Back in November 2008 we along with many others thought that the election of Barack Obama would bring a new era to US politics. From a British perspective Obama’s plans to so something about the appalling health care system in the USA seemed to herald a new dawn for America’s poor, elderly, disabled and chronically sick who cannot afford the private health insurance necessary.
From a foreign policy viewpoint however we were not prepared for Obama’s clear hostility towards the U.K. This has been demonstrated on numerous occasions When Gordon Brown met Obama a year ago, Obama said, “There’s nothing special about Britain. You’re just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn’t expect special treatment.”
Obama and his administration has refused to recognize the contribution that the Britain has made in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s CLEARLY an insulting signal sent to the Britain who was the ONLY ally to send significant numbers of troops to support US efforts.
Britain loaned the US a bust of Winston Churchill in the aftermath of 9/11 as a token of solidarity and support. Obama had it shipped back without telling the Foreign Office it was coming.
Then on 2nd March, 2010, responding to a request from Argentina’s President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for “friendly mediation” between Britain and Argentina, Mrs Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said she agreed that talks were a sensible way forward and offered “to encourage both countries to sit down” and that “British Sovereignty [of the Falkland Islands] was not cast in stone.”
Her intervention defied this country’s longstanding position that there should be no negotiations unless the islands’ 3,000 inhabitants asked for them. It was hailed in Buenos Aires as a major diplomatic victory, but condemned in the Falklands. In the Falklands, reaction to the meeting ranged from dismay to fury. “It’s outrageous after all the support we have given the United States,” said Hattie Kilmartin, a sheepfarmer’s wife. “They are not looking at the people who are actually living here and what they want, and it’s crazy that they are even contemplating going against us.”
Then of course there was BP.
Thus it is with some satisfaction the British Gazette views the pounding the Democrat party is going to receive from U.S. voters today. The Republican party however has a daunting task ahead of it. Below is a “debt clock” showing the U.S. National Debt.
us debt.
There may be readers who may say, so what? It is the U.S. debt not ours. The simple fact of the matter however is this. The health of the US economy to a very great extent determines the health of the British economy.
I saw the euphoria in the Caribbean in response to the election of a black president. It was, in my view, shamelessly racist and put totally unrealistic expectations on Obama. The sentiment seemed to me to be….”we now have a black guy running the world so you white guys better look out”……I was very shocked and felt a slight apprehension due to the colour of my skin.
The worst aspect of this was at the same time the best aspect…..yes, I did feel slightly threatened because of my race, bad.
It made me realise just how it can feel if you believe that belong to an oppressed race….good.
I now see a sense of disappointment in these same people.
I also make an extra special effort to be non racist in my words and actions.