I'm not picking on minor points - you are asserting that the English are reviled in Europe - they aren't. You say, 'it's a plain fact'; it isn't. I have never been reviled/ abused/ had a go at because I am a Brit, let alone because I am English. Neither has my husband or my ds.
You didn't make your comment about how Europe sees the UK at all, you said the English, not the UK. It is not true that the Europeans differentiate between the Brits; they would never get any business done if they did. I also fail to see how you can possible speak for the entire continent of Europe, as there are so many differing countries there.
As to HM Forces in Afghanistan; they are not all soldiers, and this is not picky. There are members of all three services out there, and just as the Army as not sailors, the RN and RAF are NOT soldiers. It is correct to talk about HM Forces, or the UK/Brit military. It is factually incorrect to refer to them all as soldiers.
You also say that most of the Welsh and Scottish can't stand the English...again, I haven't noticed, many of my friends are Welsh and Scottish, so you are generalising to the nth degree. Yes, the Scots and the Welsh have devolved government, but so do Flanders and Wallonia. In the end it is what the national parliament decides that is important, in European terms.
The only reason that the EU (as opposed to the whole continent of Europe) has a problem with the Brits is that we now have a slightly more Eurosceptic PM, we don't roll over to have our tummies tickled when Barrosso and van Rompuy click their fingers.
I think that balancing the various diplomatic topics for PMs and Presidents must be a nightmare frankly; as well as satisfying your domestic voters.
I'm not after a fight - but I do get really irritated with you throwing out generalisations about things when you do not back it up with evidence, and when you fail to take into account the other factors in play that go on behind the scenes.
You can be as indignant as you like about the fact that the US soldier isn't being turned over to the Afghan justice system; it won't change the fact that he is there under a SOFA, and US military law. You said you were open to all views, evidently not.
Bejeezus, I do not always whole heartedly support UK military action; I had my doubts about Libya; however I do support those sent to fight as my db has been and will deployed again to Afghanistan.
I am not your child incidentally, and I doubt you are old enough to be my Mum, so stop the tone at the end. It does you no favours.