I'm curious about the Brit reaction to O sticking his nose in Brit politics. (2015, home)
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Title says it all. From the pundits here ... our WH moslem was merely giving his opinion. Excuse me, when a head of state is on a state visit, there is no such thing as a personal opinion. Our POS should have exercised his 'right to remain silent' and did not. Yet again he embarrassed our nation abroad.
I've given my opinion, I'd like to hear yours.
El Nox
I was more upset when Obama was critical of Britain's response to Libya. Firstly I thought why criticise another country why you are in office and secondly if any country has laid down more lives and supported the US since 9/11 it is the UK.
Can't say I'm overly surprised. but then I really don't care what he (or more specifically his speech writers and advisers) say, he'll be out door in January building his library and going on the lucrative lecture circuit pontificating in his usual adroit "hear no evil, see no evil.... " manner.
If the UK is so insignificant, why should he worry what we decide?
Obama wants to make sure that TTIP - which is enormously beneficial to the US - goes through. Brexit might jeopardize that.
TTIP is a terrible deal for the EU, who seem hell bent on doing any kind of deal with the US. Far better for Britain to be out of the EU, and therefore TTIP, and have no trade deal, than to stay in and be shackled with a trade agreement that mainly benefits one side.
Obama can shove his opinions. He is a hypocrite. And the so called Special Relationship has been one way traffic for my entire lifetime. Britain has done vastly more for America in that time than they have done for us. We've done the heavy lifting in their crazy war in Iraq, did all the dangerous low level flying in Kuwait that US pilots weren't capable of, and we've hosted their missiles & troops for decades. What exactly has the US done for Britain in the last half century? I'm not sure I can think of anything at all.
Obama is a lame duck, who will be a distant memory by the time Article 50 expires and we're out of the EU.
Trade will continue between US & UK with or without a deal. There isn't one in place now, but that doesn't prevent trade from continuing.
To put it mildly, Buck Ofama.
It wasn’t what Obama said, as such. Even the EU doesn’t have a free trade deal with the US, and I doubt it will ever agree a proper one. The problem is the dismissive way in which Obama spoke about Britain: as a country that’s too small to be worth bothering with on its own. A country that might matter, as part of a massive block of the EU, but is too tiny for his ever-so-busy officials in the State Department to bother with. Many countries want a trade deal with America and the U.K. would not just in a queue but at the “back of the queue” in spite of being the USA’s no1 inward investor. Because it would be ‘hugely inefficient’ for the United States to open trade talks with Britain, due to the ‘heavy lift’ of such talks.
The heavy lift. An interesting phrase. In recent years, when America has come looking for allies to help with ‘heavy lifting’ in Iraq and Afghanistan, Britain was there. Most of Europe wasn’t. When diplomatic ‘heavy lifting’ needed to be done in Obama’s deal with Iran, Britain was there – backing him to the hilt, even though Iranians have been responsible for the deaths of British servicemen. The ‘heavy lifting’ that Britain has been doing for the US – in the name of liberty – has been as much, often more, than our shrinking military could bear. But we did it, because that’s what allies are for.
But, Obama now says, when it comes to the ‘heavy lifting’ of a telephone when it comes to trade talks, well – that would be too much of an ask. Don’t we know the State Department is busy? Yes, Britain may have answered when the White House called in its time of need.
But should we choose to leave the EU, and make our own way in the world by striking new alliances, we’d find ourselves relegated to the ‘back of the queue’. We’re told that Obama has been here to be a ‘candid friend’ and he has, today, certainly been candid. But is this really the language of a friend?
TTIP is a terrible deal for the EU, who seem hell bent on doing any kind of deal with the US. Far better for Britain to be out of the EU, and therefore TTIP, and have no trade deal, than to stay in and be shackled with a trade agreement that mainly benefits one side.
Obama can shove his opinions. He is a hypocrite. And the so called Special Relationship has been one way traffic for my entire lifetime.
To put it mildly, Buck Ofama.
I feel badly. President Obama is usually more diplomatic. I realize that many Brits are hoping that Obama will put some fear into people, but he may end up swaying the vote toward Brexit.
It's not his business, at the end of the day he is powerless in the vote, he certainly ISN'T the only foreign president or prime minister to stick his nose in though, not by a long shot. Personally all those that have stuck their noses in with 'threats' have made my mind up for me, I was unsure but now I'm voting out.
I feel badly. President Obama is usually more diplomatic. I realize that many Brits are hoping that Obama will put some fear into people, but he may end up swaying the vote toward Brexit.
One would hope that the British are not that stupid. Some foreign leader comes and tells you what he thinks you should do, so you just turn around liked an angry teenager and do the opposite.
I don't believe that kind of silliness has kept Britain in one piece all these centuries.
I feel badly. President Obama is usually more diplomatic. I realize that many Brits are hoping that Obama will put some fear into people, but he may end up swaying the vote toward Brexit.
It has been suggested that Obama said what he did at the behest of David Cameron.
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