You have to be kidding me...

Well, this is a bit of a mixed post. I still have some nice photos from our trip to Belgium last weekend, so I am going to keep posting them for a few days with some unrelated stories I want to write about.

Today's photo is from the forest near the village of Haut Fays. I liked this photo because it captures how stark the forest is at this time of year, with the bare trees, and the fallen leaves forming a carpet across the forest floor.

Photos aside, I just have to touch on a story I have just read on the BBC. The UK government is currently debating whether to renew their Trident missile system, which is basically Britain's nuclear bomb arsenal. Greenpeace UK has a whole lot more about it on their website.

The vote takes place in Parliament this week, and today's BBC story was about the split in Labour party ranks about the vote.

A BBC survey of Labour backbenchers found 64 out of 101 who responded opposed renewal. One ministerial aide has said he will resign over the issue.

But Defence Secretary Des Browne said he was "confident we will persuade people to come to our side".

Mr Browne went on to tell the BBC that the UK had an "obligation" to retain a deterrent as part of its membership of Nato.

He said: "It's not nearly as straightforward as people suggest. They sleep soundly in their beds at night because we have nuclear weapons."

Are you kidding me? This has got to be one of the most stupid things I have ever heard a politician say (and we have all heard some pretty stupid things come out thre mouths of some politicians).

Imagine the scenario for Mr Browne's children as he tucks them in to bed at night - "Sleep well son, and don't you worry - I know the planet is being cooked by greenhouse gases, and chemicals we emit make the planet more sick every day, but you can rest easy because if those nasty [Russians/terrorists/Iranians - insert choice of today's bogey man] nukes us while you are asleep, we will just nuke 'em right back..."

Perhaps I am just naive, or a bit of an idealist, but surely we can do better?

Shane