Trump's remarks were so obviously preposterous that frankly, I am mildly surprised at the level of outrage - and I say that as a former soldier with 6 NI tours across the province in the 70s under his belt.
Which brings me to the NI Troubles Bill. The 'six points/protections' for veterans in the legislation are as much use as a lawyer in a gunfight. I bet that's why SASRA's lawyers are suing the government. And I bet Uncle Sam is right behind them - because their guys do vital work with our guys and they're appalled by what's going on. (You may know that a former CO of 22 SAS visited USA in November/December. Er, not as a tourist.)
The US Department of Defence recognises that Britain provides a useful chunk of what the Americans call Tier One Special Forces who are critical in the fight against terrorism, and therefore, a strategic asset for the West, as are HM armed services more generally. Every other member of NATO recognises this, too. So does the Five Eyes. In its courteous but colossal indifference, does the British government? Does it hell. Nor will it look like it until they junk this iniquitous vexatious lawfare which is nothing less than legal malpractice. With a difference. This time, it's being done BY THE GOVERNMENT as an act of appeasement – which means sacrificing vets. Otherwise, why bother with it?
To put it another way, who cares about dodgy lawyers playing at lawfare when the government is doing the same thing? And there was quite a lot of publicity last week about lawfare following ops in the Iraq war, and it is indeed still going on about SF ops in Afg.
Apologies for going somewhat off-topic but I think the NI Troubles bill will do far more harm to Britain’s armed Forces in terms of morale and recruitment than a few barmy words by Trump. In fact, the Troubles Bill must make the US wonder what the hell is going on in Britain.
Meanwhile it turns out Two Tier Keir was working very hard FOR FREE , to investigate and destroy those British veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq for so called war crimes. Oops.
From the origins of the ‘Special Relationship’ ( Churchill in 1940 ) to the political, strategic and military considerations in the immediate years following WW2, which kept its relevance alive; none really apply or are relevant to the US anymore. What is left seems to be operational institutionalised processes and sentimental nostalgia. The US has formally terminated most of the global institutions it has helped or conceived to create recently. It has even given notice to the United Nations. It is sort of in NATO but not in the way it once was or as it was conceived. Trump has done us a favour and spelt it out. Without needing any formal rupture with the US, the challenge is to build another set of arrangements which align with our geopolitical needs. Yes we need to get close to Europe. Personally l am more at ease in Europe when travelling there than the US ( outside of NY ) and live in France. The French at most levels align better with our politics, interests and culture than popular conception. That was not how l saw it when l visited our neighbours in 1982 but a long journey through experience told me if we were in serious trouble the guy in the trench with us would be more likely to be French, German, Dutch etc. There in it because we have much in common core interests and that includes much to lose. Carney spelt it out in Davos.
Trump also threw in the standard US claim that they won two world wars on their own and we’d all be speaking German without them - a guaranteed red rag to every European and Russian. But Americans never learn, do they.
Absolutely spot-on analysis here! The use of "livid" to describe that national wound really hits home. It's like Trump went and poked at something that was barly healed over. My uncle served in Helmand and seeing the casualities mount up for what felt like American foreign policy goals was rough on our whole famly. The harder truth tho is that maybe we needed this wake-up call to stop kidding ourselves bout where we actually stand.
Simply speaking, Brits are the wicked brain (Intelligence services/spy networks - colonial legacy) and the slush fund, and the U.S. is the brawn of the Global (Imperialist) Oligarchy.
CFR in the US and Chatham House in the UK. They are one and the same entity.
MI6 is part of "Five eyes".
Britain exerts influence through partial ownership of the FED. City of London is the headquarter of the global banking cartel. Besides, City of London basically runs all the main offshore funds.
AND It still runs Israel through the Pilgrim Society, Privy Council, RIAA, etc.
Interesting article, Mark.
Trump's remarks were so obviously preposterous that frankly, I am mildly surprised at the level of outrage - and I say that as a former soldier with 6 NI tours across the province in the 70s under his belt.
Which brings me to the NI Troubles Bill. The 'six points/protections' for veterans in the legislation are as much use as a lawyer in a gunfight. I bet that's why SASRA's lawyers are suing the government. And I bet Uncle Sam is right behind them - because their guys do vital work with our guys and they're appalled by what's going on. (You may know that a former CO of 22 SAS visited USA in November/December. Er, not as a tourist.)
The US Department of Defence recognises that Britain provides a useful chunk of what the Americans call Tier One Special Forces who are critical in the fight against terrorism, and therefore, a strategic asset for the West, as are HM armed services more generally. Every other member of NATO recognises this, too. So does the Five Eyes. In its courteous but colossal indifference, does the British government? Does it hell. Nor will it look like it until they junk this iniquitous vexatious lawfare which is nothing less than legal malpractice. With a difference. This time, it's being done BY THE GOVERNMENT as an act of appeasement – which means sacrificing vets. Otherwise, why bother with it?
To put it another way, who cares about dodgy lawyers playing at lawfare when the government is doing the same thing? And there was quite a lot of publicity last week about lawfare following ops in the Iraq war, and it is indeed still going on about SF ops in Afg.
Apologies for going somewhat off-topic but I think the NI Troubles bill will do far more harm to Britain’s armed Forces in terms of morale and recruitment than a few barmy words by Trump. In fact, the Troubles Bill must make the US wonder what the hell is going on in Britain.
Meanwhile it turns out Two Tier Keir was working very hard FOR FREE , to investigate and destroy those British veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq for so called war crimes. Oops.
From the origins of the ‘Special Relationship’ ( Churchill in 1940 ) to the political, strategic and military considerations in the immediate years following WW2, which kept its relevance alive; none really apply or are relevant to the US anymore. What is left seems to be operational institutionalised processes and sentimental nostalgia. The US has formally terminated most of the global institutions it has helped or conceived to create recently. It has even given notice to the United Nations. It is sort of in NATO but not in the way it once was or as it was conceived. Trump has done us a favour and spelt it out. Without needing any formal rupture with the US, the challenge is to build another set of arrangements which align with our geopolitical needs. Yes we need to get close to Europe. Personally l am more at ease in Europe when travelling there than the US ( outside of NY ) and live in France. The French at most levels align better with our politics, interests and culture than popular conception. That was not how l saw it when l visited our neighbours in 1982 but a long journey through experience told me if we were in serious trouble the guy in the trench with us would be more likely to be French, German, Dutch etc. There in it because we have much in common core interests and that includes much to lose. Carney spelt it out in Davos.
Have you read the book Changing the Guard by Simon Akam, it’s quite cruel about British delusions in the Middle East?
Trump also threw in the standard US claim that they won two world wars on their own and we’d all be speaking German without them - a guaranteed red rag to every European and Russian. But Americans never learn, do they.
Absolutely spot-on analysis here! The use of "livid" to describe that national wound really hits home. It's like Trump went and poked at something that was barly healed over. My uncle served in Helmand and seeing the casualities mount up for what felt like American foreign policy goals was rough on our whole famly. The harder truth tho is that maybe we needed this wake-up call to stop kidding ourselves bout where we actually stand.
In the Revolutionary war we employed Hessians, in today's day and age I suspect the US view us as Hessians.
The special relationship
The special relationship was the paving between brexit and Trump
British and US establishments are closely intertwined, they're basically one and the same
substack.com/@beeley/note/p-164625270
***
Simply speaking, Brits are the wicked brain (Intelligence services/spy networks - colonial legacy) and the slush fund, and the U.S. is the brawn of the Global (Imperialist) Oligarchy.
youtube.com/watch?v=KaooeJzsRU8
***
CFR in the US and Chatham House in the UK. They are one and the same entity.
MI6 is part of "Five eyes".
Britain exerts influence through partial ownership of the FED. City of London is the headquarter of the global banking cartel. Besides, City of London basically runs all the main offshore funds.
AND It still runs Israel through the Pilgrim Society, Privy Council, RIAA, etc.
For good and ill (mostly ill), Israel is influenced by:
• U.S. military aid
• domestic Israeli politics
• regional security dynamics
• diaspora politics (including fair amounts of grift and hasbara, plus intergenerational trauma)
Not British clubs or royal advisory bodies.
Or as Paul McCartney tends to say when someone inquires about his dalliances with groupies back in the sixties, “Come on!”
Them the money power they worked for brought them over here.