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Well, the UK did actively help to fabricate evidence of wmd to justify the US's war of conquest to the UN&co. That must mean something.

 lord_blackfang wrote:
Well, the UK did actively help to fabricate evidence of wmd to justify the US's war of conquest to the UN&co. That must mean something.

There was also that "Zimmerman" note.

I’d say Canada since we’re so similar, and after reading the thread I’d have to say Australia too even if they’re half a world away.

I would say Canada but I do feel a special love for the Australians and a shared sense of kinship with the UK. Brothers, bros and cousins.

It would be nice to find out the percentage of counties count America as their best friend from the other countries because I'm guessing Australians and Brits have a very different opinion of the USA than the Americans do.

Seems to me like everyone wants to claim to be America's best friend.

I was the one in the other thread who said Britain was their best friend, but reading this thread it is obvious that it was really Canada.

 Da Boss wrote:
Seems to me like everyone wants to claim to be America's best friend.

I was the one in the other thread who said Britain was their best friend, but reading this thread it is obvious that it was really Canada.

That's not what the polls show.

 Cheesecat wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
None. Nation's don't have friends. They have interests.

I disagree, I feel the UK and Canada are culturally similar enough and benefit each other enough to have a friendly relationship.

And a shared monarch.
Canada has the French influence, but is in the Commonwealth. There are now some countries in there that weren't in the British Empire and joined later, but some, like Canada hung around for various reasons.

IIRC, the US left the Empire and went its own way, getting the Special Relationship during WWII. The UK being in debt to the US will influence lot of things.
Canada, Australia and NZ, amongst others, stayed fairly British, but forged their own deals alongside. Culturally, previously-Empire countries have a lot in common still. Australia seemed pretty-well Americanised when I was there 20 years ago. Probably to do with both being 'new' countries, and the US having done most of the 'growing-up' before Oz got to that stage.

Interesting that you see Canada as French, when it's not (and shouldn't be). Also, amusing no mention of India or, say, Rhodesia.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Interesting that you see Canada as French, when it's not (and shouldn't be). Also, amusing no mention of India or, say, Rhodesia.

Let me assure you, Canada has a large French influence. It's one of our two official languages, and the majority language in our second most populous province.

Canada has an outsized French minority, but it's not French.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Canada has an outsized French minority, but it's not French.

Nobody said we were?

To try and drag this back on topic, I would say France is America's best friend. America would still be a Commonwealth country if not for France's help.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Interesting that you see Canada as French, when it's not (and shouldn't be). Also, amusing no mention of India or, say, Rhodesia.

If that was to me, I don't see Canada as French at all. There seems to be a large French influence in some cities and areas, and it shows a lot more than in most other predominantly English-speaking countries. I do not know how Canada gets on with France, and may be quite isolated in that sense.
New Orleans and surroundings strikes me as being about the same, but that might just be the differences when compared with other US cities showing through.

India was implied as being a Commonwealth country. Lots of similar countries really kicked back when they went independent.

Being fed mostly British/BBC media, I don't see much of US/other relations, apart from with Russia.
France does look quite cosy though, and Germany not as much.
USA to North Korea, no, but South Korea much better. similar to Japan.
China, getting on better in the last couple of decades.

In general the USA has good relations with all liberal democracies, which would include practically all of Europe as well as Australia, Canada, and so on.

Of course that sadly is fading at the moment.

 feeder wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Canada has an outsized French minority, but it's not French.

Nobody said we were?

To try and drag this back on topic, I would say France is America's best friend. America would still be a Commonwealth country if not for France's help.

If you are going that route, gotta add Spain to the mix, they were in on it too, But from where I live English speaking countries are not really culturally relevant, more of the locals speak Spanish and we have much more Mexican influence. Despite the Tangerine in Chief, Mexico seems like family far more than Canada to me.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Interesting that you see Canada as French, when it's not (and shouldn't be). Also, amusing no mention of India or, say, Rhodesia.

Canada isn't exactly a very homogeneous culture, Quebec, New Brunswick, Metis, Acadian (similar to Cajun), etc all have strong French ties. The French influence is not the most dominant cultural influence (that would be the US) but it still a fairly large and significant one (France is probably

are third biggest cultural influence behind US and UK).

It’s the U.K. , our colonial brothers will one day realise thier mistake and rejoin the United Kingdom!

Now we have one of you in the royal family it’s only a matter of time before you come back into the fold of your loving monarch.

 Formosa wrote:
It’s the U.K. , our colonial brothers will one day realise thier mistake and rejoin the United Kingdom!

Now we have one of you in the royal family it’s only a matter of time before you come back into the fold of your loving monarch.

Provided the UK still exists by then and hasn't collapsed because of Brexit.

By the end of the Trump Administration, no one.

Before Trumps ill conceived wall and Obama's fast and the furious Mexico was our best friend.

 Formosa wrote:
It’s the U.K. , our colonial brothers will one day realise thier mistake and rejoin the United Kingdom!

Now we have one of you in the royal family it’s only a matter of time before you come back into the fold of your loving monarch.

Make the Duchess of Suffolk the Queen and the Duke as King,...will talk...

For now, I'll go with the UK.

Canada.....they are like our quirky little brother. We like them and all, good trade partner, but ally? I mean yeah they have a military...but its not really a full fledged thing.

Im amazed at the people that say France. Just no. Dont bring up we'd be a common wealth without them. The cheese eating surrender monkeys would be speaking German without us, or possibly Russian, but Russia doesnt beat Germany (and Russia is the country that really beat Germany) without lend lease from.....guess who?

We should have made friendly with Russia when Putin was actually interested in being friendly......but we kept that whole cold war mentality for too long......and you know promoting coops in Ukraine (Russia's "Canada") was kind of Russias last straw with playing nice with the USA. Realizing that the US and Eu were never going to give Russia a seat at the cool kids table....I mean I get why Putin just gave up.

Not a Trump fan at all, but I still dont understand why the US spends so much money on military bases in Europe. Get your own armies. We'd like to have free college and healthcare here, but you know we have to protect the world.....not really sure from whom...but yeah.

 Andrew1975 wrote:
Not a Trump fan at all, but I still don't understand why the US spends so much money on military bases in Europe. Get your own armies. We'd like to have free college and healthcare here, but you know we have to protect the world.....not really sure from whom...but yeah.

I'm guessing the US bases in Europe and such are for efficiency. If all of the US forces are based in the US, they're not much use if it takes a week to get anywhere. Navy fleets float around all over the place, but take forever to get where they're needed. Air fleets can only carry so much, and need somewhere to land if they're going to get set up.
Bases can be backfilled or reinforced as required, if they need to deploy. Being near the action saves a lot of time.
It is also a big boost to relations. Having a US base in Italy (I dunno, are there any?) means Italy (or whoever it is) can call on US help any time they need it. A neighbour wanting to move in has 2 countries it has to work against.
Having US troops deployed abroad is much more than military spending.

^^ That is exactly right.

Hence my questions a few pages ago about how the USA supplies its forces in Afghanistan. It does up through a network of worldwide bases.

The USA is the only global superpower, capable of sending and supporting forces anywhere in the world, thanks to bases in its many allies' territories.

 Andrew1975 wrote:
For now, I'll go with the UK.

Canada.....they are like our quirky little brother. We like them and all, good trade partner, but ally? I mean yeah they have a military...but its not really a full fledged thing.

Im amazed at the people that say France. Just no. Dont bring up we'd be a common wealth without them. The cheese eating surrender monkeys would be speaking German without us, or possibly Russian, but Russia doesnt beat Germany (and Russia is the country that really beat Germany) without lend lease from.....guess who?

We should have made friendly with Russia when Putin was actually interested in being friendly......but we kept that whole cold war mentality for too long......and you know promoting coops in Ukraine (Russia's "Canada") was kind of Russias last straw with playing nice with the USA. Realizing that the US and Eu were never going to give Russia a seat at the cool kids table....I mean I get why Putin just gave up.

Not a Trump fan at all, but I still dont understand why the US spends so much money on military bases in Europe. Get your own armies. We'd like to have free college and healthcare here, but you know we have to protect the world.....not really sure from whom...but yeah.

Just no.
I'd seriously recommend to read up on your independence war, without the french you would've been pretty boned.
Money was from the french a huge part of the budget of the continental army was paid that way.
Navy, you know the thing to severe the supply lines for the british and to break blockades of the british? Those things that were needed to win such a war?
Was French and spanish.
Yorktown, was only possible with the french...

 Skinnereal wrote:

 Andrew1975 wrote:
Not a Trump fan at all, but I still don't understand why the US spends so much money on military bases in Europe. Get your own armies. We'd like to have free college and healthcare here, but you know we have to protect the world.....not really sure from whom...but yeah.

I'm guessing the US bases in Europe and such are for efficiency. If all of the US forces are based in the US, they're not much use if it takes a week to get anywhere. Navy fleets float around all over the place, but take forever to get where they're needed. Air fleets can only carry so much, and need somewhere to land if they're going to get set up.
Bases can be backfilled or reinforced as required, if they need to deploy. Being near the action saves a lot of time.
It is also a big boost to relations. Having a US base in Italy (I dunno, are there any?) means Italy (or whoever it is) can call on US help any time they need it. A neighbour wanting to move in has 2 countries it has to work against.
Having US troops deployed abroad is much more than military spending.

And to add, the reason why the US is so wealthy is because of those armies in places like Europe and Japan, them enabling the US to build an international economic system to its own benefit. As has been said before in other threads by people, myself included, the reason the US doesn't have free education or healthcare is more down to how you manage your internal affairs/finances as opposed to any overseas troop deployments. The US isn't out there protecting the world out of altruism, its out there protecting its own hegemonic system.

Also I think Canada would be the obvious candidate considering all ties combined.

The US can cut its defense spending whenever it wants. No other country in the world has any say over it, and none has ever even commented on it. Unlike America commenting on others spending.

 Da Boss wrote:
The US can cut its defense spending whenever it wants. No other country in the world has any say over it, and none has ever even commented on it. Unlike America commenting on others spending.

The US roughly spends 1 to 2 procent more on its military than other NATO members, this percentage in no way explains the massive gap between the US and the European welfare states, which were built up when their military spending was percentually above what the US spends currently.

Plus the US defense budget dramatically increased due to Afghanistan and Iraq, it was lower before that and the money not spend on defense was still not pumped into building a social system. Its more political unwillingness than anything else.

Europe "not paying its fair share" somehow gets presented as the US having to make up for shortfalls, but nobody that doesn't live in a cave with no internet knows that is a remotely fair representation of the drivers behind the US defense budget.


Also we should do a poll of how many Canadians versus Brits we have on Dakka, seemingly the poll numbers fall in favor of the UK due to user numbers?

OK, how's that base in Turkey working out?

 Kilkrazy wrote:
^^ That is exactly right.

Hence my questions a few pages ago about how the USA supplies its forces in Afghanistan. It does up through a network of worldwide bases.

The USA is the only global superpower, capable of sending and supporting forces anywhere in the world, thanks to bases in its many allies' territories.

Many of which are now in danger of being closed if Trump keeps irritating our allies.