Arthur Herman the author of "To Rule the Waves" has an article in today's New York Post detailing current plans to reduce the size of the British naval fleet to nearly half its current size. The net effect would be to draw in the already diminished influence of Britain beyond the shores of its fabled isle.

This would also shift reliance more toward Europe and away from its transatlantic relationship with America. Prime Minister Tony Blair, while keeping one foot in the American camp has worked very hard to integrate Britain in to the EU web. His likely successor, Gordon Browne will no doubt continue that policy. Look for diminished ties between  America and Britain in the coming years.

Herman quotes Winston Churchill, Britain's great wartime leader, as saying, "There is no hope for civilization if we drift apart", meaning the United States and England.

The entire should be read but here is the heart of the story:
 

Since the mid '80s, British defense spending has shrunk by more than 30 percent, to less than 2.5 percent of GDP. Today it is at its lowest level since 1930. Even welfare states such as France and Germany spend more on their military. (Meanwhile, Blair is busy hacking back the British commitment in Iraq from 7,000 to 4,500 troops - less than 4 percent of the coalition total.

The truth is that for two centuries Britain and the Royal Navy played the role of globocop, policing the world's sea trade lanes which keep the global economy going. (Even today, 95 percent of the weight of all intercontinental trade travels by sea.)

AFTER World War II, the U.S. Navy gradually took over that thankless but essential task; the British felt free to relax. From a postwar peak of 388 ships and submarines in 1950, the Royal Navy had dwindled to 112 vessels in 1980. By 2004. it was down to just 46.

Yet the British navy still takes pride in sharing the globocop burden with the United States in vital strategic areas like the Persian Gulf, and even being able to project power trans-oceanically alone when it has to, as during the Falklands War.

Analysts agree that once these forecast cuts go through, this will be impossible. Indeed, a Royal Navy of only 25 vessels would require at least some cooperation from its European neighbors even to defend Britain.

We have written extensively about the special relationship between America and Britain. It is a key to understanding Bible prophecy and what lies immediately ahead in world affairs. Global forces are aligning to diminish the role of the United States in world affairs. The result will be lead to a the creation of a global Babylon described in Revelation 17 and 18. A political/spiritual order with powers unlike any we have seen in our lifetime. You can read more about that coming power in our booklet on Revelation