Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Is anybody else outraged that this arse is in the UK despite his country facing one of the worst disasters in it's modern history?

This shows the complete disregard he has for his people and disgusts me no end.

Is this akin to U.S. President Obama golfing while metric tons of oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico?

Not really. Although it is a fairly ridiculous way to spend your time while pretending to deal with a crisis and blame others for not doing enough.

The Pakistani PM is, presumably, in Pakistan. The Pakistani President visited England, which is far less important given that his position is largely ceremonial.

dogma wrote:The Pakistani PM is, presumably, in Pakistan. The Pakistani President visited England, which is far less important given that his position is largely ceremonial.

Ooh...burned!

Yes the President in a nation with a Prime Minister is a super-ambassador, in fact asking for support abroad is in fact 'doing his job'.

The position of president in Pakistan has traditionally been one of a figurehead, with actual powers lying with the Prime Minister. Even if he were in Pakistan he wouldn't be doing anything important. Right now he's dealing with Obama calling Pakistan 'useless dirtbags' to their not so friendly neighbors, India. he would just do what every state figure head would do in a crisis, be a front for the cameras while people who are actually trained and experienced in dealing with the crisis do the work.

dogma wrote:The Pakistani PM is, presumably, in Pakistan. The Pakistani President visited England, which is far less important given that his position is largely ceremonial.

BluntmanDC wrote:Right now he's dealing with Obama calling Pakistan 'useless dirtbags' to their not so friendly neighbors, India.

Cant that git get anything right. Pakistan manages to provide a broadly pro-western nation state even with a large subversive minority in the north of the country, they do a lot better job than people give them credit.

It would be expecting Obama to keep the USA together happy and peaceful when most everyone in Texas and California wanted to blow people up at random (more than they usually do).

To be fair to Obama, our own prime minister started the name calling.

Obama didn't ACTUALLY call them 'useless dirtbags', surely?

I'm probably going to get mocked for believing that, but I would love it if it were true. I was on holiday when all that went down so I missed a fortnight of news.

I think this is an expression rather than an actual quote.

Obama hasn't called us 'worthless has beens' but his policy leaves little room for doubt that is what he thinks.

You're creating an emotional association for the fact that 3 policy choices have worked against GB?

Orlanth wrote:I think this is an expression rather than an actual quote.

Obama hasn't called us 'worthless has beens' but his policy leaves little room for doubt that is what he thinks.

To be fair, Cameron looks to be keen to revise the relationship between the UK and the USA a little, too. I support that.

The ultimate question is whether Britain will side with the US, or the EU.

The US without question, if it came down to a straight choice. Cameron's already begun to take steps to limit EU powers over British sovereignty, quite apart from the fact that he's a pretty ardent euroskeptic, as is his foreign secretary.
I think the revision of 'The Special Relationship' will take the form of Britain being far less craven in it's support of US policy at government level, and seeking partnerships with other countries, such as India. On a practical level, nothing much will change - the USA will continue to be the UK's biggest single investor and most important strategic partner. The UK is one of the USA's biggest investors, if not THE biggest, and is it's closest and arguably most powerful ally.

The only thing that will change is the perception of '51st state'-ism, something which characterised the Blair years. I anticipate a slight hardening of the rhetoric, but I think that's healthy. The UK's relationship to the US shouldn't be slavish.