Maybe we should be very glad that Obama is going after all?

[Jupiter2Mars]

.. and is being replaced with someone with a very different outlook.

This is what Obama said yesterday:

" And then, in Germany, I’ll visit with Chancellor Merkel, who’s probably been my closest international partner these past eight years. I’ll also signal our solidarity with our closest allies, and express our support for a strong, integrated, and united Europe. It’s essential to our national security and it's essential to global stability. And that’s why the Transatlantic Alliance and the NATO Alliance have endured for decades under Democratic and Republican administrations. "

Britain thinks that it is more important than it actually is Yes we think we're so big. Well we aint, alright?

No other country does this, only us!

Don't forget that England thinks it's the best in the world at football because we won the World Cup in 1966.

vanilla - I'm no historian but isn't the answer to do with the axis powers?
Honestly, you can get this sort of basic knowledge from a kids text book. Since you were talking about the US taking up long dated gilts, I thought you'd have the basics off pat.

Yes no other country thinks they're the best in the world. Japan, Italy, USA are all so humble. It's just us here in the UK. We ought to just stop this and tell ourselves as often as we can.

"We're an insignificant nation, must be more modest from now on"...

I feel sick to the stomach with Trumps views. I most of all hate that he is going to withdraw from Paris deal and burn burn burn coal. I feel fearful for my children's future.

Couldn't give a monkeys about Obama Merkel comment. Trumps environmental policies will impact on my life not who's Obama's favourite foreign leader.

the War is a dim and distant memory now as far as The US and Germany/EU relationship goes

as it should be. Most people in Germany were born after 1933. What do they have to do with the War?

As for Obama and the "special relationship" - well he doesn't like the UK very much because of certain things that went on in Kenya. Which is about as silly as going on about Germany and the war, given that most of us in the UK were born after the events in Kenya, too.

Anyway even if Reagan and Thatcher were friends, it didn't make the US cancel the UK's WW2 repayments. Gordon Brown finished paying those off during his premiership. There is no such thing as a special relationship between the UK and the US.

birds I don't think it's narrow minded to not have in depth knowledge of every countries political system. It is narrow minded to think that no one outside of Britain could ever have an interest in British politics.

But as that was perfectly clesr from my post I get the feeling you willfully misunderstood me

*clear

Of course it's as it should be myfavouritecolourispurple

Forgive and forget eh? God knows how, the bastards ....Basil Fawlty

vanilla - I'm no historian

applauds OP for finally admitting that she (OP) knows jack shit

Maybe it was because he was expecting protests in Greece, but then again maybe it was just because Merkel reflects Obama's politics and he knows she's very likely to lose the upcoming election.

Not sure where you got that from....sounds very much like Daily Fail wishful thinking! Merkel is doing really well in popularity ratings again and is almost guaranteed to remain chancellor. She hasn't formally announced wether she'll stand again but is expected to do so any day now and I honestly can't see any serious competition for her. Yes, there are many people who were and still aren't very happy with how she handled the refuge crisis. Then Brexit and Trump happened and many Germans where so disgusted with all the divisive, xenophobic and isolationist rhetoric that they would much prefer Merkel over anyone too right-wing.

So Obama shouldn't have mentioned Merkel? Would it have been ok if he had said that in his time has president he was most pleased with his special relationship with the UK?

protests in Greece - BBC Sunday night saying extra security etc for the trip on Monday. Then, as you will know, the extra security was indeed required as there were protests, that some sources called riots.
So, no not Daily Fail.

Oh dear, Jupiter, surely you must have realised that I was talking about the second part of your sentence re Merkel being likely to lose the upcoming election.
The riots where nothing out of the ordinary by the way, there are pretty much always some protests when a US president visits just about any country.

The new attitude to Syria "Russia can do what it likes, the situation in Syria has no impact on the USA" is mind-boggling, deeply depressing, and crass beyond belief.

Welcome to the new Selfish /NIMBY / You Can Sod Off Because You Are NIMBY World Order.

I read that in Athens on Tuesday, that as many as 7,000 rioters armed with wooden clubs, rocks, and Molotov cocktails with met by tear gas and stun grenades from 5,000 Greek riot police who had to block the way to the U.S. Embassy as they feared it would be torched!! Bit more than a protest..

Uk politics isn't that interesting to anyone else

When you lived in the UK for over a decade, have work collaborations, still have friends and still own property there, it is kind of interesting.
Just saying.

I thought the Irish had a special relationship with the US, after all our Prime Minister is guaranteed a meeting with the US President every St. Patrick's Day.
The only country with a guarantee of an invite to the White House every year apparently

waves to OP as she's gone a bit quiet

🙋🙌🙋🙌🙋🙌🙏🙈🙉🙊

Helllooooooo OP where are youuuu??????

Aren't you proud of Trump and the way he's forming his new government. Bless him, it's like an episode of The Apprentice

Sorry...I have been busy and only spent about 1 min on mumsnet yesterday.
So I haven't read all the replies.

Bundestag elections - have to take place in next 12 months- merkels cdu in alliance with csu has been slipping in the polls. Down when asylum seekers do something criminal, up for brexit then down again.
We all know polls can be way off (just ask Clinton) but they are all we've got to go on.

Vanilla - that last comment is based on nothing. It's as silly as it would be if I asked if you feel elated following Corbyns latest performance at PMQs!

Lewlj - sorry. I had it in my mind from other threads on education that you lived in the US. So, to re-set: what is your evidence that Cameron is right wing, rather than a moderate?

Cameron's government had it's socially liberal moments but I think the austerity program is a pretty big clue really, cutting support to the most vulnerable in the name of smaller government is generally seen as a right wing agenda. Of course in a US context the Cameron government would be seen as socialist, but then US politics is significantly further to the right of the UK and the rest of Europe.

I wondered if it would be austerity. The way I remember it, the 2010 election was about the huge debt the country was in, and the way it was increasing. And it was about immigration. I can't remember if it was about immigration before Gillian Duffy, but it was certainly a major theme afterwards.
I'd need to check back to reports of the time, but I thought all the main parties were putting forward manifestos that centred around tackling the debt / deficit?

I know that after the election, to differentiate themselves, the Labour party took a Keynsian view about what should be done, but were they saying this before the election too? Even then that would mean spending on big infra-structure projects, not increasing the social welfare budget.

Pretty much what nooks said.

Cameron may be on the left of most Tories but he's not really dead centre. His policies on spending cuts went to the right, and if anything he'd seem like very much towards the left to an US citizen, rather than to the right. :)

Sorry, nooka. Autocorrect.