The UK and the USA.

Britain and America are two nations united in ideology and ancestry. We stand side by side and I'm sure neither will ever abandon the other but does America regard the relationship as equal? or will we forever be in the debt of financial aid after the Second World War?

Reply 1

AliciaJ703

2

Britain has already paid their debt in full to the US for loans attributed to WWII in 2007. :yep:

Reply 2

Psyk

16

I wouldn't say they're united in ideology and ancestry. Yes the USA started as British colonies, but the ancestry of the people there are from all over the place. Also quite different in ideology in many ways. For one thing having a monarchy is quite a big difference, definitely goes against the USA's ideological stance that all men are equal.

Reply 3

Idiot-Finder

13

No, we are seen as a good allie but not in the same league as the Labour government saw them.

Reply 4

Teh User

8

AliciaJ703

Britain has already paid their debt in full to the US for loans attributed to WWII in 2007. :yep:

I don't see that as fair. Germany had their reparations wiped off in the 1980s but we had to continue paying loans for winning the war, despite playing a key part in most technological advances in partnership. We should have owed nothing, or a small formality especially with lend lease working both ways.

Reply 5

Krakatoa

17

Well the US as the hegemon means our relationship will never be equal.
The UK happen to share alot of culture and ideology with the US,and tow their line,and get the rewards.

Reply 6

Krakatoa

17

Taste of Honey

America having that ideology is something I find hard to swallow, personally. I have nothing against America, but it far from promotes equality - it promotes Capitalism, the ability to surpass others in physical wealth, and the fact it's a very right-wing country does little to promote equality among its citizens.

Errr what have we been promoting then,if not capitalism?

Reply 7

gee_shakedown

12

I'd hardly suggest that we're united, or have a warm, fuzzy relationship. We went to war with the United States twice, and contemplated it a third time during the American Civil War.
As for ideology too, whilst we might have been more convergent in the 1980s during the New Right era of Thatcherism and Reaganism, we've since drifted apart. New Labour ostensibly had socialist credentials. We do support the Washington Consensus neo-liberal orthodoxy, but not as thoroughly as the USA.
We're not as important to the USA as we probably like to think, half the world are their bitches, we're a declining power with a dying economy, we're not exactly a big catch. I personally think further EU integration is preferable to this 'special relationship'

Reply 8

Oldernotwiser

I think that the UK should simply become the 51st state,a bit like Guam but in Eurpoe.

Why not? We are their missile launchpad in Europe, we are their spies,we house their spy bases,we are their lapdog. We should be given some advantages,like having the $ and being able to flow freely back and forth to the US,live and work there unfettered.

Reply 9

Leon Trotsky

3

Taste of Honey

America having that ideology is something I find hard to swallow, personally. I have nothing against America, but it far from promotes equality - it promotes Capitalism, the ability to surpass others in physical wealth, and the fact it's a very right-wing country does little to promote equality among its citizens.

I think that really varies from state to state, but there's no state that is like, really right-wing.

Reply 10

Plymeth

Teh User

I don't see that as fair. Germany had their reparations wiped off in the 1980s but we had to continue paying loans for winning the war, despite playing a key part in most technological advances in partnership. We should have owed nothing, or a small formality especially with lend lease working both ways.

We wanted to avoid another economic crisis in Germany like the one that allowed Hitler to rise when all the reparations where shoved onto the Germans.

Reply 11

Leon Trotsky

3

I want to take this opportunity to say that I love America! :smile:

Reply 12

Plymeth

Addzter

I think that really varies from state to state, but there's no state that is like, really right-wing.

Erm, Texas, Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi... >.>

Reply 13

samatkins

we see ourselves as having a 'special relationship' with the US, a feeling thats not really recipricated in the western half of the states (favouring japan, who also feel they have a 'special relationship' with the US).
when i was at the foreign office (best politics trip ever), i posed the question to members of the north america team and a man from the us embassy that the special relationship has 'damaged' the uk both in terms of trade with others and perception. they agreed that certain countries would prefer us not to be so close with america but said that america helped us with trade links (not sure how... can't really remember... i was focussed on the posh biscuits).
they stated that the uk acted as a go-between between the us and the eu, a role i think we are well suited for... we're not actually in europe but we're around it.
joint-operations between the us and the eu run smoother when we're involved, according to the man from the embassy (who looked like a movie villain.).
on a side note, before its mentioned, the yanks aren't supporting the argies over the falklands... clinton said she'd be willing to mediate over the issue (uk policy, at the time, was that there was no issue but has i don't know what the lib-con govt thinks)

Reply 14

Oldernotwiser

Taste of Honey

The UK is 'Capitalist' but not in the same sense as America is. We're far, far more liberal in the UK (just think about benefits, government university grants, free healthcare etc.). I've spoken to many Americans before that deem this practically Socialist.

That is so true. Your average American just does not do Socialism. Look at the hoo hahh they had over the health reforms.

Reply 15

Leon Trotsky

3

Plymeth

Erm, Texas, Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi... >.>

But you've got to remember, even though the rural parts of those states may be a bit 'right-wing' the cities, especially those in Texas are actually pretty liberal. Also, right-wing isn't really a great way to describe them. Deeply Republican is probably better lol

Reply 16

Krakatoa

17

Taste of Honey

The UK is 'Capitalist' but not in the same sense as America is. We're far, far more liberal in the UK (just think about benefits, government university grants, free healthcare etc.). I've spoken to many Americans before that deem this practically Socialist.

Well both are market driven capitalist states,no one will argue with that.
It's just the UK still has the legacy of the social democratic project,and the US is the far more economically liberal one of the two,in many areas where we still have a strong state influuence,something which is slowly being eroded here.
Many Americans also think Obama is a socialist,the political spectrum is pretty relative to different states.

No.

Addzter

I think that really varies from state to state, but there's no state that is like, really right-wing.

Lol. Even your Toriest Tory would be considered a bleeding-heart liberal in many respects in the US.

Reply 19

Plymeth

Addzter

Also, right-wing isn't really a great way to describe them.

Have you ever been to America?... :shifty:

You are right that we probably have the greatest diversity of the political spectrum out of any nation. The coasts are very liberal, the plains are moderate, and the south is very conservative. Plus as you stated, there are even discrepancies within those umbrellas (for instance upstate NY vs the city, northern/inland California vs the coast, and so on).

The UK and the USA.

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