Tom Paine 1949
Diamond Member
- Mar 15, 2020
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With the defeat of Trump and the orchestrated “suspension” of Jeremy Corbyn on trumped-up charges of anti-Semitism, and Keir Starmer’s selection instead as head of the Labour Party, the fall of Boris Johnson — or of the Conservative government itself — now seems more likely. I am especially curious about what our English USMB friends think, or in the opinions of others more informed than I about conditions in Great Britain. Please try to keep any comments centered on British affairs, Brexit, or likely American policy changes towards Europe. Here are excerpts from an article on the subject:
“The UK prime minister allied himself with the Republican president – and, with Brexit looming, his own position is in doubt...
That’s why the result – supposing that Joe Biden has won - is more than a killer blow to Trump. It’s also a bruising setback to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an existential disaster for Crown Prince Mohamad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. In contrast, the outcome was fervently desired by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Here in Britain, it’s hard to overstate how profound the consequences will be. Allies of Prime Minister Boris Johnson have been trying to send out signals that they would welcome a Biden presidency. This is simply damage limitation. .... The brutal truth is that the departure of Trump is a devastating blow to Johnson’s Conservative government.
“Johnson needed a Trump victory because it gave such weight to his own political project, which is likewise defined by nationalism, isolationism and a contempt for conventional behaviour.... Trump had led the Republican Party in a war against traditional conservative values.... Johnson has done the same. The two blond bombshells are ... very similar....
“There are other, more tangible ways in which Johnson will suffer. His Brexit strategy depended on striking a trade deal with Washington....
“It’s no surprise then that Biden has been dismissive of Brexit. ‘We’d have preferred a different outcome,’ he said the day after the referendum, before criticising the ‘reactionary politicians and demagogues peddling xenophobia, nationalism and isolationism’.
“More recently, Biden has issued stern warnings to London about the consequences for peace in Northern Ireland if the UK breaks from the deal struck in 1998. ‘We can't allow the Good Friday Agreement to become a casualty of Brexit,’ he said earlier this month.
“All this means that political survival has suddenly become very tough for Johnson.... Will Johnson be able to outlast Trump for long? It's a question to which we may soon have an answer.”
How Boris Johnson could follow Donald Trump out of office
“The UK prime minister allied himself with the Republican president – and, with Brexit looming, his own position is in doubt...
That’s why the result – supposing that Joe Biden has won - is more than a killer blow to Trump. It’s also a bruising setback to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an existential disaster for Crown Prince Mohamad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. In contrast, the outcome was fervently desired by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Here in Britain, it’s hard to overstate how profound the consequences will be. Allies of Prime Minister Boris Johnson have been trying to send out signals that they would welcome a Biden presidency. This is simply damage limitation. .... The brutal truth is that the departure of Trump is a devastating blow to Johnson’s Conservative government.
“Johnson needed a Trump victory because it gave such weight to his own political project, which is likewise defined by nationalism, isolationism and a contempt for conventional behaviour.... Trump had led the Republican Party in a war against traditional conservative values.... Johnson has done the same. The two blond bombshells are ... very similar....
“There are other, more tangible ways in which Johnson will suffer. His Brexit strategy depended on striking a trade deal with Washington....
“It’s no surprise then that Biden has been dismissive of Brexit. ‘We’d have preferred a different outcome,’ he said the day after the referendum, before criticising the ‘reactionary politicians and demagogues peddling xenophobia, nationalism and isolationism’.
“More recently, Biden has issued stern warnings to London about the consequences for peace in Northern Ireland if the UK breaks from the deal struck in 1998. ‘We can't allow the Good Friday Agreement to become a casualty of Brexit,’ he said earlier this month.
“All this means that political survival has suddenly become very tough for Johnson.... Will Johnson be able to outlast Trump for long? It's a question to which we may soon have an answer.”
How Boris Johnson could follow Donald Trump out of office
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