Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
Which drops dramatically with this week’s photo prompt!
Sorry, Ted.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
© Ted Strutz
Stupidity
Do you know the definition of stupidity?
No, not Donald Trump, I do not comment on another country’s politics.
Instead it is the Westminster government’s plan for world peace.
They are currently pushing ahead with an upgrade to Trident, the (not quite) United Kingdom’s nuclear weapon system.
At a currently estimated cost of £20 billion.
Likely to be closer to £100 billion.
This is supposedly a deterrent to all the bad guys out there.
Ask the people of London, Paris, Madrid, Copenhagen, and now Brussels just how well this is working.
My opinion?
It is all going down the toilet.
Sound Bite Fiction 
20 billion? They are flush with funds, the weapons manufacturers are doing well these days,
LikeLike
Very gripping and thought provoking story indeed.
Thank you for sharing this.
LikeLike
And thank you for reading, and for your comment.
LikeLike
The first two lines made me laugh so much that I had trouble reading on, but then I didn’t laugh any more. Very scary, very true.
LikeLike
Yes, sorry about that, but it is not easy to be funny in these circumstances.
Thank you for visiting and commenting, dear lady.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sort of like flowers in a toilet. Nice segue into a stinging indictment.
LikeLike
Thank you, Joseph
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very well timed piece to reflect upon the methods of our government. I am with Jeremy Corbyn when it comes to talking about Trident. That’s just me, though.
LikeLike
No, Angie, it is not just you.
But, sadly,this is business, so humanity is irrelevant, or perhaps merely inconvenient.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I wondered how you were going to tie it all in. Nicely done!
LikeLike
Thank you, Perry
LikeLike
So, send the U.N. a bowl of flowers with my compliments. Like they say in the plumbers trade, “As in poker, a royal flush is better than a full house.”
Keep papering the cracks and use the “stationery” to write your lawyer, too.
LikeLike
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
LikeLike
Ronald Reagan called them “Peacekeepers”. While it may (or may not) deter countries like North Korea from acting out, nuclear power has little impact on the shadow wars that have been waged for decades. Instead of creating newer and bigger weapons, we might want to figure out how to stop wanting to kill each other.
As the others have mentioned, this was a poignant and timely story. Well done.
LikeLike
My thoughts exactly, good sir.
Thank you for your kind words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep! So true. Timely bit and nicely done.
LikeLike
Thank you, Caerlynn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t agree more … what is another nuclear missile going to do against guerrilla type warfare. Such a waste.
LikeLike
An exercise in futility, Georgia.
It serves only one purpose, to help the rich get richer.
LikeLike
Yes, I’m afraid you’re right about that.
LikeLike
Poignant point well argued. These are desperate times
LikeLike
Indeed, Mick.
Thank you for your comment.
LikeLike
Haha! Nice piece and commentary on US politics, and especially British one’s. I didn’t know that was happening in Britain and I would have to agree with you what exactly are we doing to deter terrorism, because bigger weapons of mass destruction don’t seem to be working.
LikeLike
Only an idiot could imagine that a nuclear deterrent can work in this situation.
Thank you, Mandibelle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can comment on American politics and we are certainly due for a flush or two.
I agree about the weapons being wrong for the job at hand.
Tracey
LikeLike
Thank you, Tracey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great title for this week’s entry, C.E. Stupidity and insanity are subjects I know little of, but I have been accused of being prone to lunacy. I don’t think nuclear weapons are the answer. Perhaps we should bombard ISIS with bacon as I hear pork works like Kryptonite.
LikeLike
Anyone who thinks nuclear weapons are the answer is, I believe, asking the wrong question.
Perhaps we should stop bombarding?
LikeLike
Although it is necessary to have knowledgeable people in these types of positions I think there comes a time when fresh ideas, that go against the status quo are called for. Now if we can just get “them” to listen.
LikeLike
Knowledgeable people sounds like a wonderful concept.
Unfortunately we are stuck with the stupidity of Cameron and his cronies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great topical subject. I am definitely in agreement with you on this. Well done.
LikeLike
Thank you, Lily.
LikeLike
And here I thought Trident was nothing more than a brand of gum that four out of five dentists recommend.
Chilling commentary on today’s global situation. I personally have some very strong opinions about David Cameron, even though I am a U.S. citizen (my paternal great grandparents came from the Isle of Wight (by way of London) to Massachusetts just over a century ago, and I keep up with happenings in the Motherland almost as well as with happenings here in the U.S. But my sound bite has extended beyond an appropriate length, so I will leave you with all my strongest wishes of hope and worldwide peace.
Shalom, Namaste, Peace (and a little chicken grease to keep everything properly lubricated),
Marie Gail
LikeLike
Thank you, Marie Gail.
Sadly I feel your wishes, however strong, will be of no avail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well said.
LikeLike
Thank you, Alicia.
LikeLike
Well done CE. Timely and pertinent.
LikeLike
Thank you.
And Graham too, of course.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow. EVERYONE should read this.
LikeLike
Thank you, feel free to share it however you choose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks
LikeLike
Well done CE. I can only admire your passion and the courage to speak it.
Well crafted protest my peaceable friend.
LikeLike
We use the voice we have, Em, it is all any of us can do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A fab and very relevant take on the prompt, couldn’t agree more with you! Well done Ceayr 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you, Heidi, you are very kind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perfect timing for this essay. And I have to agree with you. The present way of “handling” these horrid events is not working, yet “they” keep doing the same thing over and over. Kind of like that definition of insanity….
LikeLike
Thank you, Dale.
It seems to me we are fighting the wrong war with the wrong weapons.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could not agree more…
LikeLike
More an essay than a story, but kudos for delivering an essay in 100 words
LikeLike
Guilty as charged.
But some things are more important than rules.
Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I couldn’t agree more.
LikeLike
Thank you, Claire.
LikeLiked by 1 person
5 stars, Mr. Ayr. A great take on this prompt!
LikeLike
Thank you, ma’am.
I am happy you enjoyed.
LikeLike
Indeed it is all going down the drain.
LikeLike
Sadly, it does seem that way.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who’s to say that without that deterrent, we might have all been flushed down the toilet, digested, treated, processed and spread out across the fields already? Who will ever know? I certainly don’t. All I know is that there are enough madmen out there in this world to see us all off, a hundred times or more.
LikeLike
It seems we disagree on WMDs, Sandra.
But thank you, as always, for your visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear CE.
I’ve dropped the standard? I’m bowled over and flushed. In loo of a comment on UK politics, I’ll say America’s politics are certainly down the toilet. Apt story for the times and sophisticated photo prompt.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 3 people
What I like most about FF is how it highlights the variant usage of our common language.
In Scotland, at least, sophisticated has a quite different meaning.
I reserve comment on your puns, lest I find the need to paper over the cracks.
LikeLiked by 1 person