The Obama effect continues...No 'special relationship' between Britain and US: MPs

[tigerbob]

Obama Works to Repair America's Image in the World
Smiles and handshakes are a start, but Obama's real challenge will be to show results

By Thomas Omestad
Posted May 5, 2009
The few "Yankee Go Home" signs that greet him abroad seem almost an afterthought, and when he enters a room of world leaders, he is the most sought-after man for a photo op and a handshake. Such is the star power that has swirled around Barack Obama on his initial foreign travels as the U.S. president.

The POTUS is always the 800lb gorilla. This is not something that just happened with Obama.

 

[LibocalypseNow]

I'm not too sure i care about what the Brits think anymore. They are a small & weak island nation that has meddled in other nations' internal affairs for hundreds of years. I still don't understand why so many nations allow them to meddle so much. They are pretty insignificant in today's World. Just a small island nation with no real power or authority. They do an awful lot of barking around the World but when it comes down to it they have almost no bite. That being said,this President's foreign policy is a bit helter skelter at this point. He seems to be tough and insulting towards our allies while at the same time bowing and apologizing to our enemies. It is pretty bizarre stuff. Who knows what's going on in the head of a Saul Alinsky trained "Community Organizer?" Personally i don't care what Britain thinks but at the same time i don't get this President's foreign policy either.

 

[Diuretic]

True enough, the British imperial power was ended in WWII, if not before. I don't think anyone really heeds what the Brits say in international forums nowadays. But they had a pretty good run, just about turned imperialism into an art form. I do hope though, that it was the last Empire, the world doesn't need any more.

 

[QUENTIN]

Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it?

In the execution of such a plan, nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave.

It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.

So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification.

It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.

--George Washington, Founding Father and First President of the United States of America, 1796 Farewell Address

The U.S. should have no "special relationship" with any other nation, as they do invariably produce a variety of evils and prove damaging to the best interests of the U.S.

 

[Yurt]

where did ravi go?

 

[CMike]

This was in the OP but I wanted to paste this again, to show how Barak Hussein screwed up another alliance.

"It also noted that President Barack Obama's administration was taking a "more pragmatic tone" towards Britain than had been the case for some previous US administrations."

 

[Ravi]

Pragmatic. How shocking.

 

[CMike]

Barak Hussein pissing off another good ally.

How shocking.

 

[Toro]

The great divider strikes again, as the Brits no longer think that something that was said for over 60 years is relivent anymore.

No 'special relationship' between Britain and US: MPs

President Barack Obama's administration was taking a "more pragmatic tone" towards Britain than had been the case for some previous US administrations.

I guess Gordo didn't like those DVDs Barry gave him.

I read this as Labour MPs - the British left-wing party - saying that there shouldn't be a special relationship between the UK and the US, and that the impetus comes from the Iraq War, not from what Obama has said. The Iraq war was unpopular amongst the British Left, and they feel that they were lead astray by the US. The British Left hasn't had a great love for America anyways.

 

[Toro]

This was in the OP but I wanted to paste this again, to show how Barak Hussein screwed up another alliance.

"It also noted that President Barack Obama's administration was taking a "more pragmatic tone" towards Britain than had been the case for some previous US administrations."

So?

Bush took a more "pragmatic tone" with Canada. Were you upset that the Republican administration took a more pragmatic tone with America's largest exporter of energy and most important trading partner?

 

[AllieBaba]

Wow, things just keep getting better.

We're going to be policed by the IRS.
We're now considered supporters of Iran.
Meanwhile, we've estranged Israel and are doing our best to piss off Britain.

Go Team Obama!

How could the crazy fucks EVER have thought he was Muslim and anti-American???

 

[Dr Grump]

The great divider strikes again, as the Brits no longer think that something that was said for over 60 years is relivent anymore.

No 'special relationship' between Britain and US: MPs

President Barack Obama's administration was taking a "more pragmatic tone" towards Britain than had been the case for some previous US administrations.

I guess Gordo didn't like those DVDs Barry gave him.

Sophomoric attempt at belittling Obama. You should read your links before posting...

 

[Dr Grump]

Barak Hussein pissing off another good ally.

How shocking.

Yeah, that's what was being said in the OP.... Partisan Hack....

 

[Diuretic]

Hooray for pragmatism in foreign policy, there should be more of it. Culturally the US and Britain are fairly close but they are both in different hemispheres and have different objectives now. After many years of isolation from Europe (remember the English hated the French long before it was fashionable) they finally went over and are, despite some voices to the contrary, a European nation. What should drive foreign policy is national self-interest, nothing more.

 

[antagon]

there is no question, whatsoever ..at all... among anyone who knows what they are talking about: that the UK reaction is expressly and directly related to bush, iraq and afghanistan. they feel that they were puppets to our cause where we ignored their's in argentina.

otherwise, impressions ive got are that brits are lining up for obamas kool-aid.

 

[antagon]

Obama Works to Repair America's Image in the World
Smiles and handshakes are a start, but Obama's real challenge will be to show results

yeah, nevermind his nuclear dismantlement pact with the ruskies.

 

[editec]

Who ultimately controls the USA?

The FED and it's stockholding banks?

Who owns the FED?

Do the research and you will discover that the bank of England was the FEDs largest original stockholder (though machinations with JP Morgan, incidently)

Is it still?

As far as I know, yes...though its stockholdings of various "American" banks that are the stockholders of the FED.

So...do we have a "special relationship"

What do you think?

We do live in a world where the GOLDEN RULE is in effect, do we not?

 

[Ravi]

there is no question, whatsoever ..at all... among anyone who knows what they are talking about: that the UK reaction is expressly and directly related to bush, iraq and afghanistan. they feel that they were puppets to our cause where we ignored their's in argentina.

otherwise, impressions ive got are that brits are lining up for obamas kool-aid.

Xeno was having a partisan reaction to the news article. No biggie. But it is funny that his misinterpretation was swallowed whole by the rightwingloons.

 

[Si modo]

Hooray for pragmatism in foreign policy, there should be more of it. Culturally the US and Britain are fairly close but they are both in different hemispheres and have different objectives now. After many years of isolation from Europe (remember the English hated the French long before it was fashionable) they finally went over and are, despite some voices to the contrary, a European nation. What should drive foreign policy is national self-interest, nothing more.

And one would hope that their own leaders are actually interested in self.

The self interest of the USA is to keep a very amicable relationship with the UK (and France and Israel) as these three nations are the most cooperative in sharing intel on those who intend us harm. That's just one reason to keep good relations, if one is interested in having great intel on those who intend us harm, that is.

 

[antagon]

Who ultimately controls the USA?

The FED and it's stockholding banks?

Who owns the FED?

Do the research and you will discover that the bank of England was the FEDs largest original stockholder (though machinations with JP Morgan, incidently)

Is it still?

As far as I know, yes...though its stockholdings of various "American" banks that are the stockholders of the FED.

So...do we have a "special relationship"

What do you think?

We do live in a world where the GOLDEN RULE is in effect, do we not?

that relationship works both ways, tec.

anyhow, china an japan are considerably more invested in the fed than england. are you talking about this end of wwII?!!

i think the abu dhabi's got a bigger stake than GB.

the bottom line is whether its a fund or a government, reserves put a lot of power in the issuer's hands, too. that the US has our issuance hedged all over the world is one of our trump cards, if anything.