Question about the UK's Foreign Policy

[Derekrage]

MikeH-Just as the amount of people who are left wing depresses me

Davout-Rumsfield might have been arragont but he was correct, UK troops weren't really needed for the attack on Iraq.
But you have to admit the French and Germans act like they rule Europe, and I should add if a British primeminister had said what Chirac said you lot would have been going crazy and we would probabley have been forced to have some sort of inquiry by our left wing media

[MikeH]

We were needed. They had a lack of combat infantry on the ground at the time they wanted to invade, which is why we were used in the actual invasion rather than as support troops as was originally planned.

Ok so the Americans could have waited for more forces to build up but we where there.

Chirac is nuts, I think the majority of the French would agree with that.

It's lucky our media is left wing, none of the major political parties are any more.

[MikeH]

And anyway there's plenty of extreme right wing media in this country. Just look at the Daily Mail if you want extreme right wing reactionism.

[Derekrage]

I would say that the Liberal Democrats and labour, now that the damn trade unions are back in, are very left wing

[Derekrage]

The Daily mail are right wing but I wouldn't call them extreme.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Re: Question about the UK's Foreign Policy

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

That's more than a little arrogant, unless pets with nuclear strike capabilities and G7 economies are commonplace round your neck of the woods.

[Shi Huangdi]

The UK, by being a staunch ally of the USA, has far more influence on US foreign policy then any other country in the world, and so with it's alliance has far more influence then it would allying itself with the likes of France and Germany.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Derekrage
But you have to admit the French and Germans act like they rule Europe, and I should add if a British primeminister had said what Chirac said you lot would have been going crazy and we would probabley have been forced to have some sort of inquiry by our left wing media

The EU was originally founded by the countries which needed it the most. Progressively, smaller peripherical countries aggregated when they though it was worth for them to do so. The complaints they make now regarding the way the house is organised have not the same importance as the complaints they could have made before when they had to suffer the worst consequences of Germany and France decisions. Now at least they have a say, and participating in the process is a considerable improvement compared to their situation in the first half of the 20th century.

It is clear that the UK had not the same vital interest in a strategical alliance shaping the next hundred years than Germany and France, and they joined when the economic community was on its feet. Now they are afraid to observe that the ties with the EU are on the way to become more intimate and stronger. The Euro is a signal of increased integration, and ultimately of power, shared power but real power anyway. The proximity, the increasing mixing of people will influence the outcome. But there is no hurry for the UK to merge completely with the EU and share the Germano-French dictatorship !

As for Chirac : Alas!

[chequita guevara]

Re: Re: Question about the UK's Foreign Policy

Originally posted by Lazarus and the Gimp
That's more than a little arrogant,

I'm an American, arrogance is our birthright.

[Sandman]

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

Pets don't get to choose who their master is.

[Derekrage]

The EU was originally founded by the countries which needed it the most. Progressively, smaller peripherical countries aggregated when they though it was worth for them to do so. The complaints they make now regarding the way the house is organised have not the same importance as the complaints they could have made before when they had to suffer the worst consequences of Germany and France decisions. Now at least they have a say, and participating in the process is a considerable improvement compared to their situation in the first half of the 20th century.

I can understand that the French and Germans created the EU and did all the running, so they believe that they are the natural leaders and view the UK as an obstacle to a Euro superstate.
I think that this is a major part of the anti-EU sentiment around the country. I would prefer and I think the majority of Britons would prefer what we signed up for when we joined, a trading organisation.
And the worst thing about it is that our leaders keep giving away power to Brussels without our consent.

[C0ckney]

shi: that's not accurate, most of our influence in the world comes from the fact we used to own rather a lot of it

davout, both germany and france have tried to unify europe before and we have stopped them, why change a winning formular

[C0ckney]

derek, i think you hit the nail on the head

over here we like free trade with europe and we like the free movement of people, capital, good and services between european nations. what we don't like is people with nothing better to do in brussels telling us how round our eggs, or how straight our bananas have to be! what we really don't like is handing over power to people in brussels that we don't elect and are totally unaccountable to the british public.

[Dinner]

The UK isn't a pet. They are a partner and more often then not Blair ends up being the one who makes the important policy decisions. The partnership has survived two world wars and a cold war and has been the most successful one in history so why rock the boat now?

[Derekrage]

exactly COckney at least there's one sane Briton here