Sunday, May 29, 2011

A Not-So-Special Anymore Relationship

Is this picture a royal setup?

Payback for Obama unceremoniously dumping the Churchill bust, Hillary's taking Argentina's side in the Falklands dispute, and the Obamas' embarrassingly cheesy gifts last time they visited?

Her Highness is playing it cool, but The Duke just can't hold it in...

Britain has never really liked us

Sure, they were cool with us after the revolution.  Other than the little matter of the British setting Washington DC on fire and burning down our White House in 1814, things have gone just swimmingly between us.

Peter Osborne makes the acerbic point that the US-British special relationship isn't really so special anymore, and that its demise is of no great importance.  He notes how back when it really mattered, ornate ceremonious visits by American leaders on British soil were rare.
When the relationship between Britain and the United States really was the hinge on which the world was constructed – think Churchill and Roosevelt, Macmillan and Kennedy, Reagan and Thatcher – nobody needed grand state ceremonial occasions to make the point. Now that it matters very much less, we do.  (Telegraph - Peter Osborne)
As the global influence of the Anglo-US alliance wanes, ostentatious ceremonial displays increase, and our leaders pretend they are important.  Kinda like how the most hapless armies (like Italy and Spain) have the shiniest uniforms with the gold brocade and all the dangling accoutrements.  Or how the Soviet Union, in its last, tottering days, could put on one hell of a ceremonial parade through Moscow, complete with legions of goose-stepping soldiers, tanks, cannons and all manner of armament.

Michael Savage is still Banned in Britain, but hate-filled imams preach jihad from the new home of militant Islam.  Two powers, too apologetic to stand up for Western Christendom and our classical liberal values.  The "special relationship" is slouching towards farce.

20 comments:

Always On Watch said...

When I first saw this photo, I thought that Michelle Obama was spoofing the hats worn at the recent royal wedding.

The Born Again American said...

Michelle was just trying to get with the fro-gram...

Mike aka Proof said...

Let's hope our next president can mend fences with England, and Israel, and Poland, and...

Anonymous said...

Whey does fighting against radical Islam have to be "defending Western Christendom"?

Why can't it just be beating down totalitarian tyrants? This is not a war between religions anymore than the Cold War.

Silverfiddle said...

You are right that it is not a war between religions, but it is a clash of two very different civilizations.

I purposely used "Christendom" in order to be provocative. It's almost a banned word now, and I fight the PC police every chance I get.

Western Christendom struggled with obscurantism, violence and all the rest, and we have mostly overcome it to build societies founded upon classical liberal democracy, more or less. Religion and state have reached an accommodation.

Militant Islam (a distinct phenomenon from ordinary Muslims living their lives and contributing to society) looks to destroy what we have built. Not because "they hate us and our success and our freedoms," but simply because they have a different view and they are a proselytizing religion.

Great Britain has become the European capitol of anti-western hatred. It's a crying shame.

joetote said...

What’s the big deal? After all, Liz is just a Queen! surely a person who has been portrayed by the MSM as something close to a Messiah or God-like could care less what a mere Queen or her country thinks!

As such, the Clown in Chief personifies the rapid fall of the U.S. from world leader to third world hack!

Christopher - Conservative Perspective said...

This "relationship" will further decay as the EU tightens it's grip.

It is high past time to untangle ourselves from NATO as it has become nothing but a puppet militia of the EU and the UN and the only thing giving it any teeth is the US.

Jersey McJones said...

The relationship between the US and Britian is fine. No problem there. This is all BS. "Western Christendom" is fine, treatened only by the passage of time, as the Western world becomes less and less religous. Islam is not an existential threat to the West. Period. It's all BS.

JMJ

Silverfiddle said...

I like your definitive statements, Jersey. They would make me feel better if they were backed by real-world evidence. ;)

Z said...

If you don't think Islamists look at this as a war between religions, I'm surprised. It sure is with Israel and I believe the pushes here are against Christianity and Judaism, too.
I'm with AOW, I thought that tree behind MIchelle was some weird hat or a 'fro, as BAA so well said!
I don't quite get the problem with the picture, but.......??

Anonymous said...

>They would make me feel better if they were backed by real-world evidence.

You're so intolerant! :)

Jersey McJones said...

You're presenting the argument, Silver. Not me. I'm talking about the status quo. I see no evidence of any serious deterioration of US-British relations. All you presented was a philosophically directed op-ed.

JMJ

Silverfiddle said...

I refer specifically, Jersey, to your penchant for categorical statements unaccompanied by supporting evidence.

I do admire your decisiveness though!

Anonymous said...

Let's see, he got his car high centered in Ireland, he signed in at Westminster Abby using the year 2008, he kept talking theough Hale to the Queen and, he compared the struggle for freemdom in Poland to what is going on in Egypt. Well done Mr. President.

Trekkie4Ever said...

I think that's Cher incognito? No...okay. lol! Bad hair day.

I wish Great Britain and the Queen would have just locked them up in the Iron Maiden, then feign innocence of their disappearance. Just a thought.

Karen K said...

Dear God, you mean this isn't a photoshop?

Silverfiddle said...

No Karen, I got that picture off of AP

Anonymous said...

Do you think the Brits will celibate with us on election night?

Silverfiddle said...

I don't think the Brits really care one way or another, so long as we stop dragging them into our wars.

MathewK said...

I still can't get over obama putting 2008 down in that book, what an idiot.