"Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Nov 30th 2006, 2:08 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
"Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
The leading headline news in today's 'Daily Telegraph' reports that a senior US official has given a speech about the 'myth of the special relationship between the US and Britain':
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...30/wusuk30.xml
Absolute proof that Tony Blair is indeed 'Bush's poodle...'
The reader's comments are interesting too:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...ublview30b.xml
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...30/wusuk30.xml
Absolute proof that Tony Blair is indeed 'Bush's poodle...'
The reader's comments are interesting too:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...ublview30b.xml
Nov 30th 2006, 2:18 pm
#2
Time Lord
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Lansing, MI
Posts: 1,032
Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
A very interesting article, although my first though on reading the title was (to use an American expression) "Well, Duuuuuuhhhhh".
Nov 30th 2006, 2:50 pm
#3
I approved this message
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Nov 30th 2006, 3:33 pm
#4
Powder Maggot
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
One person's special relationship is another one's.....
Nov 30th 2006, 3:36 pm
#5
Boomshacalaca!!
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Englishmum
Absolute proof that Tony Blair is indeed 'Bush's poodle...'
Nov 30th 2006, 5:18 pm
#6
A lion in your lap
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
As one journalist put it in an article I read a couple of years ago, the USA currently would not bother to cross the road to piss on us if we were to catch fire. That's possibly a little harsh given the US's history of intervention in european wars (however belated and self-serving such interventions may have been), but over the last few decades this whole "special relationship" has started to look increasingly hollow. The most recent example I can think of is case of the Joint Strike Fighter, a super-duper high tech jet fighter currently being developed jointly by the USA and the UK. Despite the UK pouring billions into this project, the USA have been refusing to gaurantee that the UK forces that will use this plane (RAF, Royal Navy) will have access to the key software that will be vital for their maintenance and upgrading - they basically don't regard us as suficiently reliable as allies to be entrusted with this stuff.
Another example is the Falklands war - the Reagan government favoured a negotiated settlement that would have ultimately seen the islands formally handed over to Argentina, since they were keener to keep sweet the right wing Argentinian dictatorship and similar regimes in South America than help out their allegedly closest allies. We got more help from the French than the USA during the Falklands war.
Another example is the Falklands war - the Reagan government favoured a negotiated settlement that would have ultimately seen the islands formally handed over to Argentina, since they were keener to keep sweet the right wing Argentinian dictatorship and similar regimes in South America than help out their allegedly closest allies. We got more help from the French than the USA during the Falklands war.
Nov 30th 2006, 5:33 pm
#7
Tool
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
America - just like most Americans - is a self serving self-obsessed country.
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
Nov 30th 2006, 5:37 pm
#8
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Old William
America - just like most Americans - is a self serving self-obsessed country.
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
...
Nov 30th 2006, 5:48 pm
#9
Tool
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Hiro11
Argument over, as far as I'm concerned.
...
...
I didnt say it was any different from any other country. Personally I've never got this Special Relationship crap.
Nov 30th 2006, 5:53 pm
#10
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 30,102
Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by elfman
Another example is the Falklands war - the Reagan government favoured a negotiated settlement that would have ultimately seen the islands formally handed over to Argentina, since they were keener to keep sweet the right wing Argentinian dictatorship and similar regimes in South America than help out their allegedly closest allies. We got more help from the French than the USA during the Falklands war.
Nov 30th 2006, 5:56 pm
#11
Account Closed
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by elfman
Another example is the Falklands war - the Reagan government favoured a negotiated settlement that would have ultimately seen the islands formally handed over to Argentina, since they were keener to keep sweet the right wing Argentinian dictatorship and similar regimes in South America than help out their allegedly closest allies. We got more help from the French than the USA during the Falklands war.
US offered the loan of a proper Aircraft Carrier.
French supplied the Argies with Exocets.
Nov 30th 2006, 5:57 pm
#12
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 30,102
Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Boiler
French supplied the Argies with Exocets.
Nov 30th 2006, 6:00 pm
#13
WTF?
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Old William
America - just like most Americans - is a self serving self-obsessed country.
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
Everything they do (and yes we can discuss the efforts of American Service personel in WW1 and 2 till the cows come home) is for America's benefit.
They wouldnt help their neighbour if they were on fire so why would they help us?
Nov 30th 2006, 6:00 pm
#14
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Posts: 6,196
Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Old William
I didnt say it was any different from any other country. Personally I've never got this Special Relationship crap.
But, but, but.......but we're allies,
War on terror - we're both in it together to the end
same language - same people
the UK is the only nation the US can trust
we both have red-white and blue flags
you do like country music dont'cha?
whaddya mean ya don't salute the flag?
Heard these comments from well-meaning Americans and its a shame.
Makes me just want to go out and vote Republican. I gotta tell ya.........
OK, so the last two were slightly out of context.
Nov 30th 2006, 6:04 pm
#15
Tool
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Re: "Britain's Special Relationship With US Is Just a Myth"
Originally Posted by Leslie66
That's why we're the king shits and you're a dying empire.