An Island, Lost At Sea

Obama is a Chinese; he has a Chinese brother-in-law, a Chinese sister-in-law, and now this:

http://forum.atimes.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6364

The changing demographics in the US are a reason why British music is no longer as popular.

In the eyes of the United States Britain can do no wrong. It is time we stopped giving them leeway in matters where they are dead wrong. When russia invaded Afganistan Reagan said it was wrong for any country to have colonies, but in the Falkland War Reagan declared neutrality which in effect was siding with England since we have a pact with all American countries to aid them iif they are attacked by an outside force. Going back in history we sided with England in the Boxer Rebellion, a war fought to England in control of the durg trade in China. Tell me that was morally right??? They are an ally, but they are not infallible.

I don't think america is the "bad guy" to be blamed for everything that is happening to the UK. Of course they are often responsible, but only because Britain and especially British people have offered themselves up to them. It is hardly surprising, in their position anyone would have helped themselves. Britain offered her gold, her defense, her economic structures, much of her media and especially her culture. They renounced on keeping a strong identity and disabled themselves to resist in any way.

When the Bush administration couldn't invade Iraq alone and needed allies in order to start a war that every analyst and specialist predicted would be disastrous, they just called 10 Downing Street to give them their orders. Why do you think Britain, which is far more experienced in the region and does not share the neo conservative ideology and aims, simply followed and yet never explained why? Because they did not have any choice.

It is not surprising, given the lack of choice, that in spite of the growing and almost completed americanisation of British society at every level, there is almost no debate in Britain about this unequal relationship with the US. But it is in bad taste that those who are most supporting of this dependency, right wing British conservatives, are also eurosceptics, who claim to defend Britain's sovereignty and independence, in relation to the EU, a body which Britain has far more potential influence over.

The americanisation taking place in Britain is unprecedented in europe. Yet Britons who seek to denounce it are accused (especially by eurosceptic conservatives) of being anti-american and even somehow un-British while they are actually the last ones to defend British culture and interests.

What a tragic waste.

When you say "Britain is obsessed with the Special Relationship", you mean "about 15 high ranking British diplomats and politicians are obsessed with the Special Relationship". In my 30-odd years as a Brit living in Britain, I've never participated in or even heard a single conversion about the "Special Relationship" amongst ordinary folk.

Why this tendency to refer to things like "Britain", America", "General Motors", "the West" as if they are living organisms, and the people in them cells that all behave and think in exactly the same way?

What makes anyone here think that Britain has any choice in the matter? As an englishman I can tell you that your country has "reverse colonised" mine.

Britain threw her lot in with America after WW2, calculating that the future was American and that thanks to sharing the English language, they would have a competitive advantage compared to all the other countries of the new Americanised world. But she underestimated the cultural power of America, and since then has seen her own cultural identity dwindle to the point that when you ask a British person today what their country, or britishness stands for, they can???t answer the question. They probably know American ???movies??? or music far better than their own and now that they don???t have much genuine home grown culture left, they try hard to think that American arts and even history are, in fact, theirs.

Formerly positive British values such as chivalry, fair play, standing up for the underdog, austerity, modesty, guile, pragmatism, even pessimism, are now derided and shunned in favour of a far more rationalist, and non European, materialistic approach to life: "if it aint got a price tag, it aint worth anything" ???always back a winner??? or "nice guys finish last" : exit the gentleman.

Politically, Britain has lost all semblance of independence from the US. This is because, as we saw with Iraq, Britain's military and intelligence services are highly dependent on America, and simply have no choice: our nuclear bomb won't work unless its owners at the pentagon say so, and even the British media is dominated by an American citizen: Rupert Murdoch, who does not hesitate to promote his American ideals, to the detriment of British and European ones, at every opportunity.

But the most important factor is culture. Walk down any British high street today and see whole families of bloated Brits spending their free time in rows of identical chain stores, imitating American vocabulary, listening to hip hop music, walking while eating junk food: this is a colonised land: militarily, economically but especially culturally occupied. When you manage to acculturate another society and shape its mentality your way, you don???t need armies, laws or multinational companies to rule this country, its people accept voluntarily your dominance because they can???t distinguish their own interests anymore from yours.

As hard as England tries to become American, it will always remain a sub American culture, so the only thing we could hope for in such a race is to be the best sub Americans, and beat the Puerto Ricans into second place.

I think of Great Britain as our cousins over the pond-They are us and we are them. What worries me now is the slow rise of nationalim...You are from America (United States in this case) so you think, do or don't do this...You are from Japan so you think this way...You are from Germany so you think this way...Fear that we in the West have lost our way is going to make the next few years very interesting...Remember, Hitler was voted into power...

Personally I would rather live in Britain. America is overrated so much about being the land of the free and the home of the brave. its not. America believes it is okay to kill unborn children, be in a homosexual relationship, and spend money faster than the line at a mens public restroom. America doesn't know when to stop going over the edge and just focus on their economy. Even though I am an american, I am ashamed to be associated with them. they are a fat obese people in many senses, physical and mentally. NO self control, and NO morals. and above all their haughty spirit of "we're the best".

Even though it apears the Brits on this site don't crae for America I believe the exact opposite is true on this side of the pond. This article is BS and doesn't take into account the cultural bond between the two countries. One of the only other countries that would get it's hands dirty to police the world. Sadly some one has to do this and U.S. might just get overwelmed and then where would the world be?

Other than the media not really focusing on it too much, lets face it Obama miay well be a globally important president, but hes got nothing on the likes of Paris Hilton or Robbie Williams <<cynical comment btw<< I would agree with what you say in general.
BUT one thing that is noticeable in any high street in the UK is Americanisation, from Pizza parlours to Coke machines its everywhere.
I don't blame America for that, that is now a global thing, but at least when you go to France you may find a traditional french Cafe near to a Macdonalds, whereas the UK has bought into 'being American' wholesale.
Except ... it hasn't, London has, lots of towns and cities have, but there is still a variety of cultures throughout the UK, mostly significant in the North, the West Country (Cornwall etc), Scotland and Wales which still retain Britishness, go there and ask the people what they think of America and they'll probably shrug.
What the media portrays and what is fact are 2 different things.
I personally love what I've seen of America, but it is a country of many identities, yet the parts of the UK that are all loved up with Americanisation tend to think of America and Americans as what they see in the movies.

To continue - http://www.islam-watch.org/Europe/Confronting-Islam-America-Last-Man-Standing.htm

"Why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel. First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.

This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines, Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan, Lebanon, and Aceh in Indonesia. Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.

The war against Israel is not a war against Israel. It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel, Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel, they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands, 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America???as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome, Athens and Jerusalem."

Guys, relax, you are tired too fast, most interesting chaps ahead -
Look at that - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08L09V0_sg,

Radical Islam is taking over Europe and West, mid ages Caliphate conquering the world -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocU5x_03MDM

British polititians do seem to be obsessed with the U.S. as do certain sections of the media. The people of Britain, however are not. We are an Island apart & would prefer to stay that way. If we must 'team up' with other nations our government should remember that we are part of the European community & look to the East for our special relationships.