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Obama, concern for the UK or US?

368 replies

ProfessorPreciseaBug · 23/04/2016 08:15

Listening to Obama, I was struck that his language seemed to be about what is good for the US not what is good for the UK. Certainly the former US treasury secretary interviewed on the Today program was very US centric.

His comment about us going to the back of the queue, (and he did say queue instead of line because he was told to) seemed to be a bit of a threat. Is he out of order?

OP posts:
SouthWestmom · 23/04/2016 08:17

I didn't love it . Dh said it was like Love Actually while we watched it. Cameron just looked really excited about meeting him and being his friend which was

0phelia · 23/04/2016 08:59

Obama doesn't give a shit about what's best for the UK. He speaks for what's best for the USA.
The USA influences the EU via it's stranglehold (special relationship) with the UK. If we leave, the USA loses that direct route of influence over the EU and they do naat like that.

TTIP might need to be all reorganised, it's America's big Corpa who are worried, not us.

ajandjjmum · 23/04/2016 09:02

He wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't pushing for what is best for the US.

I suspect the US President telling us what to do will alienate some Brits.

workshyfop · 23/04/2016 09:17

Certainly incensed me. How dare he try to frighten us into voting a particular way. He has no interest in what's best for the British people, only for US corporations as 0phelia says.

lljkk · 23/04/2016 09:28

Is there a way Obama could present the US perspective without it sounding unpleasant, when it fundamentally is a negative assessment how do you spin it as neutral or positive? If it sounds scary, then maybe it's a bad idea.

Up to the Brexiters to sell us on how wonderful leaving will be. Why can't they manage to do that?

AlpacaLypse · 23/04/2016 09:33

Of course it's Obama's job to express the view of the current US government. This is the government that wants to get TTIP signed.

One very good reason to vote Brexit is so that UK can't be forced to agree to TTIP just because a few unelected Brussels bureaucrats manage to bribe enough of the smaller European states into agreeing to it and swamp the vote.

purits · 23/04/2016 09:37

His message was the same as the EU's message: stay in Europe if you know what's good for you, otherwise we will shit all over you.
As the saying goes, with friends like that, who needs enemies.Hmm

PS Has anyone told Barack that he is out of a job soon so his message, personally, means diddly squat. Have Donald and Hillary said anything? - I can imagine what Donald has said, it probably involves building walls.

PrettyBrightFireflies · 23/04/2016 09:41

How dare he try to frighten us into voting a particular way

Isn't he just spelling out potential consequences?
If the possible consequences frighten you, then they should be taken into account when you vote.

RortyCrankle · 23/04/2016 09:42

Of course it's concern for the US, he couldn't give a damn about this country. I will ignore.

purits · 23/04/2016 09:48

Isn't he just spelling out potential consequences?

But why is that the consequence. Shouldn't our best buddies be saying that they will support us, no matter what the EU does to us. You now, like we did for Poland at the start of WWII.
He is saying, loud and clear, that there is no 'special relationship'.

VertigoNun · 23/04/2016 09:50

He is interested in his career once he is no longer President.

MyBeloved · 23/04/2016 09:59

Obama can kiss my lily white arse. Sorry nut I was actually shouting at the radio whilst listening to him patronising us all. How dare he try to threaten us in that way? So it's such a special relationship that he'd stop trading with us if we leave the eu and ant trade agreement that might be formed would have to wait as we would be back of the queue huh? Oh please? I don't believe a damn word that comes out of his mealy mouth.

Mistigri · 23/04/2016 10:03

Obama is the US president. That means it's his job to represent US interests.

As he rightly said, if the leave camp believe that leaving the EU will enable the UK to negotiate better trade agreements with other trade partners (like the US), then surely they should be interested in the views of those trade partners. No?

Mistigri · 23/04/2016 10:06

And it's difficult to see how, in the event of a Brexit and a change of leadership in June, there could be any "special relationship" between a black president and prime minister Johnson, who thinks that being black makes you anti-British.

0phelia · 23/04/2016 11:50

Prime minister Johnson Grin Oh God help us all.

claig · 23/04/2016 12:17

I don't blame Obama and he was not out of order. Don't forget he was probably being begged to help out Cameron by a retinue of wonks and flunkies paid for by the British public and I wouldn't be surprised if what Obama said has their fingerprints all over it.

"Have Donald and Hillary said anything? - I can imagine what Donald has said, it probably involves building walls."

This is what he said.

"Donald Trump on Brexit: 'I believe Britain may leave the EU'

Republican presidential front-runner weighs in on Brexit saying the UK is "having a lot of problems"

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/donald-trump/12200615/After-tomorrow-Donald-Trump-could-be-unstoppable.html

claig · 23/04/2016 12:24

"Speaking in Washington Mr Trump said: "I think they (Britain) may leave the EU, yes, they're having a lot of problems.

"I don't want to make a comment about the UK leaving but I think they may leave based on - I'm there a lot, I have a lot of investments in the UK and I will tell you that I think they may leave based on everything I'm hearing."

claig · 23/04/2016 12:37

Of course, Obama's intervention will fail and follows on about what we were told about the Pope and how we should stay in to "prop up other countries"

"In a rare political intervention which is bound to anger Eurosceptic campaigners, one of the Vatican's top diplomats said the Holy See thinks Britain is "better in than out".

Wading into the EU referendum debate, the cleric said Francis wants Britain to stay in the 28-nation bloc so that it can prop up other countries and "make a stronger Europe".

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/636585/POPE-against-Brexit-Francis-wants-Britain-to-STAY-in-EU

All of this will fail to fool the people and you will know that the hour of victory is near when they resort to the last weapon in their arsenal, former Labour leader, Gordon Bennett. When they wheel him out onto a stage large enough for him to stomp and stride to and fro on, with a pre-scripted speech about endogenous EU growth, you'll know they have reached desperation and that we are going to win.

Pangurban1 · 23/04/2016 12:40

Well, he did have one point to address/clear up. Many people were saying what the US and others most likely WOULD do in terms of trade etc. Even though such conjecture is only surmising, it is dressed up as surety.

As Obama kinda said, it clears it up to hear it from the horses mouth. The US President speaking about the US perspective and how they would most likely deal with any issues. Back of the queue. I presume it is not a large a potential market as France and Germany together. Lots of HQ's in UK, but they are only offices and can move in the morning if needs be.

claig · 23/04/2016 12:43

Pangurban1, has somebody told Obama that he won't be in charge in under a year's time. Everything is about to change and "back of the queue" will be the EU as it begins to fall apart and as the next Republican President won't give two hoots about it any more.

Pangurban1 · 23/04/2016 12:53

Hold your horses, the US election hasn't been held yet. Hillary might be the next incumbent. Also, although regimes change, maybe some perspectives may remain constant if they are in the interests of that country.

Also, what about another Scottish referendum and all the fall out from that. It may be more than the EU falling apart.

claig · 23/04/2016 12:58

' Hillary might be the next incumbent. '

And pigs may fly! It's over for the EU and for its backers, I am afraid.

'maybe some perspectives may remain constant if they are in the interests of that country.'

Trump will scrap TTIp and TPP, he wants one-to-one trade deals that maintain US sovereignty. He is against NAFTA and all the other "world leader" trade deals. It is over for the whole cabal of cronies worldwide.

'Also, what about another Scottish referendum and all the fall out from that.'

Bring it on. This time they will get wiped out. The whole world is changing fundamentally before our eyes. Cameron will be gone soon after June 23rd and everything that was, no longer will be. We are watching history in the making.

Pangurban1 · 23/04/2016 13:09

But you don't know any of that. It is surmising. Gung ho surmising, but pure conjecture, nevertheless.

However, I don't see how Cameron could possibly stay if there was a Brexit.

claig · 23/04/2016 13:13

Everything about the future is conjecture. God knows what will happen. But we can make guesses from polls and by watching the desperation of the wonks with their scripted words like "back of the queue" which every sentient being knows is not true.

Bring on June 23rd and watch the panic and fallout afterwards as their whole house of cards collapses and as Cameron waves us all goodbye.

claig · 23/04/2016 13:21

The heroes of the hour will be Boris and Gove and there will be an almighty struggle between those two to be the next Prime Minister. Boris will be filmed with a cigar in his mouth, wearing a hat and holding up a copy of his Churchill biography, but Gove may compare him to insurance Churchill the dog.

Corbyn could have been a part of it, but for him "Cometh the Hour, Goeth the Man", he bottled it and threw his lot in with Hillary Benn and that shower once again. He has written himself out of history just as all those who backed the losing side will have done.