Barack Obama calls France America's strongest ally.

[ClearedHot]

Barack Obama calls France America's strongest ally.

Edited January 12, 2011 by ClearedHot

[Timbonez]

Maybe he was trying to be nice to the French. It's a pretty ridiculous comment anyway.

[Truman08]

[pawnman]

F-you, England!

[GrndPndr]

Inept.

FM

[Guest Scooby]

:shrug:

Praising a foreign leader while in their capital.

Pretty standard conduct.

[Steve Davies]

So, is the French Fries ban over?

[MKopack]

So, is the French Fries ban over?

I know he's the President, but at this point does anyone give a crêpe?

[GrndPndr]

So, is the French Fries ban over?

Keep calling them "chips," Steve!

Seriously, how important is this to folks in the UK (the one's that care)?

FM

[Steve Davies]

FM

The majority of the mainstream media here have not covered the 'story' (yet), so I don't think it's on most people's radar.

It does, though, have people in the military scratching their heads, as you would expect. Obama's administration does seem, from this side of the pond, to be doing a great job of flipping us the bird, not least of all because of ongoing operations in AFG and Iraq. Also, Obama's handling of increasing tensions between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands Islands has been noted. A couple of weeks ago the administration referred to the islands as the Malvinas (the Argentinean name for them, as is well known), and Clinton has in the recent past offered to 'mediate' the tensions, which allows one to draw the inference that there is something to discuss. Given that we went to war to get them back from Argentina - an effort helped immeasurably by Reagan's Administration - that's the sort of shit 'up with which we shall not put'.

These recent comments and actions appear to fly in the face on solid ongoing military relations between the two countries (RJ integration happening right now, for example) and, presumably, the closest intelligence sharing operation between America and any other nation - the very reason the UK-US special relationship began in the first place.

However, for those that do care, there appears to be a degree of pragmatism mixed in with the occasional bit of indignation! Pragmatism because, while our Conservative/LibDem coalition government does not care much for Obama or his Administration, the military ties appear to remain solid. But pragmatism most importantly because these sorts of political disagreements and shenanigans have happened in the past (Edward Heath's banning of SR-71 flights out of RAF Mildenhall, and furious Henry Kissinger's response ordering NSA and CIA to immediately cease all contacts with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6, springs to mind) and will almost certainly happen again in the future, but not to the extent that they cause irreparable damage.

[nsplayr]

I think while this particular quote was nothing out of the ordinary, it's one data point in a clear trend toward a less "special" relationship with the UK. The actual quote:

“We don’t have a stronger friend and stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy, and the French people.”

...is nothing but standard platitudes the way I read it. The article linked was written by a Brit with his panties clearly in a wad over the whole thing. However, the point is the same that perhaps our "special" relationship with the UK is changing.

I think a better discussion of this is in the latest issue of Armed Forces Journal.

Edited January 12, 2011 by nsplayr

[PapaJu]

FM

The majority of the mainstream media here have not covered the 'story' (yet), so I don't think it's on most people's radar.

It does, though, have people in the military scratching their heads, as you would expect. Obama's administration does seem, from this side of the pond, to be doing a great job of flipping us the bird, not least of all because of ongoing operations in AFG and Iraq. Also, Obama's handling of increasing tensions between the UK and Argentina over the Falklands Islands has been noted. A couple of weeks ago the administration referred to the islands as the Malvinas (the Argentinean name for them, as is well known), and Clinton has in the recent past offered to 'mediate' the tensions, which allows one to draw the inference that there is something to discuss. Given that we went to war to get them back from Argentina - an effort helped immeasurably by Reagan's Administration - that's the sort of shit 'up with which we shall not put'.

These recent comments and actions appear to fly in the face on solid ongoing military relations between the two countries (RJ integration happening right now, for example) and, presumably, the closest intelligence sharing operation between America and any other nation - the very reason the UK-US special relationship began in the first place.

However, for those that do care, there appears to be a degree of pragmatism mixed in with the occasional bit of indignation! Pragmatism because, while our Conservative/LibDem coalition government does not care much for Obama or his Administration, the military ties appear to remain solid. But pragmatism most importantly because these sorts of political disagreements and shenanigans have happened in the past (Edward Heath's banning of SR-71 flights out of RAF Mildenhall, and furious Henry Kissinger's response ordering NSA and CIA to immediately cease all contacts with GCHQ, MI5 and MI6, springs to mind) and will almost certainly happen again in the future, but not to the extent that they cause irreparable damage.

Great points--I think one would have to want to willfully undo the US/UK relationship in order to truly put it in jeopardy as there are just too many wheels turning for stuff like this to cause a problem. Even so, the author isn't terribly off base here, as much as they may just be trying to drum up a story. I can think of several instances where one government got pissed when a senior official from another government used poor word choice or was quoted out of context. These are just the things you have to deal with when everything you say is on record.

[HuggyU2]

Of course we are... they are an emerging muslim nation. Duh!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_France

[bfargin]

Frogs, I hate frogs. Those fags wouldn't even let us fly through their airspace on the way back to England to get home after Gulf War I.

[contraildash]

Frogs, I hate frogs. Those fags wouldn't even let us fly through their airspace on the way back to England to get home after Gulf War I.

You wouldn't want to anyways, it's a pain in the ass (no matter where you are going, they route you over Paris), their controllers pretty much blow, and the half dozen times I've been through there there's always some jacknuts blabbing to his buddy over guard.

They only upside: some of the gals controlling have that super sexy voice.

Another downside: I'm sure of few of those are dudes.

[Gas Man]

You wouldn't want to anyways, it's a pain in the ass (no matter where you are going, they route you over Paris), their controllers pretty much blow, and the half dozen times I've been through there there's always some jacknuts blabbing to his buddy over guard.

They only upside: some of the gals controlling have that super sexy voice.

Another downside: I'm sure of few of those are dudes.

And they are called "Breast Control". Giggity...

[Prozac]

My inner 14 year old always laughs when told to "Contact Breast". Giggidy.

[Bullet]

Perhaps President O. was referring to their body odor when he called them our strongest allies?

[PlanePhlyer]

Frogs, I hate frogs. Those fags wouldn't even let us fly through their airspace on the way back to England to get home after Gulf War I.

We can fly through their airspace. now, they just don't talk to you and gave you random a$$ fixes to navigate to.

[Guest]

He hates the Brits. They put his grampa in the klink.

[MKopack]

He hates the Brits. They put his grampa in the klink.

Mau Mau Rebellion?

Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-ooma-mau-mau

Papa-ooma-mau-mau...