Is the West in terminal decline? Some have dubbed the British armed forces a “laughing stock” after an expensive UK missile misfired sensationally for the second time in a row.
UK sub almost sinks itself with missile flop
Sea fiasco: An unarmed Trident II ballistic missile crashed into the sea shortly after launch. Glossary
TS Eliot - The initials stand for Thomas Stearns. Born in the US, Eliot was one of the most influential figures in 20th-Century literature.
Nuclear deterrent - Nuclear weapons kept by a country as a warning to others not to attack.
Bulwark - A defensive wall.
Farce - An absurd situation, or an absurd and comic play.
Adversaries - Rivals or enemies.
Dissident - A person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.
Liberalism - A political and moral philosophy that protects and enhances the rights of the individual.
Imperialism - The practice of growing a country's power through colonisation or force.
Alexei Navalny - A well-known opposition leader in Russia and critic of Vladimir Putin, who died in prison in 2024 at the age of 47.