I am, however, dismayed (and disgusted) with the apparent support Brits gave to BO – the most unqualified person to ever be elected to the presidency…the most far left….

Some Britons. Not all. There were plenty of Britons commenting on the “empty suit” / “naked emperor” nature of Mr Obama right back in 2008.

My own assessment is that Brits need to stop with the guilt – white guilt. Enough with the endless self-flagellation.

Cody1991 on January 10, 2013 at 2:08 PM

I’m not sure it is guilt. Arrogance perhaps. It is as if a large number of Britons cannot conceive that their country could fail, and so they plough forward carelessly, recklessly. I think this is a combination of having been on the winning side in a few major conflicts, an awareness that the UK has contributed “great” things to the world in the past, and a general ignorance of global geo-philosophio-politics and of economics.

In the end, I can never get my head around the notion that Brits desire a weakened US.
Cody1991 on January 10, 2013 at 2:34 PM

Some do. Some don’t. Some might prefer that some parts of the USA, like the leftist progressive parts, were greatly weakened. Britons, like Americans, do not hold one common opinion; the political divisions of the UK are very real. However, the “left” has been very successful in dominating the supposedly intelligent parts of the UK media such that dissenting opinions are not widely aired. (The non-intelligent parts of the media are devoted to gossip, scandal and sentimentality, same as everywhere else in the world).

“We must be very careful not to call for a wholesale renegotiation of our EU membership, which would almost certainly be rejected,” they wrote in a letter to the Financial Times.

Kinda like, “Once you’re in the mob, you’re in for life. There’s only one way out.”

Why the F*&k do “we” have a Secretary of Europe?

MoreLiberty on January 10, 2013 at 1:15 PM

Assistant Secretary of State who deals with “matters European”.

We’ve got ASSes for Asia, Africa, South America, too.

No big deal.

And while you’re at shine my shoes, pick my suit at the valet and reserve a table for two at Chez Chicageaux.

They get access to a huge market almost the size of the E.U. and we have no interests in their sovereignty at all.

Seems like a win-win.

Beat me to it.

BobMbx on January 10, 2013 at 12:51 PM

Me too. Pretty arrogant of our government to try to dictate something like this to another country. The Emperor really does have a serious plus size ego.

The politicians there know that they are acting against the popular will and are united in doing so. The same holds true for capital punishment funnily enough, which is banned. If you put them both to popular votes you’d find overwhelming majorities voting “Withdraw form the EU” and “YES to Capital Punishment”.

Don’t think for a second that the elites have had a change of heart on the EU. They have not. Any plebiscite will be a sham like the recent one on Egypt’s constitution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqZTP8-8wIs

Yeah. I can see how that might be. Interesting.

Axe on January 10, 2013 at 2:43 PM

It is, Axe. What’s interesting is to see how BO and his cohorts try to do the same here in the US.

One difference is that we supposedly do not have a class system. Unfortunately, we do. We don’t have people born to privilege (in the European sense), but we do have those who have a protected, political elite….. and we voted for them!

Our Founders were astute. They understood human nature, and this is why Leftists hate the Constitution. Leftists love power and understand human nature.

We are, IMHO, rapidly becoming a country that will revert to the old norms, i.e. people content to live with an elected aristocracy…. evolving into some sort of benign, or not benign, dictatorship.

Looking at our insane levels of government, I would say we’re already there.

I share Kafka’s nightmares.

an object or event in a book or a film that serves as the impetus for the plot

[coined (c. 1935) by Sir Alfred Hitchcock ]

. . . just sharing homework. :)

Same thing to my mind, and certainly with my Brit relatives.

Cody1991 on January 10, 2013 at 2:20 PM

Yeah. I can see how that might be. Interesting.

So, to Gilmore & Co., letting the UK run off is rather like a mugger letting a little old lady get away rather than getting her purse.

As regards EU money, here is what an Irish economist found:

‘Over the entire period from 1973 to 2009, Ireland’s net receipts from the EU budget totalled about €41bn [£33bn], of which no more than about €20bn [£16bn] could be classified as in any sense discretionary. It is entirely possible, under the no-bondholder-left-behind policy, that this sum and more is being routed from Irish taxpayers to European private creditors of Irish private banks.’

And most of those private banks to which the Irish taxpayer is now generously donating are located in *drumroll* the UK.

So sleep tight, the City of London is not getting beguiled by mischevious Leprechauns.

However we were not the ones who voted for him.

Sheya on January 10, 2013 at 2:23 PM

Yes, this is true. And after this last election we can only look at this country with despair.

In the end, I can never get my head around the notion that Brits desire a weakened US. But I am older and remember what I hope are different times. BO will never lift a hand to help the UK. He does enjoy Cameron kissing his a$$, however.

Perhaps the UK will be fine. I do hope we will never revisit hard days.

Cameron plans to campaign for staying in, and is confident of victory. The idea of an exit, he thinks, would panic business.

And he’s probably right — businesses evidently would panic, as UK business leaders have just indicated in an open letter

The UK could immediately transition to EEA membership, giving it access to the same markets and allowing it to negotiate trade agreements on its own terms rather than being represented as 1-in-27.

The EU does not close its markets to EEA member Norway.

This talking point is a huge McGuffin which Cameron hopes to use to scare UK voters into staying in.

American economic interests are not served by European failure. The global economies are chained together and failure in Europe harms the US just as it would with any other major trading partner.

lexhamfox on January 10, 2013 at 1:25 PM

.
Poppycock !

Our debt exposure to the socialists is minimal- infinitesimal compared to what havoc our fine politicians are wreaking on our own country.

We run an $80-$100 Billion annual trade Deficits with the Eurps, and while that will mean higher prices (inflation)for us – its worse for them, as our exports are more competitive. Our currency valuation goes up, but contrary to actions of DC- thats a good thing.

Germany hardest Hit….France is in decline.
But remember, Asia will be taking over…….with or without a Euro (crisis) Union.

I am, however, dismayed (and disgusted) with the apparent support Brits gave to BO – the most unqualified person to ever be elected to the presidency…the most far left…. and of all previous presidents – the only one who absolutely hates this country.

Cody1991 on January 10, 2013 at 2:08 PM

I feel your pain and I was disgusted too and the outright support for Obama coming from Britain. However we were not the ones who voted for him.

“Colonial” guilt maybe. . .

Axe on January 10, 2013 at 2:15 PM

Same thing to my mind, and certainly with my Brit relatives. There’s also the class issues involved that run deep…. a leftist’s dream situation.

My ties run deep with the UK. The self-subjugation and denial of worth and achievement I’ve seen is beyond sad. It’s sickening.

Cody1991 on January 10, 2013 at 2:08 PM

“Colonial” guilt maybe. . .

Oh and Obama should shove off, what the heck is he doing telling us what to do when he can’t even solve his own problems?

Sheya on January 10, 2013 at 1:59 PM

Well, I couldn’t agree more with that statement. I am, however, dismayed (and disgusted) with the apparent support Brits gave to BO – the most unqualified person to ever be elected to the presidency…the most far left…. and of all previous presidents – the only one who absolutely hates this country.

My own assessment is that Brits need to stop with the guilt – white guilt. Enough with the endless self-flagellation. And stop piling on the US. We have paid the price.

I’d really like to see the day (although I won’t live to see it) when Brits regain some self-respect.

Europe is destroying business, all those crazy regulations and costing business a fortune. By the time you finish setting up your business to meet those crazy standards and regulations you have no more money left to actually trade.

Everywhere you go in Britain you;ll bump into a notice stating that “Due to EEC regulation XYZ we can/cannot do this or that or the other”

What all those politicians don’t tell you is that the majority of brits want out.

Oh and Obama should shove off, what the heck is he doing telling us what to do when he can’t even solve his own problems?