Most people in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have tended to side with America on most things. I wonder for how much longer? With the Canadians they have borne the brunt of the fighting in Afghanistan and they were the major supporter in Iraq, despite the growing unpopularity of the war there. Going back as far as Korea, the British were the major supporters of America's war there, and suffered some of the severest losses. Mrs Thatcher was very close to Ronald Reagan, and can claim a share in ending the Cold War.
But recently, this new President in America seems to be going out of his way to be offensive. The first thing he did when obtaining office was to return a bust of Winston Churchill that the British government had loaned the White House after 9/11. He then presented Gordon Brown with a set of DVDs that wouldn't work on British machines - it was almost as though he realized late that an exchange of gifts was usual, so he sent his kids round to the nearest corner shop for a present.
Then when Brown was in town the only time he could fit him in for a meeting was as he walked through the United Nation's kitchens.
For all America claims to believe in self-determination, this Administration would rather curry favor with the Argentinians than accept the near-unanimous vote of the Falkland Islanders to remain British.
Some people see this as a hangover from the attitudes of his biological father who had definite anti-British feelings as a Kenyan national at the time of the Mau-Mau uprising, others will concur with Mr Obama's senior aides who told a recent campaign biographer that they found meeting Mr Brown a 'depressing experience' and said there was an 'end of regime feel' to his Government, but I think that this is just symptomatic of the whole left wing Administration, that doesn't know who its friends are. Recently we have seen snubs for Indonesia and Australia and a mega-insult to Israel, while he actually bows to the King of Saudi Arabia.
Or perhaps America has just elected a very rude man to be their President. I Googled "Obama snubs" and got 213,000 hits.
Well, he has pretty much snubbed or tried to marginalize most Americans. Your BBC has labeled him the most divisive president we have had and I don't disagree with that label. I also think what will eventually emerge is that this new health care bill was designed to create 30 million grateful voters for BO and little else.
ReplyDeleteTomD
Terry
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with Obama but I couldn't find another way to reach you. I sent you a message but can't find the right spot I did here on your page.
I have non-CLL MBL. Total lymph count has dropped since diagnosis. It was around 4400 and now 3200. I underwent T lymph count to get an idea of B count (it is cheaper that way here in my south american country). What scared me a bit was a drop on CD4 level. It used to be 1500 in February of 2008, then 1200 in August of 2008 and now it is 856. CD8 now is 650.Total lymph count now is 3100. I have been tested for viruses and I am negative for HIV, HTLV, C Hepatitis and B Hepatitis. Should such decrease on CD4 be of any concern? It is on normal range I heard. Thank you so much.Your posts are stunning.
I found the return of Churchill's statue particularly insulting, as it was no doubt meant to be.
ReplyDeleteThe treatment of the Israeli officials was unworthy of a president meeting foreign guests.
Perhaps we should all now refer to him as Obama bin Laden.
Obama is an anti-American ideolgogue, which leads him to have disdain for America's friends and to snug up to our enemies.
ReplyDeleteThere are 947 days until the next presidential election... Please be patient and pray for us...
ReplyDeleteWould you rather have bush or his old boss cheney? these guys must all be tea potters. they'd prefer walin palin
ReplyDeleteI love it! He has said over and over again that there is no special relationship between Britain and America. Yet, the world loves Obama (perhaps because he is cutting America down to size).
ReplyDeleteGet used to it, world. We aren't there to protect you. If WWI or II happened tomorrow, we may be on your side, or we might not be. Don't count on us anymore! Eastern Europe, we worked for your liberation, but now you are just a bunch of countries with old buildings.
Africa is the new Europe, and the dictators of Venezuela and Cuba are our new friends. Get over it! Europe is just a bunch of soon-to-be-dead white males.
I Googled "Obama snubs" and got 213,000 hits.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with you? You're a scientist. Why would you imply anything with Google hits? Not to mention the fact that you've exaggerated by a factor of ten!
Must be something wrong with your Google. I now get 251,000 hits. Obama Snubs Georgian President Saakashvilli; Obama Snubs Medal of Honor Recipients; Obama snubbed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Obama has snubbed the EU; Obama snubbing French President Nicolas Sarkozy; Obama Norway Snub; Obama Snubs Hillary Clinton; Obama snubs Nigeria; Obama Snubs Canada; Obama Snubs Africa; Czech hero, Vaclav Havel, was snubbed by Barack Obama; Obama's decision not to meet with the Dalai Lama in Washington is a snub; Mr Obama had refused five separate requests from Prime Minister Brown.
ReplyDeleteThere has even been an Obama snub list compiled.
Since I have been writing this the number of hits has risen to 264,000. Google hits only mean that the world is interested in the phenomenon. I imply nothing more.
Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYour CD4 count is nothing to worry about.