Posted on 06/16/2019 6:55:12 PM PDT by Jyotishi
The 'special relationship' between the UK and the US is elusive. Trump's visit to Britain nailed the optics of an empire that was wilting under the weight of an 'unequal' relation
Romance and nostalgia surrounding the grandeur of the British empire in the 19th and 20th century is predicated on "the empire on which the sun never sets." This pomposity was extended to include emerging America in the mid-19th century to posit the Anglophone domain, as noted by Alexander Campbell in 1852, "To Britain and America, god has granted the possession of the new world; and because the sun never sets upon our religion, our language and our arts…" Subsequently, the two world wars of the 20th century changed the global narrative and the churn of history left the British empire to hold on and cast its equation with the US in a Churchellian expression, "special relationship." Befittingly, British Prime Minister Theresa May sought "a new special relationship", while not one to be left out, US President Donald Trump added his own to the lexicon by claiming the bilateral relationship to be, "the highest level of special!" However, the stark reality of the two nations clutching the straws of history was inevitable as Trump made his state visit to the UK as May was in the last week of her notice period.
The usual blusters, clichés and gaffes notwithstanding, the visit nailed the optics of an empire that was wilting under the weight of an "unequal" relationship that besets any relationship with the US President Donald Trump. The quintessential English "correctness" of May helped her mumble over the contentious issues between the two nations, namely, on how to handle Iran, China or even Brexit. Even the ostensibly "nasty" past of the once-American and now the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, was providentially avoided as she was on maternity leave. Yet, the cracks in the sovereign outlook and intrusions into the domestic affairs of the UK by Trump, had all the hallmarks of a very "Un-English" inelegance and mannerism. From opining on members of the royal family, the mayor of London, Opposition leaders, Brexit negotiations, to even his own preferences for the next incumbent of the 10 Downing Street -- Great Britain was made to look rather pedestrian and beholden to its "special" ally.
Undercurrents of suspicion across the Atlantic have simmered for long and even the victory in World War II was marred with private concerns in the UK, over the ruthless negotiations done by the US, to extend crucial support during the war to its "special" ally. Beyond the exacting commercial terms enforced on the post-war UK, the US denied support to its "special" ally on Suez Canal, leading to its humiliating retreat. In 1983, the US invaded Grenada in the Caribbean, then supposedly a member of the British Commonwealth. Even the reciprocal disinterest in both the Vietnam war and later, the Falklands, owing to their individual compulsions militated against the publically postured alliance. The US Secretary of State during the Vietnam War, Dean Rusk, had famously told a British journalist on the cold feet developed by the British Government in contributing military wherewithal: "When the Russians invade Sussex, don't expect us to come and help you." Deep in the psyche of the Trans-Atlantic world, only the fear of the "others" in the Cold War era kept the portents of "special relationship" going -- but the writing was always on the wall, and with the advent of the businessman-turned-President, the worms came out of the woodwork.
Serendipitously, a 2003 British comedy film, Love Actually, has a role played by Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister of Great Britain, who stands up to the roughshod antics of the visiting US President. In it, the British Prime Minister calls the bluff on the "special relationship" by saying on the podium with the US President by his side, "I love that word relationship. Covers all manners of sins, doesn't it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship. One that is based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to Britain. We may be a small country, but we're a great one too" and then adds for good measure, "A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward, I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that."
Unfortunately, in 2019, none of that happened and May stood meekly by the side of the US President as he railed against the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, by calling him a "not good mayor who had done a poor job." He then added, condescendingly and lordly, that the mayor had criticised the "representative of the US that can do so much good for the UK." Further, with the British Prime Minister acquiescing, Trump went on to call the head of the Opposition party, Jeremy Corbyn, a "negative force." Completing the picture of servility was the final comments by May, addressed to both the Mayor of London and Corbyn, about the "greatest alliance" that "ensures our safety and security and the safety and security of others around the world, too." That May was no Winston Churchill or even Margaret Thatcher was all too clear and visible.
Trump merrily waded into the bitterly divided waters of Brexit with his own opinions on its (mis)handling, while making the protocol exception to meet the divisive figure of Nigel Farage at the US Ambassador's residence. He reiterated Brexit "will happen and it probably should happen". A hapless empire was left with a visiting US President telling them about his personal preferences for the next Prime Minister in Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt.
Clearly, the days when a blunt Margaret Thatcher could stand up to the Yankee Republican President, like Ronald Reagan, who while urging her to go slow on Falklands, was told off chillingly by the 'Iron Lady': "I didn't lose some of my best ships and some of my finest lives to leave quietly." Since then, the sun has indeed firmly set on the empire's "greatest alliance."
(The writer, a military veteran, is a former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)
Blah Blah Blah. I’ve read this nonsense many times before.
Yes its true that in some ways the US did drive a hard bargain with the UK during the early part of WWII. It is also true that the US extended Britain a “loan” at a ridiculously low interest rate and allowed Britain to suspend repayments whenever it ran into difficulties (eg massive currency fluctuations, etc) which proved necessary a few times. The things bought with this “loan” were sold at cost - much of it was not actually weapons but instead economically useful things like tractors, etc.
After the war, Britain received more Marshal Plan aid than anybody else. There were again some very low interest “loans”...the kind you could never get from any commercial lender...and there were also large outright grants of cash. All in All, I’d say the UK was thrown a financial lifeline by America both during and after the war. Austerity in the 1950s would’ve been far worse without that lifeline.
As for Trump “interfering” in UK politics, I can cite just as many examples the other way. For example he whines that Trump criticized Khan and Corbin....yet somehow forgot that they had both repeatedly criticized Trump...in fact that they had done so first and that Trump simply hit back. Odd how he “forgot” to mention that little detail.
This reads like it was written by Obama using a pen name.
This is old news - the British Empire died a long time ago.
We still make a big deal about the history of England because it is our history. But all this pomp and circumstance over their monarchy is a joke.
What is going to happen to Brit NUKES...?
World War 1 was unnecessary and it did bring down the British Empire. World War 2 was necessary but in many way it was World War 1...part deux
Buchanan is particularly correct about Czechoslovakian treatment of the Sudentenland Germans.
The difference is - as I keep pointing out - the USA is a hyperpower. The USA really matters to nearly every person on the planet, so of course they have an opinion on American matters and of course their opinions have little to no influence on the hyperpower. But American opinions on another country HAVE influence -- if the President tomorrow says "I don't like the UK" - just SAYS it, the GDP of the UK (or france or whoever) will drop.
I liken the USA's influence to the Roman Empire's influence over Antiochus - the ruler of Syria to Iran. When he wanted to invade another country, the Roman ambassador asked him to desist as Rome didn't want that. Antiochus said he'd think about it. The Roman ambassador drew a circle in chalk around Antiochus and told him to think about it in side the circle and come out with a decision. he capitulated
THAT is the USA - and I'm not trying to use hyperbole, the USA is economically, politically, diplomatically and culturally hyper-dominant (and i'm not even talking about militarily) - that isn't jingoism, it's fact.
England is waaaaaaaaaay over
All the good virile men were killed in WWII. SOCIALISTS took over
Now the left has imported enough Muslims that it’s just a matter of time
There’s a 1-3% chance the TOMMY ROBINSON types take it back
But at this point much blood will have to be shed.
Moose. Slimes. In this nation. Will get now where. We’re armed and are onto them
Re: the economic might of Russia is minuscule
The GDP of Texas is actually higher than Russia!
.
Russia’s population is less than 15 million.
Re: UK Muslim takeover
In 2011, the population of the United Kingdom was 87% white European.
The next census will be in 2021.
I am confident that number is still over 80%.
Compare that to the USA which is just 60.7% non-Hispanic whites.
Our Census Bureau counts North African and Middle East immigrants as white, so the USA population of European whites is below 60%.
Wiki says 147 million - including Crimea.
Obama can’t write.
The British SPIES that helped Hilliary run a COUP against Trump has really hurt our “Special Relationship”!
Bindar Dundat!! LOL!!! GOOD ONE!
Hey now, the useless Duke and Duchess of Dimwit (Harry and MeAgain) have been given some make-work positions having to do with the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is still useful to the royal family for shipping off their problem members.
Singh, like a typical anti-Trumper, omits that it was Khan who initiated the disrespectful diatribe against our President.
President Trump has let it be clearly known that if someone in the public eye launches an unprovoked attack at him or any American, they’d better be ready to receive at least twofold in kind.
Khan, without provocation, attacks Donald Trump in the world press and Singh describes Trump’s response as bullying. We’ve seen this before numerous times.
Singh, a virtual nobody, gets undeserved attention simply for attacking Donald Trump in the press. That’s expected when a real leader takes the stage. It happened to Reagan, it is happening to Trump.
Singh gets his 15 seconds. Tomorrow he’s forgotten.
Britain is one of the parts of the UK - the others being Northern Ireland, the channel islands and Gibraltar.
the UK has 5% Muslims - about 2.8 million
the USA has 1.1% Muslims - about 3.5 million
LOL
Allow me to present the view from the other side:
Foreigners CONSTANTLY comment on, try to interfere in and sometimes even openly say they should have a voice or vote in American internal politics.....even while simultaneously being extremely hyper defensive about Americans doing the same to them. Here are 3 examples just from the last couple months:
- the beta Cuck prime minister of Canada made public comments about how he was going to bitch to the US Vice President whom he was set to meet with shortly, about some of the recent anti abortion laws adopted by a few Southern states. Firstly, those are state laws and the federal government has nothing to do with it so even IF he were inclined to agree, wtf is a representative of the federal government supposed to do about it? Secondly and more importantly who the Eff told you it was any of your effing business Trudeau? You’re not an American. It does not concern you.
- the prime Minister of New Zealand gave an interview to a British journalist based in the US and aired on CNN wherein she went on and on about how she just doesn’t understand why the US does not adopt the same gun laws she just pushed through in New Zealand taking away citizens’ rights because of the actions of a couple of lunatics there. Then of course she spewed some lies about how this would increase public safety - lies that have been debunked many times by various studies - much to the approval of that British journalist. This came very very shortly after the Kiwis publicly pitched a fit about some comments by gun rights advocates in the US saying they hoped the New Zealand government would not restrict the gun rights of New Zealanders in the wake of the mass shooting there. So.....it’s terrible when Americans do it but it’s just fine and dandy when they do it far more flagrantly to us a month or so later.
- the Chancellor of Germany just gave a graduation commencement address at an Ivy League school wherein she bitched about US foreign policy, said the direction of American foreign and domestic policy was all wrong and “dangerous” and drew not so veiled comparisons to Europe in the 1930s......even while still freeloading on America to provide their national defense and openly breaking their word to spend a paltry 2% of gdp on national defense.....even while they have almost completed a second massive pipeline to make themselves yet more dependent on and to shovel yet more cash at the very country they claim they need us to defend them against.....even while systematically coming along and seeking to undermine US foreign policy and hopefully make a few euros profit by dealing with Saddam, Iran, Cuba and every other vile dictator on the planet.
JUST IMAGINE Trump going to Germany and giving a speech saying their chancellor was stupid and backwards, German policy both foreign and domestic was wrong about everything - and moreover comparing it to the dark days of the 1930s. Can you even imagine the hysterical screaming of politicians and the media in Germany? Yet it’s perfectly fine to treat us this way and we’re supposed to just take it with no complaints.
This type of thing happens all the time. If you ever wonder why many Americans sometimes hostile toward several of our so-called “allies”, this gives you a good idea as to why. You will NEVER hear any of this in the media over there and most of the US media won’t say anything about it but believe me, many Americans very much DO notice things like this.
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