Honestly, our American 'cousins' are such a tease. Off and on over the past few months I keep reading headlines to the effect that the US Pacific Fleet is going to 'do a Gary Cooper', by steaming straight down the South China Sea and dare the Chinese 'baddies' to come out and face them mano-a-mano. I'm not too sure that's a good idea but just in case I have already dug my air-raid shelter! What is definitely not a good idea is to float it in public but then fail to follow it up. That smacks of, if you will excuse my diplomatic-speak, as 'huffin 'n' puffin'! Actually, given that China loathes and detests the USA and constitutes its biggest threat, I'm surprised 'Ol' Big Ears' hasn't followed the same line he has taken with other American enemies and learned the art of 'kow-towing'.
Should he require lessons, he could always ask for a briefing from 'Dim Dave', little Georgie-Peorgie and the British 'Ministry for Foreigners' who are laying it on with a trowel today in a superb example of proper 'kow-towing' during the visit of Pres. Xi Jinping. According to 'A E-P' in The Telegraph, this has seriously 'peed off' the Whitehouse and State Department who were already deeply niggled when we supported China's new scam scheme for a rival international monetary organisation which will be a direct challenge to the old Bretton Woods arrangements which are totally under the control of the USA.
Of course, reminding 'Ol' Big Ears' that on his very first day in office he made clear that he detested Britain and everything it stands for and that therefor he shouldn't be too surprised if the Brits begin to hedge their bets, would be a complete waste of time. He might have big ears but politically and diplomatically he's as deaf as a post!
Geogy porgy's kow towing is a rather sckening spectacle.
As AEP implies there is no doubt that the returns from this humiliating spectacle will be slight. However regarding the AIB they wer right to risk upsetting the idiots currently in Washington.
Is any country has a consistently more foolish, naive short sighted and lethally damaging foreign policy record than the UK (or indeed the EU - it's a crowded field) that country is the USA.
My god. How low have we sunk!
Posted by: Cuffleyburgers | Tuesday, 20 October 2015 at 18:44
To be fair, 'Cuffers', by and large I'm in favour of sucking up to big, rich countries; or to put it more accurately, I don't think it is worth making enemies of them until such time as give us no option.
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 20 October 2015 at 19:36
Agreed. But not making enemies is one thing. Humiliating self abasement quite another. And for what?
Posted by: Cuffleyburgers | Wednesday, 21 October 2015 at 06:23
At last the UK is waking up to the fact that foreign policy is not about moral indignation but about self interest. Policies of encouraging regime change and distancing ourselves from unpleasant regimes; the Iraq war, the Arab spring, Libya, Assad the list goes on. How has all that worked out not well has it.
If we had pursued policies of non interference and cooperation we not Russia and China would be gaining influence in the world and the world would be considerably more stable. Only when there is a real and obvious threat to our security should we pick sides and/or fights.
Posted by: Antisthenes | Wednesday, 21 October 2015 at 10:16
Washington's "foreign policy" is now run by escapees from the Ivy League faculty lounge. They always believed that if we just withdrew from the world, then all would be well and the world peaceful. Now the world is on fire and the Washington "wizards of smart" want to tackle the ultimate threat--Climate Change. The wages of a fool- Obama.
There is no "cooperating" with a mad man who burns with resentment over his country collapsing under the weight of its own immorality and unworkability. There is only acquiescing and accommodating. We will have better luck with China.
Posted by: Whitewall | Wednesday, 21 October 2015 at 14:37