The Genius of the UK

[Almighty Colin]

The UK. America's greatest ally. Member of the EU. Permanent member of the Security Council. NATO Member.

They're playing with a full deck.

[Torone]

For a Socialist country, UK ROCKS!

[sarah_webinc]

they didn't have an empire by mistake.

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by sarah_webinc@Apr 18 2003, 08:48 AM
they didn't have an empire by mistake.

No doubt.

That's some admirable politicking

[sarah_webinc]

and the funny thing is that all of it is done with the protest of a large portion of the poplulation. Mention the EU people start swearing, mention the UN people start mumbling about being the lapdog of the US. Yet, I bet when it comes down it they wouldn't like being without any of them.

[Almighty Colin]

Sarah,

That's an extremely interesting point. How/why do you think this has happened? That the UK is in such a unique position in world relations against the wishes of a large portion of its population on each individual role? Is it a fluke or the result of a successful political system?

[sarah_webinc]

to be honest I am not totally sure why it is the case. Sometimes I think they have a basic distrust of gov't which I am not sure is always a bad thing. Other times I think it is a product of xenophobia and having a hard time dealing with the loss of the empire.

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by sarah_webinc@Apr 21 2003, 03:52 AM
having a hard time dealing with the loss of the empire.

To what extent is that concern prevalent? Is it often or even ever the topic of conversation?

[sarah_webinc]

it isn't often explicitly addressed - think it would be health if it was.

Instead, you have a nation of 'little Englanders' , as they are called here, whose parents were raised with stories of the great empire and have passed the stories down. Stories of living and ruling in India and Africa and of beating Hitler.

Now, they are having to face the backlash of what those years as an Empire did to the other countries. It seems - from an outsider who moved here - that these little Englanders never prepared themselves for influxes of populous from the countries they eventually felt fit to give indepence to or having to deal with residual issues of colonisation such as in Zimbabwae (watch this space...Blair will get pay back from Bush in form of helping with this one).

The UK - and particularly England - was the ruler of the world, if not always politcally then morally in their eyes but because of being an island they could keep it at arms reach. Now, it is knocking at their door either in the form of Europe or the rest of the world represented by the UN and Nato and it scares people.

There was a famous headline a few years back that kind of sums up the UK's vision of their position in the world :'Fog in the channel - Europe cut off'


All that said, I do love living here..just observations.

[fraggle]

allot of diplomatic power you mentioned is partly a product of being a colonial power (and having drawn up post war treaty's) and also cynical island ideaology (?maybe?).

We brits are pretty warey of people but also fairly diplomatic at the same time - kind of liberal conservatism is that can exist (maybe just diplomatic).

With allot of multinational business interests it both puts you in a position of power and also demands you be in one or lose what youhave gained.

I think the Uk is in a pretty positive situation (though i am not a massive fan of T and mixed optinions in a country aren't always a bad thing.

[fraggle]

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Originally posted by Colin+Apr 21 2003, 01:28 AM-->

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