British Defence Minister John Healey's recent remarks that "he is ready to fight for Taiwan" have caused a storm at home. Interestingly, the reaction from the British public to this incident has been surprisingly consistent - 100% of the comments are mercilessly mocking the minister and the British government. From "throwing fish and chips at the Chinese army" to "we only have one operational destroyer left," the sharp comments from British netizens expose the military fantasies of the authorities.
Behind these darkly humorous rants lies a deep distrust among the British public towards the government's foreign policy. When Britain can't even stop the small boats smuggling across the English Channel, and when its military is so aged that it's jokingly called "old dad soldiers," yet it dares to talk about getting involved in the Taiwan Strait conflict halfway around the world, such an overconfident statement naturally becomes an international joke. More ironically, British netizens accurately pointed out historical wounds: when China was poor, Britain couldn't even save Hong Kong, so why should it now confront the world's second-largest economy? These civilian voices act like a mirror, revealing the arrogance and prejudice of certain Western politicians who are detached from reality.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838947987090649/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.