play out of order. If the regular mode seems a bit too easy you can try puzzle mode, where you only get a certain number of taps to complete each level. Either way this is a nice causal game that you can share with your family or enjoy on your own.
Pygmy Run – This is a silly game. Your job is to protect a totem from a bunch of pygmies by dropping stalactites on their heads. Generally speaking, the bigger they are the more points it takes to kill them. This doesn't necessarily mean they are harder to kill, though, as so far the biggest pygmy is easy to get rid of because he is slow, while the smallest darts through the cave so quickly he's extremely difficult to stop. Thankfully you'll be able to buy upgrades by spending the bones that get left behind when you nail a pygmy. Updates include random mystic powers, stalactites that leave fire for the pygmies to walk through, and lots of other fun power ups. After you've bested story mode you can tackle survival mode to see how many waves of pygmies you can fend off before the gig is up. Throw in some stylish silhouette artwork and a narrator that loves to get sarcastic and you have the perfect game to play while you're waiting in line at the supermarket or wherever you might stand in line.
XnO – Maybe it's the parent in me, but I seem to find myself attracted to cute games. XnO definitely falls into that category. You play a turtle and penguin that are trying to save their friends which have been captured and locked in cages. In order to free them you must knock off all the objects on top of the cages, which basically amounts to playing the milk bottle game you can find at most respectable carnivals. The game starts off easy but make no mistake – the "cute" outer layer hides a rather challenging game on the deeper levels. You'll eventually get objects that move in front of your targets, and then you'll get cannons that fire at you. The game is 3D which makes setting the trajectory a challenge, and you can even hit yourself with your own projectiles if you aren't careful. Unfortunately there are only 5 levels with the free version, but they do a pretty good job of showing you what you'll be in store for (hint, they aren't just the first five levels of the game). Game Center achievements round out the package to provide a fun gaming experience that's appropriate for anyone.
Bad Nerd vs Zombies – As a self proclaimed nerd I take offense to all this… ah, who am I kidding? I got over being made fun of a long time ago, and frankly I find it pretty amusing that they choose a nerd to be the savior of the day since it's a "weird guy like him" that starts the trouble in the first place. The whole game has a pretty decent sense of humor, given that you have to collect zombie drool in order to ultimately win the game. There are 150 missions to complete, and while the majority of them are simple "collect this" or "kill that" type affairs, that still gives you plenty to do. Just in case you don't think that's enough, however, there is a multiplayer arena where you can go duke it out with nerds around the world. The game is a bit rough around the edges: it's often hard to figure out where to go, even with red exclamations on the map, and turning about is slow enough that the bad guys can get some licks in before you know what hits you. Still, for a free offering with one of the features being "continually growing game", it's hard to pass this one up if you're a zombie fan.
Dig! – The game of Qix provides an interesting concept, but frankly I've never been a big fan of the original. Over time certain variations of the theme have caught my interest, however, and it doesn't come as much surprise that Crescent Moon Games would be one company to publish a version that I'd take an interest in. Dig puts you in the shoes of a ho-hum archeologist that must recover artifacts for a failing museum. This offers a decent premise behind a game whose mechanics revolve around sectioning off as much of each playing field as you can – the minimum goal for each level is 75%. Of course optimally you'll want to clear the areas that have artifacts buried in them which not only keeps the museum happy but earns you coins so that you can buy gadgets and hats. Hats offer you abilities to ward off the bad guys that include Nigel the ever present mummy and a host of other entertaining characters. The visuals are great (no surprise there), the music is upbeat and there's a decent sense of humor to be unearthed.
World 1-1 – There were a lot of interesting games to choose from this week, so sometimes I feel like you might question some of my choices. In addition to bringing you a list of fun games, one of my other goals is to let you know about games that might generally get passed by not only by players but by reviewers as well. I believe that World 1-1 is one such game. You are a pizza delivery boy who believes the pizza must be delivered, regardless of the fact that aliens are invading the Earth. This game is like a cross between an endless runner and Super Mario Brothers. You'll run and jump to avoid obstacles and collect as many slices of pizza as you can. Better yet, earn extra money by actually getting the pizzas to a house for some extra tips. Along the way you'll get power ups that give you things like a shield, jetpack or helicopter hat. You'll also be able to jump on the heads of aliens and bash bricks with your head. This is a great tribute to 80s platformers with enough modern conveniences to feel right on your mobile device.
Crazy Monster Bowling – After playing my first game of five rounds, I felt like this was one of the worst bowling games I'd played on my iPad. After having spent some more time with it, I still feel that way. However, if you look at it from the perspective of an action game where you roll through a course with the end result coincidentally being that you have to knock down a bunch of monsters standing around in a pin-like formation, it gets to be a lot more entertaining. I know that probably seems really odd, but it worked for me. What I do like is the creative "lane" design. You'll have to dodge bombs, avoid monsters that are rolling various things across your path, and sometimes tread narrow pathways or even jump across gaps to get to your final destination. There are a total of eight courses, all of which must be unlocked except the first. There are also a number of different monsters to choose from, all of which have to be unlocked as well. You can play hot-seat multiplayer if you buy that option via IAP, or you can just cut to the chase and buy the pro version of the game which gives you multiplayer, no ads and 10,000 coins to start, which should be enough to unlock all of the courses from the beginning.
Yam Yam: Puzzle Guardians – Yam is a weird little creature that likes to throw fruit. Yam is a friendly elephant that Yam can ride. Together, the two Yams must help rebuild the forest paths so the leaf creatures can get home before the dark one attacks the village. No, I'm not having some post-mushroom induced hallucinations. This is the new puzzle game from Honey Tribe Studios, and it's actually quite fun. You are armed with various colored fruit, and you must throw them at the platforms to change the color of certain spots to match the rest of the platform. It won't be easy, as there are often barriers that force you to lob the fruit over the top instead of hitting the platforms from down below. There are also flowers to collect, but you have to get them all in one shot in order for them to count. You can speed up your elephant to get through the level quicker and to earn bonus points, and there are also power ups that you can pick up to help your quest. The game offers Game Center achievements and leaderboards, and yes, this once again is a very family friendly game. I will say that young ones might find the mechanics a bit hard to master, though (I know I do).
Cute Heroes – I think the name is a bit of an understatement. This has to be one of the most cuddly castle defense games I've ever played. Even the grim reaper is cute as he drops down on a string to haul away troops whose time has passed. This is one of those games where you keep sending troops towards your enemy's castle at the other side of the screen while defending your own castle on the off chance that some bad guys sneak through your offensive lines. There are 12 unit types that can be acquired and upgraded, and you'll also learn skills that you can use to directly influence the tide of battle. The single player game offers 100 different levels that you can play at 3 difficulty settings, so there is plenty of solo action to be had if you're up to it. When you're done with all that and have built up your troops and general you can go online and take on a real opponent to see how skilled you really are. This game doesn't really evolve or reinvent the genre, though I'm not sure there are too many of this style that offer both solo and multiplayer, but it certainly does cute-ify it to a new level.


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Overstretch
By Nick Harvey | Thu 21st February 2008 - 10:10 am
"Overstretched, underpaid and over there" might be an appropriate modern-day take on the infamous line of the Second World War, used in its original form to describe American GIs in Britain. With intense operations on two fronts, in Afghanistan and Iraq, combined with the cumulative effects of underinvestment by consecutive Conservative and Labour Governments, it is a phrase that pithily describes the modern predicament of our armed forces.
Our Armed Forces are a world-class fighting force, but they are not configured for sustained operations at the present rate. The situation has become so critical that the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said recently in a leaked secret memo: "We now have almost no capability to react to the unexpected.", and he is right.
Despite the Labour Government recognising the dangers of continued overstretch in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) of 1998, the most recent Armed Forces Pay Review Board Report of 7th February 2008 alarmingly confirmed continued major shortfalls in personnel number with further concerns that no manning balance will be achieved before April 2009.
With overstretch extending from full-time service personnel to reserves, medics and specialist trades, (as well as rather ironically the very recruiters who are meant to rectify this problem); our Armed Forces are in desperate need of constructive assistance to avoid an irrevocable crisis in our military capabilities. Furthermore, efforts must be made to check the equally alarming effect that overstretch has on the retention of skilled and experienced personnel that are currently serving; the very people who are vital to the Forces. All in all, these deficits will take years to rectify and it does not take a genius to work out that more commitments, fewer resources and fewer men do not bode well for swift success.
As the situation worsens in Afghanistan it is clear that the status quo is untenable. I am convinced that we cannot continue to ask so much of our armed forces without a clear commitment that in the future we will support them with the resources, equipment and man power they so urgently need to fulfil their operations. The military covenant must be more than just an abstract set of obligations, it should be firm entitlements for every serviceman and woman and their families. As a party we are well placed to champion this cause.
Nick Harvey is Lib Dem Shadow Defence Secretary
Read more by Nick Harvey or more about armed forces or military covenant.
This entry was posted in Op-eds.
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Paddick tops pink poll
Chris Paul 21st Feb '08 - 11:38am
What is the Lib Dem commitment to extra funding for the armed services and how is this to be funded? Is Willie Rennie still prattling on about cluster bombs when he has visited Raytheon's factory as an MP (not in his patch btw) and used to work for and co-own their UK PR contractor.
Clearly things can always be better when it comes to quartermastery. This cry has gone up for centuries. There is always an army somewhere with better kit or more ammo or whatever. Without the answers to the above questions this smacks of political opportunism.
We are not at the maggots on the beef stage of Potemkin. Rather we are in a process of constantly upgrading, of supply chains not being perfect, of things breaking in the field from time to time. Could be much better but could also be far worse.
Liverpool Lib Dems have a reserves fund of around one day (best practice would be I'd suppose three to six months?) and they stagger from crisis to crisis as the worst performing authority and joint worst financially. They could be officially bankrupt any day now.
Until Lib Dems can run a small city they've controlled for quite some time, albeit losing their grip, they cannot really be serious in lecturing other parties on running a much larger endeavour correctly. Can they? It is a counsel of perfection coming from a well of proven inadequacy.
Anax 21st Feb '08 - 9:04pm
Aside from scrapping Trident, there's an easy way to yield more money for the Armed Forces; dispose of the vast layers of desk officers who gobble up cash whilst providing zero firepower. The Royal Navy, for example, has 46 admirals.
Chris Paul 21st Feb '08 - 11:14pm
While this is true Anax, 46 admirals are a drop in the ocean against the navy budget. £5M say, plus pensions. It is for the JCS and the MoD to decide if they are useful and to restructure accordingly if they see fit.
And there is always quite a short-medium cost in restructures that involve early baths for admirals.
Andy May 22nd Feb '08 - 12:21pm
I think the fairly saving is trident – even if we were just to reduce the capacity of that programme rather than scrapping it outright the savings would run into the billions.
Blaming it on quartermastery is a pretty poor excuse for a government which has cut spending on the armed forces yet expects them to conduct intense operations in Iraq and Afghanistan simultaneously.
Aside from logistical effects of overstretch – the lies and deceit behind the Iraq war has left many of the troops deployed their with poor morale and little idea of what they are fighting for (speak to some of the troops who have actually been deployed out there away from TV camera's and you might get a real picture – instead of watching Ross Kemp)
I notice you ignore the retention issue, which is not only down to poor pay and the rising mental health toll these campaigns are taking, but also due to experienced soldiers taking up positions with private contrators, who pay much better. The long term costs of both poor retention in the armed forces and mental heath care for society are huge and are being ignored by this government.
Sorry that should be the fairly big saving is trident – valued at £76 billion including annual maintanence costs.
The current annual level of defence spending is 30 billion so that gives you some perspective on the government priorities – forget our troops and build more nukes.
Anax 22nd Feb '08 - 9:03pm
@Chris Paul
Yes, but the 46 admirals is just an example. There's similar overstaffing right the way through the Armed Forces. A wider cut would yield enough money to patch up the infantry, who are relatively inexpensive themselves.
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