As every schoolboy knows (Hugh Blair, no relation), Britain has had a special relationship with Uncle Sam. Until today – when John Kerry referred to France as the USA’s ‘oldest ally’. (Pause for thought.)
Just a minute. “President Charles de Gaulle pulled France out of NATO’s integrated military command in 1966, saying it undermined France’s sovereignty.” (Wiki) And Nicollula changed that – presumably for good, solid, French reasons.
So we got jilted for refusing to obey Obama. No doubt there’ll be more reprisals against us for our presumption.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Strictly speaking, France was America’s oldest, or at least earliest, ally, as they help the rebels revolt against King George. MInd you, they proved pretty shifty allies then, as they will now.
The Marquis de Lafayette arrived to help in 1777! So quite true!
Meanwhile the sooner that damned ‘Special Relationship’ is dead and buried the better in my opinion. It is noticeable that no help whatever was forthcoming in the Falklands War and a pitiful late arrival in WW I
and II.
Only when America itself has been directly threatened have they ever emerged from their isolationist policies to help Britain. The special relationship has only been a command to jump and the PM’s reply has been consistently ‘How high?
I must point out that I do not particularly decry the USA for taking this stance. They prioritise their own people, it is a great pity that our politicians do not see their duty in the same way!!!
It appears to me that the bloody British politicians favour all and sundry of any other nationality above and beyond their own citizenry. About time they took a leaf out of the American book.
American foreign policy since WW II has dragged us into more wastes of time, money and lives than one cares to think about in countries that we have no strategic interest in whatsoever.
I find the so called moral imperatives of intervention in savages’ affairs ridiculous and self destructive to our interests. I don’t actually give a damn how they kill each other. It is not our business.
Remembering Obama’s continual description of BP as “British Petroleum” over and over again, can he be surprised that the UK is not supporting him. BP now stands for British Parliament – and its two-fingered gesture to him. I hope Obama and Hollande will be very happy together – they deserve each other.
CO: The US government prioritises its own people? Since when? If only that were the case. I wish I were an illegal alien — free education, no taxes and no one could criticise me! I probably would be hassled less at the airport, too.
Sheona: precisely — what else could he expect? Holland and Obama, two of the world’s most hapless and bumbling leaders. I’m just glad that Merkel is keeping Germany out completely.
With friends like the French, who needs, etc? 🙂
Kerry’s speech was pathetic playground stuff, all puffed chest and hollow pride. How childish to snub the UK for its caution when according to the CNN commentators the US public is equally reluctant to get involved in Syria.
And: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/30/obama-opposition-mounting-syria-strike
Janus: the US government has been reduced to playground antics since the Snowden affair. It would be comical if the USA wouldn’t be such a significant country.
Christopher, I see in Wiki that Kerry’s mother has close ties with France (b. Paris, of American parents) and that Kerry spent boyhood summers in Brittany on the Forbes estate. No wonder he’s enjoying the French renaissance.
Christopher, re #4. You have never lived in the UK! You think America is bad? You don’t know the name of the game!!
It has got to the point of being a hate crime just being white in some areas! Let alone actually opening your mouth.
Thank God Wales is 50 years behind the times and such PC crap doesn’t wash too well down there. A spade is still a spade!
Janus: Kerry also lived in French-speaking Switzerland as a child. His name and geographic origin also indicate that he might well have a distinctly Hibernian anti-British bias as well.
CO: I suspect you see ‘Murca through rose-tinted lenses. How many people in ‘Murca are killed each year for having the wrong skin colour in the wrong place? Many, many. I still remember quite distinctly the shock of being able to express my opinions more freely in mainland China than in ‘Murca.
Don’t think so Christopher, Lived in Memphis through all the race riots in the seventies. But I do admit WA is pussy territory by comparison!
Although I will admit, CO, that it is fun to hoist lefties on their own petards. I used to do it more, but now that I am in the process of repatriating I don’t care as much.
Morning dear, wonderful weather here today. am off to lift my potato crop any minute. Enjoy your Labour Day weekend!
I must take issue with you. The holiday to which you refer is a proper noun and thus the spelling must be, ‘Labor Day’. 🙂
The latest news is that M. Hollande now finds himself up a creek ‘sans pagaie’, as it were. Having committed his leetle French army to Obama’s imminent, punitive measures against Syria, he has had to confirm that he has no intention of going it alone! There’s a surprise!