Posted on 05/08/2005 5:40:39 AM PDT by NZerFromHK
Americans are accustomed to thinking of Britain as their most reliable ally, always there in a crisis. Broadly speaking that has been true since 1941 — and mutual. With the exception of a few wobbles like Suez and Edward Heath's refusal of landing rights to U.S. planes supplying arms to Israel in the Yom Kippur war, the Brits have shared a common approach with the U.S. on defense policy, intelligence cooperation, nuclear weapons, trade liberalization, and much else. Margaret Thatcher's backing for Reagan's Libyan raid and Tony Blair's commitment of British forces to the Iraq war strengthened this habitual cooperation. There was even government-to-government agreement for much of the time on the desirability of Britain's joining the European Union to frustrate any tendency the latter might show toward anti-Americanism. By and large this mix of policies worked well.
It is now threatened, however, by three developments: the rise of anti-Americanism in British politics, a growing anti-Americanism in continental Europe, and the EU's moves toward a common foreign policy. It is the first of these that is the main topic of this article.
Traditional anti-Americanism in Britain has been of two kinds: a left-wing political anti-Americanism rooted in anti-capitalism, and a right-wing hostility based on the decline of British power and the resentment at being displaced by the U.S. Neither was politically important; both were easily contained. But a much more dangerous, complicated, and surprising situation developed in the recent election campaign: Tony Blair's handling of the Iraq war midwifed the birth of a powerful anti-Americanism of the center-Left. . .
A dangerous political development in the Mother Country. As a Colonial I know Britain is becoming New Zealand-ized, Canadianized, or even Germanized just as we speak. Rich and bored, the modern Britons strike me as more like typical left-leaning blue state Americans minute by minute. This anti-Americanism is a funny mix of New Left, Old Right, and postmodern soft-headedness philosophies, and as O'Sullivan had explained, is much more mainstream and widespread than any previous anti-Americanism in British political landscape.
Will the United Kingdom go down the path as Germany Mk II in terms of the big issues like Europe, War on Terror, foreign and defence policies, and relations with the United States? Will we see the end of the Britain as a great nation, marked by brilliant statesmen such as Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, Sir Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher?
Ping!
WE will certainly see here in the next ten years.....
I kind of doubt the British people will vote for the EU constitution. Not only is that a shot against the US, but it is a shot against the British, who has really dominated Western Europe for something like 9 centuries....
Britain ping!
The National Review needs to ponder carefully on this fact - 70% of the electorate voted for parties in favour of the Iraq War. YouGov polls indicated it was not the biggest issue on the doorstep.
The reason why Labour lost so many seats is the whiff of rot. Keep in mind, they've been in office for 8 years.
There is no obvious anti-American trends in British politics - the only anti-Bush statements came from the Liberal Democrats.
I realise journalism often gets mileage out of inventing hobgoblins, but this is not particularly a good one.
Regards, Ivan
I certainly hope so, but the way I things are going, it seems even large parts of Britain that were previously Eurosceptic have become while EU-phile. It was unimaginable even during the Thatcher years. I think even if they reject the EU treaty they would just become a second Norway (anti-EU and anti-US at the same time) with perhaps a larger military.
I fear a sad epilogue to a historically significant and great nation is being written. A nation that gave birth physically to five countries (the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa), and spiritually to over 40 others (from India to Singapore to Fiji). It is not an acceptable development.
I dont know...
all the Brit servicemen and women I worked with in Iraq were highly motivated and, while they didnt really like being there, they saw the reason and generally agreed with it...
But it is written by none other than John O'Sullivan. He is from your country, and he is an insider in Margaret Thatcher's circles. This is not an armchair pundit who had never even stepped a foot on British soils banging out notes in Mississippi. His alarm bells need to be addressed seriously.
Maybe because the British are on an island gives them a little clearer vision than the rest of Europe.
I keep thinking that we might one day need to return the favor for Britian. The Islamofascists are rising in Europe - watching what is happening in Holland is an eyeopener.
I hope I am wrong, but I still think few people are taking the threat of militant Islam seriously enough. These people have a goal, and it is genocidal world domination, in the name of vicious god of their own invention.
All the British military personnel have been models of courage and professionalism since time memorial. The same could be said of other Commonwealth armed forces like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc. It is their politicians who have been so spineless like jellyfish-like. It seems to me we got more stability freaks than far-sighted statesmen in modern Britain.
BTW, I noticed your profile. Are you a US military personnel? Just curious (I have never had any close encounters with military people apart from second hand accounts from my father about my late grandpa, a former Nationalist China general, and some classmates at university, who were Royal New Zealand Air Force cadets).
from something I heard on Fox, I would have to ask how much of the anti-Americanism is from immigration? That seemed to be considered to be the main problem in this past election. (I hope W gets the picture, and does something here.)
OK, OK, I know you're not an American Republican, but the question was to everyoene here (NZ Conservatives too :-))).
In my previous post, I mentioned immigration. Fox did not say what group was causing the problem, but am I correct in believing it is Muslim?
I was a few years ago.
I was over in Iraq as a contractor. I did get to work with some Aussies while I was there. Those guys are great :)
Crazy bastards too :)
I'm not an American - just a naturalized New Zealand citizen born in Hong Kong and ethnically Chinese. To be frank I have no particular favourite in this election. Tony Blair is uniformly bad except the big issue of War on Terrorism and partially on the economy. The major Tories are not reliably conservative on social conservative issues, EU constitution, regulations and the economy, and even on defence and foreign policy they are starting to become quite opportunitist - trying to score points by posing sometimes as old-fashioned anti-US "British Way" right-wingers.
If there had been a more solidly backing-the-US, conservative on all fronts Tory, a kind of second Margaret Thatcher, I would support him/her. Many people don't realize putting Thatcher on today's political landscape and she will be to the right of George W. Bush even on foreign policies and War on Terror. But in today's British political climate such a leader would be laughed off as a loony Genghis Khan-like right-winger. There is no hope for the Mother Country for the time being.
Love your tag - Mort was praising Sam's while bashing WalMart on pay and benefits to employees yesterday on the Beltway Boys - Fred reminded him that they are part of the same company.
Thanks, backhoe. You always have the right connections.
thank you, Frater - people here on freep know how our media twists perception of the US to the rest of the world - the above reminds us that the leftist propaganda skells do not confine their lies and perception-molding efforts to the US alone.
It could have some effects as Muslims vote as radical blocs. But my worry are useful idiots among the secular humanist nouvelle rich/middle class. They sprang as the sons and daughters of yesteryears' blue collar working class or middle class who had either stayed comfortable or had become well off due to Margaret Thatcher's policies. Apart from the economy they have become uniformly leftist on all other issues.
This is what I'm worrying - leftism manifesting itself in Middle Britain.
hehe
Mort would have fit in perfectly with a thread I was on yesterday......
When I think of Blair I think him as Clinton's *****, but someone posted back saying it was the other around Bubba was Blair's poodle. Nobody on the world scene aided and abetted Bubba like Blair through his travails. Blair did stand with us in Iraq. I think the British wing of England know that they are an anchronisn and only our support can ensure the survival of their way of life, kinda like Israel. Having said that it is also true that Blair's position in International Socialist Circles is more important to him than anything else.
When I think of Blair I think him as Clinton's *****, but someone posted back saying it was the other around Bubba was Blair's poodle. Nobody on the world scene aided and abetted Bubba like Blair through his travails. Blair did stand with us in Iraq. I think the British wing of England know that they are an anchronisn and only our support can ensure the survival of their way of life, kinda like Israel. Having said that it is also true that Blair's position in International Socialist Circles is more important to him than anything else.
"Americans are accustomed to thinking of Britain as their most reliable ally"
Only if they are geography challenged and don't think of Australia.
I can only see three paragraphs. The fact remains that there was only one political party that ran on an overtly anti-war platform, and it got less than a quarter of the votes.
I'm not saying there aren't anti-American elements in British politics - but I would be surprised if pundits were 100% all the time. He is wrong in this instance - I repeat, over 70% of the electorate voted for pro-war parties.
Regards, Ivan
Blair is an interesting case. My opinion of him is this - he is a sincere man, even if he is wrong, he is sincerely wrong. He believes in things - they may not be the right things, but he believes in them nonetheless.
This contrasts favourably to Clinton who believed in nothing except himself, in my view.
Regards, Ivan
It could be the case. London for all sorts of reasons remains the epicentre of the English-speaking world. If the United Kingdom sneezes, the rest of us Colonials and Americans will catch 'flu. Let's hope the current United Kingdom truly lives up to the numerous great leaders it had had in the past.
Found this biography of John O'Sullivan at National Review's website. He is a heavyweight in British politics, or perhaps he is a political has-been who views everything through tinted glasses, but certainly no fool.
<< I'm really curious, what is an American Republican's attitude towards Tony Blair.
On one hand he's without any doubts a loyal ally of President Bush. On the other - he's a lefty. >>
Tony Blair is seen by thinking Americans as the awful bloody clone of the Neo-Axis/NATO Gang's co-founding lying, looting, thieving, mass-murdering Thuggee, Billy-Bubba Blythe-KKli'toon!
He is not seen as the "loyal ally of President Bush" so much as he is correctly acknowledged to stand on the side of Right on just the single issue of America's War on Terror -- and its Iraq Phase.
On every other issue he is just another duplicitous lying, looting thieving, mass-murdering [Serbia] communist lite with a knee under the table of every Euro-peon scam, complicit in the long-ago-already-acomplished surrender of once-great-britain's sovereignty to Brussells' bureaucrats -- and, to boot, as being complicit in every un-and-anti-American criminal UN scheme -- from Kyoto to the "international criminal 'court.'"
And his ain't nothing compared to the old-Labour Party communism of his shadow, Brown, who -- and this despite the assinine attempts at simpleton spinners to manipulate voting figures to pretend they represent otherwise -- more closely represents the anti-Americanism of the British Electorate at large -- and who will very shortly have the skids under Blair -- and the moving van at number ten's door!
I'm not saying he's a fool. But remember that Peggy Noonan had a period when she was getting everything wrong - overall, she's solid, but she had a period of poor analysis. I am suggesting that this happens to many pundits. Mr. O'Sullivan should by no means be considered immune from having that happen to him. His interpretation of events is simply not bourne out of the facts at this time.
Regards, Ivan
It's important to note that the Tories swiped seats off of the Liberals - Guildford, Weston Super Mare and Newbury - the voters finally noticed that voting Liberal was not a "safe" alternative to voting Tory. The Lib Dems made their greatest advances in constituencies which were highly left wing, such as the industrial north - it's worth noting that Tony Benn's (the totally bonkers far left Labour MP) old constituency has gone Lib Dem.
The Telegraph's analysis yesterday also pointed out the Liberals have a lot to worry about as their appeal to Middle England died as soon as they showed their far left colours.
Regards, Ivan
It's funny you should mention London - the swing to the Tories was stronger there than any other part of the UK. Note how the Tories took Putney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Enfield Southgate and Wimbledon. I go on about Hammersmith and Fulham as that's my home, but the achievement is worth noting - it turned from a Labour marginal seat to a Tory safe seat with a margin of over 5,000 votes.
Regards, Ivan
One final thing - was it not for UKIP, the Tories would have swiped more seats off of the Liberals. Maybe next time.
Regards, Ivan
<< "Americans are accustomed to thinking of Britain as their most reliable ally"
Only if they are geography challenged and don't think of Australia. >>
Absolutely.
On pretty much every major anti-American international-organizational issue britain is vehemently anti American and its representatives gleefully and gloatingly demonstrate their joy at every anti-American "achievement." [Britain's UN voting record is almost as anti-American (And anti-Semitic/Israel!) as are those of France, China, Germany and Canada]
And Britain -- unlike the Aussies who have been at our side every inch of the way! -- has been on the side of the enemy or at best neutral at pretty much every boots-on-the-ground opportunity to demonstrate its much-vaunted "loyalty" and "special relationship" since we saved it from certain annihilation and its ingrate folks from the gas-chambers in WW-II.
The United States of America has only two True Allies [Used to be three until New Zealand was over-run by whining Limey shop stewards and other layabouts!] -- and once-great britain isn't one of them!
Some of my old high school classmates and old friends at university live and work in Britain now and most live in London. Add to it the fact I was brought up in British colonial Hong Kong so London and Britain always has a special place in my heart. My parents, elder brother and my sis joined a group of tour to Europe in 1985 (I was only 6 and not allowed to joined them) and they spent 2 days in London and told me tales of British sights, culture (like London's West side, traditional black taxis) when they came back. Always want to visit London sometime in the future and I don't want the leftists wreck the whole country.
The current Liberal Democratic Party is an extremely unworthy successor to the historically great Liberal Party of Britain (and Whigs prior to that). The likes of Charles Kennedy are dwarfs when compared with figures like Sir Robert Walpole, Lord Melbourne, or Lord Palmerston.
Thanks - that seems to be the case.
I don't really know much about his domestic policy but on foreign policy, he articulates our policy better than any of our politicians. Without Blair's unflinching support Bush and the Middle East would not be going nearly as well. Our "lefties" are nowhere near his stature.
Since I don't expect to require medical care in the UK anytime soon, the war is most important for me. Thus I would support Blair. He can do what he wants to the UK. Or rather, what the folks there will let him do.
As for the Tories, I've had mixed feelings since they dumped Mrs. Thatcher.
We ought to hook up a turbine to Gladstone's grave to capture the power from his rotations - the man who was in favour of free trade and capitalism as a vehicle of progress would be horrified by the modern Liberal Party.
Regards, Ivan
Gladstone was one of the heroees of mine in British history. He is a devout evangelical Christian, and there is no doubt he would fit in well with many American statesmen both in his time and ours. Unfortunately he was infected by some of the leftish transnational progressivism as manifested by Woodrow Wilson and Tony Blair's adulation of him.
I think he quest for Home Rule for Ireland was a foolish thing to do that begot today's Northern Ireland mess. At his time even the most radical Irish nationalists were looking for something akin to devolved Scottish or Welsh assemblies. Had Gladstone not pushed things too far in favour of Home Rule, Irish Home Rule would mature in the Edwardian times and we would still get a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland today with no IRA, no Sinn Fein, no violence as we see in our world.
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I agree with you 100% and IMHO is why Blair has stood with the US he knows on the US can give him a true world platform.
The tories did include Euro skeptic view in their policy statement.
The only comment I can make to your statement is at least the old Labour Party (and I am not fan of them) was anti EC as I grew Conservatives were pro Europe and Labour was anti.
Is that how you rememeber it Ivan?
Agreed
Absolutely Britain cannot accept a radically left one party and the Lib Dems showed themselves to be that.
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