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The Special Relationship

Discussion in 'Codes, Cyphers & Spies' started by Richard, Sep 29, 2009.

  1. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    i think poop was referring to urqh the forums tinker...RAGS N BONES...RAGS N BONES..
     
  2. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    cant find the original thread that carl and stefan partook on treaties dregarding uk/us...including 50 destroyers and lend lease plus us bases today..i now have original copies of most via freedom of information act. us is still to authorise some but am hopeful . if anyones still interested in the actual facts.rather than romantic stories.
     
  3. macrusk

    macrusk Proud Daughter of a Canadian WWII Veteran

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    And I have to throw in that both countries have always had interconnectedness with Canada... We choose when we support either Britain's or the US policy and we tend to openly criticize when it seems due, but the friendly relations between our countries is really never in doubt.
     
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  4. brndirt1

    brndirt1 Saddle Tramp

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    Agreed, we (Canada/US/Britain) do sort of pick at the edges every now and then. But when push comes to shove we do tend to agree more than not on the big stuff.
     
  5. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Well, family is going to diagree from time to time.

    I view the nations of the British Isles and Canada as family.
     
  6. PzJgr

    PzJgr Drill Instructor

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    In my eyes, I have seen every Republican president profess public support for the British. I have not seen it from Clinton nor the current administration.
     
  7. LRusso216

    LRusso216 Graybeard Staff Member

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    I think it is the responsibility of the leader of a country to ensure the well-being of his own people first. International relationships enter into that well-being. That said, I think the UK, the US and Canada have developed a closer relationship primarily because they share a relatively common background. Language, legal principles, democratic tradition, and historical relations enter into the equation. I agree that the intersection of common interests in WW2 fanned this "special relationship", but once the US established itself on the world stage in the 19th Century, that commonality developed. Like any political relationship, it has ebbed and flowed with circumstances, but there is too much common bond for it to sever lightly. As Michelle correctly points out, we (all 3 nations) tend to view things from similar perspectives. I don't foresee that changing to any great degree.

    Check this article for an interesting analysis from the British perspective as few years ago. http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~casey1/BAB-Dumbrell.pdf
     
  8. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    depends which clinton..bill fawned over us tons of footage of him declaring he loved us..him and blair were so close they almost kissed at times mate.
     
  9. redcoat

    redcoat Ace

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    Clinton is considered to have been a very pro-British while he was in power, I know of no complaints from British sources about him. In fact he probably was more popular in Britain than he was in his own country. ;)

    As for Obama, seeing we imprisoned his grandfather for his involvement in the Kenyan independence movement, I would expect him to be a little cooler on the 'Special relationship' issue :(
     
  10. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    Why does everyone make such a fuss about this 'special relationship' anyhow? I think as peoples whilst we may take the mickey out of one another we get on fairly well but in political terms it just doesn't matter any more. Britain isn't the world power it once was, the US knows that our PM will probably do whatever they want however illegal (see current Iraq inquiery), the special relationship is effectively 'help out the US government at all costs because the alternative is working with the French!'

    Note I am referring to the politics and foreign policy, not to relationships with the general populace.
     
  11. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    bomb the french....they are arming russia...that should bring loads of stalin caused ww2 posters to join us...but actually they are selling some pretty serious amphibious stuff to russia..first of many..
     
  12. Mahross

    Mahross Ace

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    That maybe so but if our government got of the backside and dealt with the issue of European integration, something that has got to happen, and got the public behind it i.e. made us aware of what it meant and how it would be advantageous to the country. While there has been some move towards a integrated european military structure this has been held back by the 'Special Relationship. Arguably America fears a united Europe. It is a divisive arguement but as long as Britain stays out it damages Europe but conversley as long as we stay out Europe will not have the place in world politics that it should. As Stefan says we have got to stop thinking of outselves as a world power. The only way we will regain that is through a united and integrated Europe.

    Ross
     
  13. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    how goes the vaunted franco german corps ..is it dispatched as a unit to afghanistan yet..
     
  14. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    The multinational brigade is part of the Spearhead force is it not? They are not deployable to Afghan as they are the permanant QRF. Met a load of them last year, good guys, they seem to work reasonably well together.
     
  15. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    Is that the old eurocorps though stefan? I am out of sorts with brit setup these days..thought we had a brit multi div with added spaghetti in ninetees..but i was on about eurocorps..not a nato unit..fr and ge corps..yanks didnt want it so therefore it was born..
     
  16. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    How the hell did I miss this topic?????

    Im with Lord Noodles and say that the USA and the UK still have that special relationship. Heck, even though a few of my earlier ancestors fought the Redcoats during the Revolutionary War as well as in the War of 1812, nobody in mu family holds any grudges and as a matter of fact, I have more friends from the UK-mainly EngLUND, than I do of folks from any other Countries cept for Germany. The USA is exempt ;-))

    Anyway, to make a long post short-yup, I believe that special relationship still exists between us Colonialists, and those darn Lobsterbacks ;-)) and I call them Lonsterbacks with all the respect in the world ;-))

    PS, Sir John Mills is the UKs equal to John Wayne-and DON'T you forget that! ;-))
     
  17. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    Now Carl, I'm not sure about that, what about Sir Richard Burton (Pegasus bridge veteran who then played the commander of the attack on said bridge in The Longest Day for those who aren't in the know).
     
  18. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    stefan..sending you a copy matey...burton was the raf pilot in the movie..
     
  19. urqh

    urqh Tea drinking surrender monkey

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    youll have jughead of the movie police accosting yer
     
  20. Stefan

    Stefan Cavalry Rupert

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    By Richard Burton I meant Richard Todd, I was listening to Under Milk Wood which is what confused me.
     

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