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How very embarassing for the British ...

 


deanhills
As an ex-colonial I felt soooo embarassed for the UK a few weeks ago when the Foreign Secretary David Milleband was cow towing to Hillary Clinton in the United States. His claim to fame being the first state official to meet with her after her swearing in ceremony! I would never forget him waxing away eloquently in the best of posh British accents and millions of beautiful English words, and Hillary patiently standing next to him while he was even summarizing everything she had said! All I was waiting for still was for Milleband to bow up and down to the tune of his talking.

How times have changed. I cannot imagine the UK chasing over the Atlantic to an immediate audience with a new member of a foreign Government before it has sent out some feelers, and well in the old days it used to be the other way round. People get audiences with Prime Ministers in the UK. I then thought, well calm down, it's not really that bad, after all, this is only the Foreign Affairs Secretary, he is probably a little new and overenthusiastic and well, he does talk well, and he looks happy!

Then wouldn't you believe it, tonight Brown himself dashing over the Atlantic for emergency talks with Obama, and gushing all over Obama in vintage Brown style. Again, how most embarassing for the British! All I can think is that this silly man must have worked through all his hands of cards in the UK, and by some total lack of intelligence must have thought that he could build some extra political capital by this expensive dash to Washington DC!

I just could not look at this guy in the company of Obama. Obama in an equal dignified manner as Hillary Clinton had been a few weeks before, allowing this idiot Brown to wax away, albeit at a lesser clip than Milleband, and also doing some summaries. What in heavens earth is Brown doing there, don't the British have better things to do with their Prime Ministers?
LumberJack
Britain has an Obama fetish, just like the rest of the world. Everyone is still hung over from 8 years of Bush. LOL
Bikerman
Err....Brown's visit was not particularly surprising.
He was anxious to be the first European leader to meet with Obama so he can maintain the myth of the Special Relationship, which gives the UK some capital in the EEC.
This is not new - every British PM in my memory has done exactly the same thing - McMillan, Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Major, Blair and now Brown...
deanhills
Bikerman wrote:
Err....Brown's visit was not particularly surprising.
He was anxious to be the first European leader to meet with Obama so he can maintain the myth of the Special Relationship, which gives the UK some capital in the EEC.
This is not new - every British PM in my memory has done exactly the same thing - McMillan, Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Major, Blair and now Brown...


Why the rush though? I have not seen that with the other visits, sort of much more dignified then with the odd exception here and there. Blair at least looked authentic in what he was doing and chose his visits well. Hardly like someone chasing someone else.
Bikerman
deanhills wrote:
Bikerman wrote:
Err....Brown's visit was not particularly surprising.
He was anxious to be the first European leader to meet with Obama so he can maintain the myth of the Special Relationship, which gives the UK some capital in the EEC.
This is not new - every British PM in my memory has done exactly the same thing - McMillan, Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Major, Blair and now Brown...


Why the rush though? I have not seen that with the other visits, sort of much more dignified then with the odd exception here and there. Blair at least looked authentic in what he was doing and chose his visits well. Hardly like someone chasing someone else.

It is all about timing. There is a certain kudos in being the first EEC leader to speak with the new President. Diplomacy at this level is mostly about appearances Smile
deanhills
Bikerman wrote:
deanhills wrote:
Bikerman wrote:
Err....Brown's visit was not particularly surprising.
He was anxious to be the first European leader to meet with Obama so he can maintain the myth of the Special Relationship, which gives the UK some capital in the EEC.
This is not new - every British PM in my memory has done exactly the same thing - McMillan, Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Major, Blair and now Brown...


Why the rush though? I have not seen that with the other visits, sort of much more dignified then with the odd exception here and there. Blair at least looked authentic in what he was doing and chose his visits well. Hardly like someone chasing someone else.

It is all about timing. There is a certain kudos in being the first EEC leader to speak with the new President. Diplomacy at this level is mostly about appearances Smile

Thanks Chris. Smile Wonder who the next visitor is going to be. Probably still to be announced.
atul2242
Its probably economics.
But Britain has been sucking upto the USA from Mr. Blairs time....
deanhills
atul2242 wrote:
Its probably economics.
But Britain has been sucking upto the USA from Mr. Blairs time....

You have a nice way with words atul2242 and put it much better than I did! Now this is exactly what I had been thinking too and sucking up is a very good description.

Thinking about it, Blair sucked up to everyone, not only Bush, although possibly big-time Bush in comparison with the other world leaders. Think the last British Prime Minister I had respect for was Margaret Thatcher. I don't even want to think about Brown, every time I do I feel like crawling under a table in embarrassment.
Bikerman
LOL...how short memories are.
Thatcher was constantly 'sucking up' to Reagan.
deanhills
Bikerman wrote:
LOL...how short memories are.
Thatcher was constantly 'sucking up' to Reagan.

No way ...... Shocked

You're right! I did a bit of checking and landed with a really good article (well worth reading) on the relationship between the two and got much more out of it, i.e. covering the British need to influence the President of the United States. I don't think she sucked up to Reagan though, she manipulated him as far as she could get away with it:

http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id133.htm

Quote:
This approach to leadership fitted well with hers, given their respective offices. 'From the minute their eyes met,' according to [Michael] Deaver, 'there was an instant enjoyment on both their parts. They were delighted to see each other. They could hardly wait to sit down and get at it.' But this comradeship did not just happen. Thatcher worked at it. Reagan was more influenced by personal considerations. With Thatcher there was always the element of calculation, sometimes even of manipulation. For her the pleasures of friendship would never have been enough. She wanted to use the friendship to get specific results. That is hardly surprising. For almost every prime minister from Churchill on, it has been a major objective to influence the thinking of the president of the United States. For Britain the special relationship has meant a special opportunity to have an impact on American policy.

Because of the disparity in power between the two countries it is the attitude of the American president that ultimately counts. In the telling expression of McGeorge Bundy, the British prime minister 'always wants the meeting to last longer than announced.' When it runs over time that shows how close they are. It implies that the prime minister carries weight. As a general rule it is the prime minister who is eager to exercise influence over the president rather than the other way round, because American policy matters so much more to Britain than British policy matters to the United States.
Bikerman
deanhills wrote:
Bikerman wrote:
LOL...how short memories are.
Thatcher was constantly 'sucking up' to Reagan.

No way ...... Shocked

You're right! I did a bit of checking and landed with a really good article (well worth reading) on the relationship between the two and got much more out of it, i.e. covering the British need to influence the President of the United States. I don't think she sucked up to Reagan though, she manipulated him as far as she could get away with it:
Well, exactly the same is true of all post war British PMs. The idea is to maintain the myth that Britain can significantly influence US policy and, hopefully, get some scraps from the table. Thatcher played-up to Reagan shamelessly, as Blair did to both Clinton and Bush and as Brown will now do to Obama....Plus ça change...
deanhills
Bikerman wrote:
deanhills wrote:
Bikerman wrote:
LOL...how short memories are.
Thatcher was constantly 'sucking up' to Reagan.

No way ...... Shocked

You're right! I did a bit of checking and landed with a really good article (well worth reading) on the relationship between the two and got much more out of it, i.e. covering the British need to influence the President of the United States. I don't think she sucked up to Reagan though, she manipulated him as far as she could get away with it:
Well, exactly the same is true of all post war British PMs. The idea is to maintain the myth that Britain can significantly influence US policy and, hopefully, get some scraps from the table. Thatcher played-up to Reagan shamelessly, as Blair did to both Clinton and Bush and as Brown will now do to Obama....Plus ça change...


I wonder whether Obama will really look seriously at Brown though, as surely he and Hillary Clinton are savvy and astute politicians. I can see them doing their own number on Brown if and when they need to use him. I am really impressed with Hillary Clinton so far. I wonder whether her and Obama have their own sayings already about Brown, Darling and Milleband. Must say, the names really look just right for a new UK comedy series.
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