Posted on 11/10/2004 10:59:00 AM PST by BritishBulldog
Kerrys people have been flying over to England meeting with Blairs people for quiet some time. Apparently Blair thought Kerry would win as well. I don't trust him. Never again.
I think everybody needs to calm down.
That's my take as well -- I couldn't see them as true friends. Remember when Blair had Clinton come over and brief his party on how to win elections? If Blair was the leader of another Country, he would not have joined us in total support IMO.
I watched Blair speak and have had read other accounts -- Blair did the right thing about Iraq but if you think he was hoping for a Bush win, I have swamp land for sale in AZ. His wife made her comments that dissed Pres Bush in a private meeting before the election. Then you also have the Blair people and Kerry people in contact.
Usually I take the British press with a huge dose of sketicism but in this case I saw Blair's remarks and he was not all that happy when Pres Bush was reelected.
"....when he "replaced" Margaret Thatcher..."
LOL!
So you missed the other guy did you?
Understandable I suppose, John Major wasn't very noticeable.
;o)
I don't think the Scotman is very accurate. Blair knows that the business of Britain has been always tied to the USA, not Europe where the economies are stale, except for eastern europe.
Oh what a *ditz* I am - LOL!
Yeah, I guess he made a *great* impression on me.
I think I need some caffeine......
Britain is a sovereign country and can do as they please. Is it possible that the British now believe that their security interests will be enhanced by aligning themselves with the French, the Germans, and the Chinese? I kinda doubt it. But if they do so decide, then so be it!
It is now US policy, as codified by Bush, that the US will not allow ANY foreign state or coalition of states to EVER supercede the US in economic or military might again. We will never forget the lessons learned of having to deal with another "superpower", such as during the Soviet era. Shaky alliances with fair-weather friends are a drag on our actions and should not be allowed to undercut our own security interests. The US spends more in one year on defense than all of the next 14 largest modern countries COMBINED. (That includes Russia, China, India, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Poland) The fact of the matter is, they need us, we don't need them!
OK - then explain why it is that Britianis still going ahead with the Eurofighter - an overpriced third generation fighter that is way over budget and way behind schedule, rather than fully sign on to the JSF? I know that they are taking a small part of the JSF program, and likewise will get a small part of the technology. Most recently, Britain has been involved with the negotiations with Iran on their nuclear program. And of course there is the Pali issue, which Britain's stance is dictated to them by their agreements contained in the European Arab Dialogue - known as Eurabia. They are required by agreement to take the position of the Arab League and to oppose the US in all matters relating to the Palis. Just look at what they do there - the Eurabia agreement is holding perfectly firm while we watch our relationship with Britain disintegrate. It is merely a question of semantics now - our relationship with Britain is identical to that which we have with the EU. It's dead, Jim.
If you look back honestly to the preparation for the Iraq war, we waited nearly one entire year and endured countless negotiations with the UN oil for food criminals just to receive token support from Britain, while forcing the concept of a Pali state down the Israelis throats. Britain admitted at the time that they were coming along in order to keep their foot in the door regarding military technology as well as to better learn our combined arms method of warfare - they are the closest thing the EU has to a military force that is remotely capable of keeping up with our forces on the battlefield. Keeping up isn't the same as fighting alongside.
As much as I personally like the outward appearances of Blair's relationship with the president, I also have to remind myself that Blair is the sitting president of the Socialist Party Internationale - which doesn't sit too well with me. I fear that Mr Blair has essentially been a top level mole for the EU, with instructions to steer our national policy towards that of the EU in a less confrontational style than the rest of them prefer. A Trojan horse if you will. As of late, I'd put more trust in Putin, who is a riddle inside an enigma. The rest of them over there are openly anti-US with the exception of Italy - and then again it is only the prime minister who feels that way toward the US - the public does not.
Let's cut to the bottom line. Internationally, we're isolated. Even Israel tends to look out for themselves first - they are the second largest supplier of weapons to CHINA. So we're surrounded and alone. Good. That way when it comes down to it, and we kick all of their asses, we will have earned the right to rule this earth. The meek shall inherit the shit - just what they deserve.
The British have a clear choice.....continue their longstanding cooperation and alignment with the U.S.A and stay strong or join the French and become a declining society
You are right. Looks like its the US, Australia, Italy, Japan, Poland and Israel.
I am with you on the countries that we can truly trust.
Look closer. It is the US and Japan when push comes to shove. The Aussies have been infected by their left wing media (their media is so far left of anything we can imagine here), the Poles have since signed on to the EU 'constitution' and will withdraw their forces from Iraq early in 2005. As I stated above, Israel is China's #2 weapons supplier - so much for that one - and our need to keep Pakistan on the hunt for bin Laden has alienated India.
Our only possible ally going down the stretch is going to be Russia. They will take our side in the final global conflict as soon as China has purchased enough of their weapons to believe that they are ready to take Siberia from the Russians for the natural resources there. Why buy oil from Russia and the middle east, when Russia has almost no defenses and even fewer people east of the Urals? Taking Siberia would be a cake walk for the PLA, as well as a huge dose of ultra-nationalism to stop any possible "splittisms" among the newly minted middle class of China. China will drive Russia to us, as we're natural allies - we share Christianity, we share essentially Caucasian ethnicity by the majorities of both nations, and we jointly are at war with Islam. Additionally, we shared the Cold War - as equals - as superpowers. The best way for Russia to regain superpower status is to finally join us.
Trust is something that is earned by deeds, not given in desperation.
Eurofighter notwithstanding (there are actually only 56 Eurofighters ordered in all of Europe while we have more than 900 planned JSF planned) the British military is tightly integrated with the US mlitary force. Fully 77% of their actual combat units were deployed to Iraq during the actual fighting.
However I do agree with one of your premises. We are alone and that's fine. Its actually been true for about 20 years. And its to our advantage. The sad fact is that all of the military establishments of Europe combined could not project a force equal to 10% of our potential. Heck the French were unable to even get their "peacekeepers" to the Ivory Coast without US transport and couldn't stay without our logistical support.
Europe is irrelevant and thats the lesson to carry away.
I'm beginning to think the Tories are a lost cause, so maybe this new party that arose for the EU council elections might be able to provide a few surprises.
I agree completely. There's no point in trying to drag along nations who are pretending to be our allies. By now, we should be tired of trying to educate the planet on the positive effects of Liberty. Whenever we test one of those nations, their answer is socialism. We stop, get out the really BIG crayons, and try to draw them a picture that they can understand without having to translate our words - words like honor, duty, country. Evidently those don't translate as they should.
Maybe we're on the right track with the middle east. Afghanis are one tough, hardy people, and they have honor. They have taken the challenge of trying to be free, and appear to enjoy as well as understand the challenges and possibilities. One thing is for sure, we've gained some damned tough friends there, who will become invaluable friends in the future. The same will be said about the Iraqis eventually, as well as the Iranians. Our middle eastern makeover has nothing to do with oil. It has everything to do with earning the respect that the US lost in the eyes of the world under Clinton. It was the Islamists that were the first to jump off the wall and try their luck. They've lost - and they know it now - which shows them to be far more intelligent and honest than the Europeans. I'd rather become friends with the Arabs and Israelis jointly than have to cut through the multiple layers of deceit and dead-end diplomatic masturbation that the losers of Europe have to offer. At least the Islamists admit they want to kill us - the Euros want to just as badly but are too spineless to say it to our faces.
So, Bush in the background might hurt Blair in the general election. Bush's presence is also a reminder, however, that Blair was shrewd enough to back the winning side in American politics. Blair can still argue that he's got special influence with America that the Continental Europeans lack.
This is BS.
Agreed----100%
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