to think the government should scale back their sucking up to the US

[auntpolly]

I mean, David Cameron has taken it to a whole new level, even Tony Blair would balk at this:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10719739

ffs, all that money spent on his education and they still fucked up his history lessons.
Cock.

I wouldn't say that was sucking up to the US. I would say it was showing how ignorant David is about history.

Do you think so Tee2072? I think that even if he had got the dates correct, the description of the UK as the junior partner would be offensive. I think some people will think David Cameron is belittling the war effort here.

I hadnt seen that!!!!!
what a bloody incompetent idiotic nincompoop Cameron is.

I think the problem with referring to us a the junior partner is that it suggests that, similar to Iraq, we were just there to show solidarity, along for the ride so to speak, providing some extra muscle while the americans told us what to do.

It utterly diminishes the fact we were fighting for the survival of our country for a lot longer than the americans fought. 67,000 UK civilians died during the war in the bombings, while 1,700 US civilians died. We were literally fighting for our lives. And to dismiss all of that as junior partners who somehow have less of a stake in it than the US is insulting.

Even if it's what he thinks, it's a massive PR own goal. What was he hoping to achieve?

It has nothing to do with the dates and everything to do with, as Lucky said, he obviously thought the US was in the lead for the whole war and the UK just came along to help.

Um, no. Not true!

And it totally diminishes what the UK troops did. Hell, what the whole country did during that time.

I've thought dear ole David was a bit of moron before. Now its confirmed.

God knows, it just makes him look like an enormous brown nose! It grates on most people that the states claim more glory than they should, yes they turned the war around but after years of fighting its hardly surprising the allies were running out of money/resources/young lives etc. To hear it come out of the prime minister's own mouth is a bit poor. And what about bletchley park and ultra!?

Sorry Tee2072, x posts, I'm even confusing myself now!

think the concessions re: Gary McKinnon would be in the form of serving prison time in the UK rather than the US after a period.

He should not have mentioned WWII at all, even if he had got the dates right so as to be after the US entered. At no point were they the senior partner in defeating Germany in WWII.

Incredibly ill-thought out.

What Cameron said is the view of a lot of Americans and that was the audience he was pitching to.

America's role in entering WW2 was supplying lots of money as at the time, we had almost run out.
So financially, he is correct, in all other ways, wrong.

Actually I am glad my grandparents aren't around to hear that statement because it is the hugest insult to an entire generation. It makes me livid.

America supplied arms at huge cost to the UK, the debt incurred to America for this was paid off in 2006.

Cameron is an idiot.

I don't understand why the UK attempts to be such a significant player in terms of global affairs.

We are a tiny island.

Let's act accordingly and conserve financial commitments to sort out problems at home.

But yanbu op

The UK does retain influence greater than its size, simply because of the commonwealth. Lots of countries are 'linked' to the UK via this. I suppose it is similar to the link the US feels to Ireland because lots of Irish people were the first settlers in the US. (I know it's not the same scenario, but is a historical link).

Cameron just makes my skin crawl. Can you imagine any other country's leader going abroad and doing down his own country in a "oh, you're more important than us, I will lick your boots on behalf of our nation, as that is all we are worthy to do" sort of way, and also finding a way to insult everyone from the UK who battled in the 2nd world war....he is a fool!

What a twonk (Cameron). Think we need to cool the 'special relationship' slightly. Glad to hear this morning that Kenny MacAskill has declined to visit the US to be grilled by a senate committee re release of Megrahi. Who the hell do these people think they are.

Yeah, couldn't believe those wanky yanks demanding our Justice Minister account for his actions to them!

"..that the UK was the junior partner."

What a terrible thing to say!!

Can we send George Galloway back over?