No, as far as foreign countries Americans think of the UK first. We just don't make a big deal of this 'special relationship' idea because its so obvious, we are acutely aware of our close ties to the UK.
Perhaps it isn't so much that America HAS interests, but that America is, increasingly, owned and controlled BY intetests - some of which aren't even American. At our Founding, we stood for certain ideas and values. Not that we were pure, but those ideas and values had a lot to do with how we defined our interests. We have come to stand, mainly, for corporate interests - which are, necessarily, transient, materialistic, and neither humane nor even patriotic.
As a Texan that spent 2 years of my childhood in GB as a military brat- yes, we see you as a friend, an ally, & a member of the immediate family! I still communicate with British friends of 1965!
The US and the UK remain very close politically, diplomatically and culturally. Even if Americans do not think as much as Brits do about the “Special Relationship” specifically, they get up on Saturday mornings to watch the Premier League, they watch Downton Abbey and Slow Horses, they read British literature in school and spend more time than Brits obsessing about the Royals. The two nations are very close.
@@kateofthings I'm in Oregon, lived here 14 years after 4 decades as a Londoner. Yes, quite different culturally I think. I'll have to look up Slow Horses, I've never heard of it before.
I can't believe we still reference this special relationship - it's like a child seeking continual approval from their mother. We really need to grow-up and realise that the world is a much more ambiguous place than it was 70+ years ago.
How so? Is the UK going to align with ... what, China? Russia - ok not those two. How about India, which practices 'diplomacy of convenience'. There's the EU, well enough said about that. So who out there should the UK more closely align with in this 'ambiguous' world?
Authoritarian leaders don't care about their country's reputation, and neither do their nationalist supporters. A US Administration that cares about Europe and NATO will value its relationship with the UK.
Alternatively, an authoritarian leader values the internal perception of the country and ignores the external perception of the country A high internal reputation allows an authoritarian leader to sacrifice individual freedoms for benefit of the nation state.
Exactly what value is the US getting out of Europe and NATO again? Apparently we're paying to keep Russia from driving their tanks into central Paris and the thanks we get is nose bleeding tariffs slapped on all our exports, and a sanctimonious delusion of superiority.
@@adtastic1533 NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history after 9/11. If the US no longer wants the allied forces of 32 countries to have its back, just say the word.
This special relationship Infuriates me. It is total bollocks. UK does as told as and nothing more. We want to be free from Europe but lie down and let US tickle our tummy for a photo opp' at the White House.
The UK is doing all the work of screwing itself - Brexit has been a disaster, but the UK is still very important to the US as its key military partner in Europe. If Britain wants to screw itself some more it should turn its back on the US, and unfortunately you folks are letting that military wither away.
As Britain becomes poorer and less relevant in the world, the relationship remains only in the academic ties of language and history. As far as the USA is concerned, it's like an old uncle, past his prime, remembering his glory days, while dozing in the corner at family gatherings. (AND yes, before anybody comments, I WAS born and bred in the UK)
Not true - the UK has been the top military partner in Europe. The problem is that the Pentagon has been warning them that their military is rapidly becoming second tier with funding and recruitment issues. But yes, if the UK lets its military wither, and continues outside the EU than that can't be helped.
As a Brit I see it this way. Our countries are more like relatives than friends. We British shouldn't have to persistently seek validation of that relationship. No one goes up to a father, mother, brother or sister constantly asking for reassurance that the relationship is OK and that it's above all other relationships. That is just nothing but insecurity speaking. We Brits know who the senior partner is in all this and it doesn't really matter.
@@MadLFCI generally agree I see Britain and the USA as like many families I’ve known. If one member of a family has a go at another family member that’s fine it doesn’t break the family. But if an outsider attacks a family member or the family itself then all the family members will join together to defend the family member or the family from attack.
Like most of have said here, it only matters when America wants/needs it to I.e military ops, defence etc. Otherwise they couldn’t give one solitary shit about it.
@@bicker31agreed the City of London and Wall Street are intertwined in many ways. If Wall Street slumps so does the City of London. We live in a world now where every country and society in the free world is linked in multiple ways with every other and they are all more and more linked to China which is the biggest economic danger to all as of China fails it will drag down the rest of us and atm China is trying to fix issues such as corruption and borrowing that make many Chinese companies v dodgy.
I'm an American. Can someone explain why people think we have a special (growing?) affinity for Ireland? I think we view Ireland in a positive light, but similarly to how we view the rest of the anglosphere. Also, while I get it's natural to feel jaded about a relationship that's one-sided, I think another comment said it best in that our media doesn't typically cover our economic relationships and partnerships. Those sort of fluctuations seem big to you all, but the average American really isn't noticing or thinking about it. I really think the way Americans view our allies hasn't changed at all, just less interest.
I am British but have lived in the US for a few years and I completely agree with you. Britain has a historical self obsession with itself and how it is viewed by others, especially the US, which is somewhat understandable given it was until the early 20th century the proeminent superpower in the world.
"I think it means a lot more to Brits than it does to Americans" You are conflating what our political class think with what the general public think. Most Brits don't give a crap about this one sided political relationship, they know its a scam and have a much greater desire to be close to Europe.
A fair point. They were talking about the generational divide in the US where older Americans see the UK as the closest partner while younger Americans don't, so I'd also be curious to see a similar survey done here in the UK. I would imagine there might be a similar divide here, with the older generation looking to the US as our closest ally while the younger look to the EU.
Why wouldn't it be seen as a special relationship by Britons? After all, America is the current global superpower, and its institutions are more or less a product of the British/Anglo-Saxon civilisation. Many won't like to admit it, but there must be a sense of pride in the average British person in terms of how relatively successful British settler colonies have turned out: US, Aus, NZ and Canada. To say that there was never the basis for a special relationship between the UK and the US is proposterous.
It's curious how UK media outlets like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 dedicate far more coverage to US political affairs than to European politics-or even British politics, at times. This trend has persisted for the past 20 years since I moved here. While the UK's relationship with the US is undoubtedly important, I would argue it's no more critical than our ties with other major global players like India, China, Japan, or even Argentina and Chile. Why is it that people here are more likely to know about a scandal in the New York mayor's office than what's happening in the European Parliament? Despite the UK's former position within the EU, our media have consistently failed to provide substantive coverage of European governance or politics. It’s as though our proximity and political ties to Europe have been sidelined in favor of an Anglo-American narrative. As an American myself, I see that the US interest in the UK often boils down to language, the monarchy, and its place within Europe. Yes, there are longstanding military and intelligence ties, but every nation forges strategic relationships. These bonds are not as unique as they're often portrayed. The media's focus on the US at the expense of covering equally significant relationships seems misplaced, especially considering the UK's strategic importance globally. And let's be honest-regardless of who holds the US presidency, there’s always a public show of getting along with the UK. That’s not unique to the US; virtually every country puts on the same diplomatic front, portraying harmony for the cameras. The real question is why this predictable spectacle dominates our news cycles while more pressing geopolitical relationships receive little attention.
Does America really care about the ‘special relationship’? No, never has, never will. It just shows how feeble UK politics is. The only UK Prime Minister who got it right was Hugh Grant in Love Actually.
The luke warm support for the UK during the Falklands war. And the invasion of Grenada in 1983, a British territory, without informing the British government, is all you need to know about the special relationship.
Did you listen at all? Over half of American's still consider the UK to be it's most important ally. Not to mention over half of 70+ yr olds (so your 'never has' line is also bollocks). Yes the UK is shit, but this metric is not a good one to use to declare this fact.
Post WWII the US is unique and in a unique position obviously, it's natural that it has a 'special relationship' with all the countries mentioned. Yes the UK because the two are probably the most culturally aligned and due to the US colonies, France of course also due to the Revolution, Lady Liberty etc, Canada is our bestie neighbor, Japan and Germany are two countries who we pulled out of autocracy and enabled them to become global great powers again and are now close friends. All the NATO countries fall under that umbrella. Each relationship is different, and special in its own way. As an American I have warm feelings about all of those countries, for their respective reasons. China is nothing but a a bad great power demanding undeserved respect.
@@battybibliophile-Clare As China would like everybody to believe. Fact is that China is only an economic super power, their military has never been tested, and they are weak everywhere else except Space. Russia is no longer a Superpower. Otherwise the US was never a Hegemony - you are parroting more China/Russia (mostly China) narrative, but it's funny how China keeps saying that, while it's _exactly_ what China aspires to, at least in its region. Same as Russia.
I understand that the special relationship transcends the PM/President personal relations. It is operational in three key areas. The nuclear deterrent, special forces, and intelligence
This is the real answer. Economically they can turn on a dime and only look out for their interests (as most nations do), but when it comes to military intelligence & technology, the two nations are deeply interconnected in a way that can't be unwound easily or quickly e.g. US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, Five Eyes, AUKUS etc. The USD is their power, and that is backed up by the US military. So to be involved at the highest levels of intel in the military is a special relationship regardless of what public perception is.
@@jamesbt1012 Exactly. Well said. The perception of what the special relationship is by the public is off. The fleeting vaguity of whether PM X and Pres Y get on is largely irrelevant for the day to day operations. At least in my opinion
@deadandburied7626 Our nuclear submarines keep a letter from the current Prime Minister in a safe, containing orders for what to do in the event that contact with the government is lost (i.e. in the event of a nuclear attack) - one of the first things a new Prime Minister does is write these orders. So not only can our nuclear weapons be launched without US permission, they can technically be fired when the entire UK government has been destroyed. Because they'd be pointless otherwise.
As an Englishman who emigrated to the USA and now holds dual citizenship, it doesn't matter a shrivelled fig to the US. Brexit has so damaged the UK economically and politically, that it is just a nation looking to its past for importance. If the UK was still in the EU it would be a much stronger partner for the US to help steer the EU towards US goals and values. The major EU nations are far more important to the USA as political and economic partners.
@@stleonards1066 What are you getting from the US now since Brexshit lol? Your American masters "forgot" to inform you that they were withdrawing from Kabul, so your "army" had to run away head over heels, chased out by a bunch of armed shepherds.
Helmet Schmidt (former German kansler) said about “the special relationship between UK and US) that it is so special that only one of the parties knows about it😂
Why did the government decide to cut all winter fuel money at a certain point, instead of reduce the amount over an earnings bracket? A simple example here, but if you get £100 winter fuel at £12000 pension, £50 at £12050 etc. would that not be a better way of doing things, while avoiding stories of people missing out by £1?
Because by giving the WFP to those who already receive other credits, they can administer it using already established systems. Means-testing it in the way you suggest would require developing an additional system, which would wipe out any savings made by cutting the payment in the first place.
Alistair and Rory, you didn’t answer the question about the custodial prison sentences for people making statements on Facebook and criminals being released early to create space in the prison system. I would like to go further and ask how can Julia Sweeny be given a 15 month prison sentence for a disgusting post she made on Facebook about attacking a mosque. But Huw Edwards who had dozens of indecent images of children as young as 7 not see the inside of a prison cell?
I was really disappointed to find out that the Eric Adams who was the mayor of New York wasn't the Eric Adams who's the singer in Manowar. We'd live in a much funnier world if it was.
The US was settled by English Protestants. Descendants of England and Ireland make up at least half the country to this day. Our political system was directly influenced by England. We engage culturally with Britain more than we do with any other country. Anyone who thinks there isn't a special relationship is either jealous or Russian.
You mean the special relationship whereby the US loaned the UK cash during WW2 (after much pressure) and never wrote it off for its closest ally though they went through an economic boom post war and UK had rationing? From memory I think the UK finished paying back the loan in the early 2000's. The UK paid a heavy price fighting the Nazis in both human life & through the blitz, would have been nice if the US might have recognised that their global growth throughout the world post war was in part enabled by our joint defeat of the Nazis. Then strong-armed into Bush's Iraq 2 war/Afganistan and all the economic & political cost that entailed, again, no financial help from the US, not to mention the loss of life on all sides and the failed outcome. Yep, a special relationship alright.
As an American I always find it interesting to observe how others see us (ouch), and also to have glimpses of what England and the rest of Europe are up to. The US news is so focused on what we're all about (which right now is ONLY the election) that one soon becomes almost brain dead about the rest of the world. So glad I discovered your podcast and the hugely intelligent and insightful Rory Cameron. P.S. Am so on board with his idea of giving money directly to needy people.
I really don't understand why we as Brits continue to obsess over this supposed "Special Relationship" which we like to imagine to delude ourselves into thinking we're more important than we actually are. How about we spend a bit more time pursuing our own policies, rather than kowtowing to America who does not and never has had our best interests in mind (not they should do of course). Alastair is a prime example of this problem...
If you listen to people who work in NATO or the Foreign Service/State Dept, you'll find there's little 'kowtowing'. All countries are cantankerous and have their own interests first. But coalitions need a leader and the US is the natural one for that. And to be fair, the US has a unique ability to unite disparate groups - that's the very nature of the United STATES of America which manages to bring together such a diverse population. Otherwise it is _definitely_ in the best interest of the UK to maintain as close a relationship with the US as it can, and vice-versa.
Canadians also like to toss around the term Special Relationship when it comes to the US. I think we've all had the experience growing up of having that 'friend' who was fun to hang around with but was a bit of an abusive psychopath.
You're no different the US. Your tar sands are destroying the planet and you obey the Pentagon's commands 90% of the time because you're a good little lap dog. You just don't get the heat because you're 10% as relevant as the US globally.
@@heydonhiggins3765 For being so geographically close and speaking the same language - Canada and the US are sooooo very different and Americans and Canadians have very different sensibilities I’ve found - not making any value judgments of course
As Brits we should never loose sight of the fact that the "Special Relationship" is primarily established for the benefit of the US. Over my 76 years on this earth, the UK has become increasingly less relevant in the global context. However, for the US one advantage that we have is that we speak American, this makes communication much easier.
The issue is not wether US cares about Special relationship with UK/Britain, it is about what kind of relationship they both have, with different governments.
I must say I think Rory's proposal to give cash to the poor instead of Kafkaesque bureaucracy as the way to seriously mitigate global poverty is smart, practical, more easily accountable and compassionate.
You missed the point that more poor pensioners who are above the pension credit threshold of less than £12k will die of hypothermia this winter. These pensioners are many already choosing between eating and heating. Those in poverty need this support reinstated
I’m a dual US-UK citizen. One of the questions was, how do Americans view the UK as an ally? The Trump voting Americans, roughly half, appreciate the UK relationship as much as the Brexit voting half of the UK appreciate the EU. There are a lot of people who don’t pay attention to and value international relations and free trade. They consume news and media content that feeds discontent for which isolationism appeals. In short, with the modern day splintering of media with social media bubbles the western world faces a crisis where the voters have a distorted view as to the reality. The traditional democratic countries alliances are in danger of splintering as these voters will vote for politicians and policies that will dismantle the free trade agreements and undermine our economies.
Doesn't Australia also have a special relationship with the US? Or is that the UK? Or is it both? Probably both. But that raises more questions. How can we have a special relationship with both?
@@gerardodwyer5908 Australia's special relationship with China is making the US jealous. Its basically this gag. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eCcl7_CPsvE.html
There are things the UK and the US share that aren't shared between any other nations. The 'Special Relationship' is unique. It doesn't just mean 'special.'
American here, I think it's pretty clear that in my lifetime the US/UK relationship has been a fairly strong one in the fact that most of the wars we have gone into have been predicated on the UK joining in. Was it a marriage of convenience? probably but it did give the US more legitimacy than it probably deserved. The unfortunate thing is as per usual the blowback from these decisions has fallen upon the poorer half of the populace.
I’m sick how this country sucks up to America , we have always inspired to be like America and this is why we are in a mess today. money before morals.
That ‘special relationship’ may well have served the UK in ways that the public might not know of, but it seems to have been pretty one-sided. Completing the UK’s near isolation, was that unbelievably stupid act of self harm of leaving Europe. If the US regarded the as relevant/useful before, it won’t now. That’s what happens when you conduct foreign policy by gammon. Brilliant!
As early as 1922, British interest in the “special relationship” ensured Irish independence. The violent excess that would be required to quell the IRA at the time went against Irish-American sentiment. The British made a deal rather than destroy their relationship with the US.
Perhaps younger people see the relationship with Britain as a part of a broader institutional decay; the US is ignoring the very laws it helped create and Britain voted Brexit; it must be hard for a younger generation to see value.
I do. I also care profoundly about NATO. But I was raised by the “Greatest Generation.” I’m also a female military veteran and historian. Sadly, I find my fellow citizens increasingly detached from the importance of allies. And I fear most have no idea the effect our Presidential elections have on the rest of the world.
They should care, whether they do or not I don't know. They should care because the US is a declining power so to maintain its influence it needs allies.
I’m yet to listen but I’m shocked that you’re not both talking about the current state of the Labour Party and what they think they’re doing. I’d be fascinated to hear both your genuine thoughts. I just cannot think of any possible defense of them at the moment. Surely this is a more pertinent topic for this week! Please address it soon, and for more than a 10minute segment.
As a Brit I think UK politicians suck up to the US government a little too much and focus on the special relationship too much as well. Brits and Americans know we are close allies and have been since WWII and there is absolutely no need to keep bringing it up every time our leaders meet. Our British leaders always seem to seek validation from American leaders every time they come together and that only makes us look desperate. At the same time it flatters the American ego. The hard truth is, we value the relationship more than America does because we need America more than America needs us. That's the way of things in the current climate so why make a big deal about it? Does the average American even care? why should we? We are politically obliged to support each other in time of need and that should be enough. We are culturally close, we are friends and allies in all ways essential and regardless of who's in power, I doubt it will change in any meaningful way. We don't have to be America's favourite pals to get what we both want out of the relationship.
There has never been a "special relationship". After US independence, the USA wanted to become an imperial power, and wanted the UK to lose its empire. There's also how it acted over Suez and also the Falkland Island invasion - if the UK had not had North Sea oil at the time, then it wouldn't of been able to take them back, as it got a rather mixed support from the USA at the time.
Why don't the government make the energy companies pay the winter fuel payments from their profits? Zero cost to the country & stop pensioners freezing to death.
The Americans are only friends with the Brits when they want something. Biden still thinks he is irish! .........and i am expecting Kamala to announce she is part irish!
Hi Alastair and Rory, I am a regular listener of the BBC radio Today programme and your podcast. Over the last few days the rightwing press have been highlighting Kier Starmer’s Arsenal Box and Victoria Starmer’s wardrobe, citing conflicts of interest and painting a narrative of corruption. I listened this morning to Amol Rajan’s interview with Jess Philips. I find it curious that the papers - who are a diminishing source of read news - seem to dictate the BBC radio agenda. I thought Amol Rajan’s interview of Jess Philips was tabloid in style, below what I would have expected from the programme. I wasn’t impressed with Jess’s response. In my personal view, it’s great to know that there are transparent mechanisms at work that disclose donations and benefits. That’s good. But surely the news story is if the Labour Government goes soft on Football regulation - and the media point out the connection with Starmer’s box. Or Starmer does something for the benefit of Lord Alli which is linked to Victoria’s wardrobe. Surely that is where the story is, not because of the donation of a box and a frock. What do you think?
The special relationship is with Australia. Australia is the only country to have fought side by side with the USA in every major conflict since 1918. The UK did not fight with her American and Australian allies in Vietnam. Australia was also second only to the UK as a base for American forces in WWII with around one millon US servicemen passing through. The American military have long memories and the USAF and Marines have returned to Darwin in large numbers to counter the Chinese threat.
We will never fix the NHS until we stop limiting our answers to what it needs too how much more money we can give it. We already give it enormous amounts of money , we've been doing so for years and things are getting worse not better. We were told some years ago that the banks were 'too big to fail' well there is an associated observation we can make about some of our institutions and that is that 'they are too big to fix' the NHS , in its current form , is one of them.
Sorry but if the Americans had to choose between England or Ireland 🇮🇪 Ireland would win hands down in this instance it would not be about economics or power but emotions.
Wow all these comments make me sad as a young American. I have always viewed our special relationship as real. We speak the same language and have very similar values. Pre 2016 our relationship was very good I thought? Are you all saying it’s unrepairable?
I think it's on par with US to the rest of the CANZUK countries. The recent AUKUS pact shows it's alive and kicking to a certain existent, plus the five eyes etc.. But then US's refusal extradite the suspect in the Harry Dunn incident, is a sad reminder that relationship might not be seen as special as it seems.
It's not so much the relationship is fractured, TBH, there's an insecurity in the UK because we're very aware we need the US much more than the US needs us, especially since Brexit. The reason the term 'special relationship' is frowned upon is that it's seen as a bit pathetic unless the US foreign policy also sees some sort of more intrinsic linkage with the UK, which it doesn't seem to (although, in security and intelligence, there is more of a tie, given Five Eyes and AUKUS). In an ideal world, after Brexit (whether it was a good idea or not), the US would've offered considerably more diplomatic and economic support. It's understandable why it didn't. But still. There's also, and this is just my vibes, a sense that the US Liberals now see historic ties to Europe as something to be ashamed of. That obviously doesn't _directly_ reflect on modern foreign relations, but does somewhat undermine the theory on which its based.
@@merrymachiavelli2041 In my head the UK is still the leading member in a historical band of relationships that the US has been attempting to utilize since WW2 to maintain a global system of overall peace and trade relations, so it’s an imperative to continue to foster that relationship, at least in the short term and near long term(politics is politics so who knows in a 50 years what the world looks like). I think your second point is interesting but I think this is just a temporary phenomenon. Americans are very idealistic but also very individualistic, meaning if a leader can tie people’s economic prosperity to global peace and prosperity like in decades past then tempers in both parties will cool back to the middle of the aisle where reason still sits.
Suggestion for a topic: Given the current situation in the US, why is it that in the UK there is never a threat of the government "shutting down", whereas in the US it seems to happen fairly often?
“Special Relationship” is not a term that many Americans have even heard of. The problem is that America has many special relationships. For example, Canada, Israel and South Korea are all at least as important/special to the US.
There's definitely a 'cultural' special relationship between Britain and America, for obvious reasons. But in terms of strategic special relationships, I agree with you in that the UK doesn't register to the Americans. My country of Australia probably holds more value to the Americans than does the UK.
There are examples where we've allowed that to become the case, but it is not always true and when managed correctly it's mutually beneficial. For example, our close collaboration on defence and intelligence (the MDA, five eyes, AUKUS, Tier 1 participation in the F-35 etc.) increases our influence and supports British industry, even if we are clearly the very junior partner nowadays
Love Rory’s point on the mayor of Bridgeport. The reason he was reelected is in part cultural - high in incarceration rates have normalized convictions in Bridgeport - many know those effected
Losing friends over Brexit., notice that both Rory and Alistair were the ones dropping their friends, not the other way around, sadly you are both showing your selves to be a bit self-righteous and sanctimonious.
There would have to be something else very special about a leave voter who didn't regret their vote for me to have a relationship with them. They are . living on a different planet from me.
@@catgladwell5684 That's a bit disturbing. Please tell me you haven't terminated any relationships with a Family members over this ? If you are right maybe as a Conservative I should dump by partner who voted for Jeremy Corbyn. Personally I think the UK would be a better place with a bit more more political tolerance.
Definitely not! Just spent two hours in a queue to get into this country at O'Hare from Heathrow. I'm Irish and if flying from Dublin, can be 'processed' there in a quick and easy manner, then just walk through on the US side. Why won't they do that for everyone in the British Isles? They could care less about the British people whatever about the government!
Can we accept that as the UK is now a pretty minor player on the international stage, that the idea the US needs a special relationship with us is laughable. We have as special of a relationship as the US has with France. It’s almost like everyone wants to have a special relationship with the most powerful country in the world. Who would of thought.
I have UK and US citizenship. The special relationship is a fantasy. The British political class has deluded itself to avoid asking difficult questions. FDR took Churchill to the cleaners, which resulted in Britain's bankruptcy in 1947. Lend Lease had strings attached, which meant Britain had to leave India quickly. US economist Benn Steil wrote about this in his book 'Battle of Bretton Woods'. It lacked the gold and dollars to keep the empire going. FDR wanted to break up the British Empire and viewed Britain as America's greatest post-war geopolitical rival. He was more generous to the Soviet Union and China than the UK. Macmillan arrogantly talked of Greeks and Romans but discovered during Suez that Eisenhower viewed Britain as a vassal state. That generation of public schoolboys underestimated the US and its ambitions. The Democrats now represent minorities who consider themselves oppressed by the British like Biden, Obama and Harris. I suspect Blair knew what he was doing. He became globally famous for supporting the 'war on terror' and built a business empire on the back of that fame and his American connections. But, how did Britain benefit from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? Britain had been a superpower in 1939, but thanks to Churchill it still clings desperately to America's coattails looking for validation. It has no choice it should be more realistic about its place in the world.
@@harrybartok Britain's decline started after WW1. By 1939, it was already cash-poor, downhill faster after that, with a brief respite due to North Sea Oil. Thatcher and Brexit damaged it further.
Every reason Rory gave for being a Conservative has really nothing to do with being a Conservative. Conservatives are conservatives because they grow up in a Conservative household, in the same way Christians are Christians when they grow up in a Christian household and racists grow up in a racist household. I also take issue with his objection about Labour being too close to unions. Unions influencing government policy are more likely to lift people into the middle class. We've seen from the last Tory government that capitalists influencing government policy are more likely to start emptying the middle class and growing the working class even for people in middle class jobs like nursing and teaching.
I think after the embarrassing simpleton politics & Wall St. back stabbing shenanigans is through, Britain & the US generally share many of the same goals & aspirations on global affairs. That'll never change.
Re: the apparent affection here in the US for ‘bad boys’ in politics, I wonder if it’s a theme from the Depression days of celebrity criminals (John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone). When the government is seen to be failing us, we really tend to fall hard for bad guys who claim to be on our side. Everyone knew Huey Long was monstrous, just as they do with Trump.
Does America really care about the ‘special relationship’? No. Next question. Special Relationships seems to be half hearted relationship if one lot of the other side can completely ignore this matter.
