No 'special relationship' between UK and USA

[threaded]

Linkage

A committee of MPs has ruled the phrase 'special relationship' should be dropped, so I love the comment from the Foreign Office spokesman at the end, who does a typical civil service workaround, and calls it a 'unique relationship'.

To be fair, when that phrase was coined by Churchill it was already being ridiculed as a concept, especially since the US messed up the League of Nations, and their barmy protectionism during the depression.

[cojak]

Thank God it's finally dawned on them.

We've known it for years...

[Paddy]

The special relationship has always been as poodle and master.

[HairyArsedBloke]

The septics always say that there is no special relationship with the UK - until the want something or get themselves into trouble.

I deal with the septics all the time and I do think that there is a different relationship between US and UK at the individual and business levels to that between US and other countries. It's US xenophobia - the UK, like Canada, are seen as less foreign.

However, it all get fracked up because of the nuLieBore's policy of allowing/encouraging so many .... you know who's ... into the country.

[cojak]

The septics always say that there is no special relationship with the UK - until the want something or get themselves into trouble.

I deal with the septics all the time and I do think that there is a different relationship between US and UK at the individual and business levels to that between US and other countries. It's US xenophobia - the UK, like Canada, are seen as less foreign.

However, it all get fracked up because of the nuLieBore's policy of allowing/encouraging so many .... you know who's ... into the country.

You're right on the individual level I s'pose - I went on a weeks course in the US a good few years ago (the course was a Monday start 09/09/01... ), and the other attendees were lovely, one Texas fella took me under his wing as he was from the same 'county' (and he did know the difference between our and their definition of a county, he explained the similarities and differences of the 2 models!) and we both spoken the King's English.

I discovered that there are some in the South who rue the day that Good King George was thrown out and some 'new fangled' President was brought in in his place, they also take high tea of a weekend and 'lobby' for a return to British rule. Apparently it's a combination of the Jane Austin Appreciation society* and the Sealed Knot. (Which explains the popularity of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies', I guess).

He was explaining this with a real twinkle in his eye and huge good humour, but you just don't know with Americans...

There was an interesting article in the Times yesterday observing their general politeness with their underlying intolerance compared to our general misanthropy compared to our underlying tolerance. An interesting juxtaposition..

(*although we'd lost America by the time Jane appeared)

[worzelGummidge]

I think that the way the term "Special relationship" has to be brought into every meeting between the head honcho's is all a bit silly.
There is a very close relationship between our two countries though, in terms of business, politically, military and information / security.
Closer than any other two geographically separate nations that I can think of except perhaps the UK and Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It is not just a one way thing either.
Just look at how pleased the US representatives were when our spooks visited their spooks just after the twin towers incident.
Long may it continue. They are our cousins after all.

[HairyArsedBloke]

... just after the twin towers incident.

This is a case of my point that the septics remember the 'special relationship' when they need something. Prior to this incident, there was talk that Bush wanted to shift away from US-UK to US-EU, particularly Germany and to some extent France. That soon got kicked into the long grass and has never been heard of since.

As much as I hate B'Liar, he showed true leadership then and calmed the US down through things like getting NATO to invoke article 5, etc.

[Sysman]

I discovered that there are some in the South who rue the day that Good King George was thrown out and some 'new fangled' President was brought in in his place, they also take high tea of a weekend and 'lobby' for a return to British rule. Apparently it's a combination of the Jane Austin Appreciation society* and the Sealed Knot. (Which explains the popularity of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies', I guess).

I know a chap who's a keen participant in the Sealed Knot. I can't wait to drop that one on him

From a presentation a couple of weeks ago:

"We have our heroes going back to classical times. The US has none, so they invented their own. Who are their heroes?". The response was "Superman, Batman, Spiderman..."




"... and John Wayne".

[cojak]

This is a case of my point that the septics remember the 'special relationship' when they need something. Prior to this incident, there was talk that Bush wanted to shift away from US-UK to US-EU, particularly Germany and to some extent France. That soon got kicked into the long grass and has never been heard of since.

It's back on the table...

[Drewster]

....... and we both spoken the King's English..........

I just had to laugh.... deliberate or typo - it just tickled me!