US & UK - goodbye, special relationship!

Second Summer

Second Summer

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I'm insulted, and I'm not even a Brit!
9. Insulting words from the State Department
The mocking views of a senior State Department official following Gordon Brown's embarrassing reception at the White House in March 2009 says it all:
"There’s nothing special about Britain. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treatment."

10. Calling France America’s strongest ally
In January 2011, President Obama held a joint press conference at the White House with his French counterpart, gushing with praise for Washington’s new-found Gallic friends, declaring: “We don’t have a stronger friend and stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy, and the French people.”
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Full article: Barack Obama’s top ten insults against Britain – 2013 edition (Nile Gardiner, The Telegraph blogs, 13 May, 2013)

And I get that Gordon Brown was a difficult man to like, but that DVD gift was really poor taste. Shame on you, Obama! (Can't say I'm bothered about not sending any VIPs to Thatcher's funeral though. And BP got off much, much too easily.)
 
I don't know, I think the most insulting thing is the implication that we're meant to care. We're meant to be falling over ourselves to be liked by... well... just one of the 190 counties in the world.

If the UKs relationships between the USA and europe are at odds, and if politicians are to be believed they are, I'd prefer to have a closer relationship with Europe every time.
 
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God that is so embarrassing. Apology given from this American. I thought President Obama would learn protocol after 2008 when Michelle hugged the Queen and the President gave her a flipping Ipod for a state gift. :oops:

I guess that is better than when Bush, Sr vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister at a state dinner, though. :rolleyes:

I hope the people in the UK know that the American people think you are the coolest. We know you are our ally that we can always count on, even if our government is acting so dickishly.
 
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ledboots said:
God that is so embarrassing. Apology given from this American. I thought President Obama would learn protocol after 2008 when Michelle hugged the Queen and the President gave her a flipping Ipod for a state gift. :oops:

I guess that is better than when Bush, Sr vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister at a state dinner, though. :rolleyes:

I hope the people in the UK know that the American people think you are the coolest. We know you are our ally that we can always count on, even if our government is acting so dickishly.
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My sentiments exactly. For proof, all you need to do is look at a typical issue of People magazine. They follow the royals so closely, you'd think they were a British tab and not an American magazine. :p If I read one more breathless account of how Will and Kate are preparing for the new baby royal, I think I'll barf... :rolleyes:
 
I really don't give a crap.

I'm not speaking for all Brits but I have a feeling most of us are sick and tired of the special relationship crap. We had enough of that with Bush and Blair.

Does **** me off about the Falklands though.
 
SummerRain said:
I don't know, I think the most insulting thing is the implication that we're meant to care. We're meant to be falling over ourselves to be liked by... well... just one of the 190 counties in the world.

If the UKs relationships between the USA and europe are at odds, and if politicians are to be believed they are, I'd prefer to have a closer relationship with Europe every time.
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I think most Americans care about our relationship with the UK. I'm kind of sad that you're insulted that you're supposed to care about it.
 
Oh I'm only referring to silly statements by some egocentric politicians, and that sort of thing.

There will probably always be a relationship, but not one defined by transient ambitious politicians.
 
ledboots said:
:(
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anyway, sorry ledboots. :(

Relationships between two countries are complex things....lots of crossovers, different people will like different things from the other country...I'm not sure that a country has a hive mind, although though hive mind mechanisms might exist, but I doubt they are defined that strongly by geography.
 
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A "special relationship" with other countries is based on political expediency. Obama now considers the US to be best buds with France. Back when we were in Iraq looking for those imaginary WMD, France didn't want anything to do with that, so we hated on France, calling french fries freedom fries and all that. I think we'll have that special relationship with the UK again. Just wait. :D
 
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I think I read somewhere about changing demographics in the US (I guess immigrants from south of the border) resulting in less support for any special relationship with the UK. And with the "rise of the dragon" (China) in Asia there are opportunities for making new friends and influencing people among the other nations in that region such as India, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, maybe Indonesia, maybe Malaysia, and maybe even Vietnam. Some of these countries are also booming economies, like China, but they don't have nearly the same muscle power. So one would expect a certain nervousness in that region, and a need for powerful friends with hi-tech military gadgets such as the US.
 
If I lived on the Falkland islands, I would want to stay with the British too. If Argentina took it over, would that mean people would have to leave and come back to the UK? Or would it mean just being governed by Argentina? If it is just about geological proximity, what more rights does Argentina have over the Falkland Isles that the US doesn't have over, say Cuba?

Anyway, Britain didn't invade the Falkland Isles in the 80s, I think that was Argentina, wasn't it?
 
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Spang said:
What do you give a queen who has everything?
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i'd have given her a tamogatchi.

but in all seriousness, i don't know why anyone gives a **** why two imperialistic ****-tastic countries aren't buddy-buddy anymore.
 
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