Question about the UK's Foreign Policy

[chequita guevara]

Why does Great Britain perfer to be a pet of the United States rather than a semi-equal among Europeans?

Is it that the UK's economic interests with the US are greater? Is there a psychological factor, kind of like a father working at his son's company? Why? Do you guys just like being the little yappy dogs hanging out with the big dog?

Why be a small fish sharing a big pond with a whale when they could be a medium fish in a medium pond with other medium fish?

[JohnT]

at that last question.

[FrustratedPoet]

The answer to all those questions is simple: USA is the 'Top' and we're the 'Bottom'. All those other Euro countries aren't man enough to satisfy our desires. Those Frenchies don't even have the common courtesy to give us a reach-around.

[Solly]

Blair isn't Bush's poodle, but his guide dog.

[Derekrage]

Well as a Briton, I think the reason many of us are so anti-european is that the French and Germans are so bloody arrogant. They believe that their viewpoint equals Europes viewpoint, as can be seen by Chiracs comment to the Eastern Europeans simply because they were pro-war. However I certainly do not like to see Blair acting as Bush's foreign minister, but my political views aswell as many others in Britain are more in line with the US view of the world than the French/German one.

[MikeH]

My views are much closer to Europe than the US.

US internal policies and accepted ideas about taxation, social services, crime and punishment, drug prohibition, education, abortion, self defence etc. are all completely alien to me whereas I'm very closer to the policies on those things in France and Germany. Where we differ is a matter of degrees rather than fundamental differences.

That said, we are as semi-Equal in europe and we have the links with the US as well. We're trying to have the best of both worlds.

[Traianvs]

Originally posted by Derekrage
Well as a Briton, I think the reason many of us are so anti-european is that the French and Germans are so bloody arrogant. They believe that their viewpoint equals Europes viewpoint, as can be seen by Chiracs comment to the Eastern Europeans simply because they were pro-war. However I certainly do not like to see Blair acting as Bush's foreign minister, but my political views aswell as many others in Britain are more in line with the US view of the world than the French/German one.

Perhaps you don't know, but to most other countries Britain's international attitude appears just as arrogant as Germany/France's attitude.

[Traianvs]

then again, being arrogant seems to be inherent to big nations..

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Trajanus


Perhaps you don't know, but to most other countries Britain's international attitude appears just as arrogant as Germany/France's attitude.

Absolutely. We're allowed to be arrogant because we have an enormous empire though! Oh... no... wait a minute... must be because we're so good at football... damn...

Shut up or we'll make America beat you up.

[Derekrage]

Trajanus-How so? We don't act like we rule Europe like the French or Germans, when our European allies disagree with us we don't tell them to shut up like Chirac did.

[Derekrage]

MikeH-Yes your views may be similar to the French, and a hell of a lot of Britons are however there are a lot like me who are more in line with the US.

[DAVOUT]

Arrogance is never a diplomatic issue; Rumsfeld was really arrogant when he said that if the UK were prevented to participate in the Irak adventure, this would cause a minor inconvenience easily corrected by limited adjustements of their plans. You did not react because arrogance has no diplomatic value, and never achieve anything.

So, you should find something more important.

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Derekrage
MikeH-Yes your views may be similar to the French, and a hell of a lot of Britons are however there are a lot like me who are more in line with the US.

I know, it depresses me.

[Whaleboy]

...revoke the declaration of independence!!

[MikeH]

We've got enough problems of our own without taking on America's.