tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post2619530824332781699..comments2024-01-03T05:18:54.650-05:00Comments on CDR Salamander: You can't vote "present" to history ....CDR Salamanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05981221786954902349noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-70974013856028810282010-03-08T08:00:54.000-05:002010-03-08T08:00:54.000-05:00http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic...<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/07/AR2010030702690.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/07/AR2010030702690.html</a><br /><br />An editorial on how our allies perceive POTUS or whether they view him as a friend.<br />"<br />No one named Gordon Brown. That's fairly remarkable: The relationship between the sitting British prime minister and U.S. president has been consistently close over the past 30 years. Think Reagan and Thatcher, Clinton and Blair, Bush and Blair. But Obama has been portrayed as dissing Brown ever since he presented him with a set of DVDs as a gift during their first meeting in Washington a year ago. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/sep/23/barack-obama-gordon-brown-talks" rel="nofollow">Last fall the British press reported that the White House had turned down five requests for Obama</a> to meet Brown one-on-one at the United Nations or the G-20 summit.<br />Finally, I was offered a name I didn't expect: Dmitry Medvedev." <br /><br />HmmmmLT Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-76304178040120179942010-03-03T21:38:11.000-05:002010-03-03T21:38:11.000-05:00The problem is actually Britain's - the limp n...The problem is actually Britain's - the limp numpty Brown simply has not got the balls to put the pressure on Obama: "back us over Argentina, or watch us walk away from AF in the same time frame as Canadians and the Dutch" - he would never dream of it, so we suffer the indignation. Of course Brown is the architect of the ruin of he Royal Navy, so he will be happy to have any excuse to hand over the islands without a scrap, as that would be greatly embarrasing to him ("but we bought lots of MRAPS for the army...."). Obama is in fact, as pointed out by many below, following the same political path on this as regimes from both parties that have preceeded him since the 80's.<br /><br />So in the end, the problem is ours, not the USA's.Jednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-49258957631053873712010-03-02T18:21:22.000-05:002010-03-02T18:21:22.000-05:00I guess here is our answer!
"Argentina celeb...I guess here is our answer!<br /><br />"Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece" rel="nofollow">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article7047309.ece</a>Redeye80noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-64670031255588996992010-03-01T19:22:30.000-05:002010-03-01T19:22:30.000-05:00This is not a hard call. The Brits are our friends...This is not a hard call. The Brits are our friends, so we get their backs. Period!<br /><br />America is a crappy friend and ally, and always has been. Its one of our national weaknesses - we're too ready to abandon our friends to expediency. Ask the homng.DGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-81504531825048101022010-03-01T18:13:41.000-05:002010-03-01T18:13:41.000-05:00STB, You are correct. Sometimes the fingers move ...STB, You are correct. Sometimes the fingers move faster than the brain. :)C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-85624171910157022542010-02-28T17:36:11.000-05:002010-02-28T17:36:11.000-05:00So it's oil, your point is?So it's oil, your point is?Old NFOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-6123516171045571282010-02-28T16:04:28.000-05:002010-02-28T16:04:28.000-05:00Does this President have an animosity towards the ...Does this President have an animosity towards the UK? Does this fit a pattern? From a STRATCOM POV, how is this act being received in the British press? <br /><br />I read the British press every day.<br /><br />Once again - pulling the Bush card does nothing but distract from the issue at hand.cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-12491979034944482082010-02-28T15:26:38.000-05:002010-02-28T15:26:38.000-05:00You missed my point entirely if you thought my com...You missed my point entirely if you thought my comment was a slam on G.W. Bush. He just happened to be President when the Argentines started this latest round and so was the proper point of comparison; if you like, Obama's State Dept. isn't saying anything different than did Clinton or Bush Sr. to the extent the issue came up for them.<br /><br />My point was that before accusing a President of some outrageous change in American policy, you might do well to actually check and see if it's a change at all. In the case of our neutrality on Falklands sovereignty, it isn't. I've called liberals on it when they attacked Bush policies that were really just continuities from Clinton and earlier, and I'll call conservatives on it when then mischaracterize Obama's policy.milprofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-48417016226402302822010-02-28T14:31:53.000-05:002010-02-28T14:31:53.000-05:00Byron - I was going to hit the "Like" bu...Byron - I was going to hit the "Like" button, but I am a card carrying member of the Sons of the Union Vets of the Civil War, so I'm looking for a "Half-Like" button.Andrewdbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-26396727038907034452010-02-28T14:18:38.000-05:002010-02-28T14:18:38.000-05:00So many in the U.K. & Europe thought Obama'...So many in the U.K. & Europe thought Obama's election would mark a second coming. Sadly, I think they've come to realize that he is more Judas than Jesus.Mary Alphanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-11174113756430701552010-02-28T13:40:43.000-05:002010-02-28T13:40:43.000-05:00Will you people ever get over Bush? Really -- tha...Will you people ever get over Bush? Really -- that is pathetic.cdrsalamandernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-91435014942026663372010-02-28T12:33:29.000-05:002010-02-28T12:33:29.000-05:00Prof,
Neither did they decide to verbalize such e...Prof,<br /><br />Neither did they decide to verbalize such equivocation publicly after the aforementioned diplomatic embarrassments, either. I am sure Britain was well aware of the US position and policy in 2006-7, without having the matter become yet another gaffe in our relationship with a close ally.UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-12723267428495627492010-02-28T12:13:56.000-05:002010-02-28T12:13:56.000-05:00I'd love to see any evidence of a different re...I'd love to see any evidence of a different reaction under Bush. The previous administration had plenty of opportunities in 2006-2008 as Argentina ramped up its rhetoric, issued some naval threats, raised the issue at the OAS, and loudly enlisted Hugo Chavez in the cause. After doing a bunch of Lexis searching I can't find any evidence that the Bush team ever uttered a peep in support of Britain on the issue.milprofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-86696272243137951942010-02-28T10:20:15.000-05:002010-02-28T10:20:15.000-05:00milprof,
Your assertion that the answer would hav...milprof,<br /><br />Your assertion that the answer would have been the same in the GW Bush administration is not so. <br /><br />The policy may have been identical, but the answer would not have been so tactless, brusque, and undiplomatic as this administration's. And it would not have come on the heels of such discourteous breaches of protocol and such deliberate slights of a long-faithful ally as the Obama administration has seen fit to perpetrate.UltimaRatioRegisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-23308734470996703592010-02-28T02:31:54.000-05:002010-02-28T02:31:54.000-05:00Fair enough. But that doesn't let Obama off th...Fair enough. But that doesn't let Obama off the hook. There's any number of ways Obama could have condemned Argentina's actions, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind which side we stand on, while not at all addressing the issue of sovreignity.<br /><br />Simply stating that Argentina's actions are "troubling" while not criticizing Britain would send a clear message to any tea-leaf readers.XBradTCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-36507785385959947162010-02-28T01:54:17.000-05:002010-02-28T01:54:17.000-05:00Spare the outrage, gentlemen, as there is NOTHING ...Spare the outrage, gentlemen, as there is NOTHING NEW in this position. The US Govt stance towards UK sovereignty over the Faulklands has long been one of recognition of de facto control but neutrality on the question of whether the UK or Argentina should have de jure ownership. That stance long predates the 1982 war, and it was in force from 1982 to 2008, and has continued uninterrupted under Obama. Had the same question been posed to the State Dept under the Bush Administration, you would have had the same answer.<br /><br />Since the Argentines commited unprovoked aggression in '82 it wasn't hard to square helping the British with maintaining neutrality on the ultimate legal question. Even then as noted below we tried hard not to take sides until shooting started, and even then some in the Reagan Admin wanted to back the Argentines over the British (e.g., Jeanne Kirkpatrick, UN Ambassador at the time).milprofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-36522432014908558022010-02-28T00:04:42.000-05:002010-02-28T00:04:42.000-05:00I thought it was FADM King?I thought it was FADM King?SCOTTtheBADGERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-45443977607713123362010-02-27T23:50:40.000-05:002010-02-27T23:50:40.000-05:00Um, Sim, if you haven't figured it out yet, th...Um, Sim, if you haven't figured it out yet, there's a LOT of us on this side of the pond who are as least as pissed off at Barry as you are. We remember who keeps faith. And we remember how to do so ourselves. We're just not represented in the White House just now, alas.Casey Tompkinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-2944462148852442022010-02-27T18:08:56.000-05:002010-02-27T18:08:56.000-05:00Old news. The US media has been reporting this si...Old news. The US media has been reporting this since the back and forth started.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-90906835805087710952010-02-27T18:07:21.000-05:002010-02-27T18:07:21.000-05:00MTH, Unfortunately the is no longer an ENGLAND in ...MTH, Unfortunately the is no longer an ENGLAND in the USN despite FADM Kidd's quote.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-76434771609851876952010-02-27T17:25:33.000-05:002010-02-27T17:25:33.000-05:00SJS, Sure was...although it was Op-60 back in my d...SJS, Sure was...although it was Op-60 back in my day.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-67476984349183331342010-02-27T15:24:48.000-05:002010-02-27T15:24:48.000-05:00Jay, Don't agree re: Hong Kong. The circumsta...Jay, Don't agree re: Hong Kong. The circumstances surrounding its being ceded to Great Britain were quite different. Am somewhat surprised that you are so dismissive about the concerns of the citizens of the Falkland Islands. To me their desires should be a prime consideration.<br /><br />The UK was facing financial problems back in '82 as well. At the time they were scaling back the Navy along the lines of a "White Paper" issued in the late '70s, and two of the ships that participated in the war had been sold to and were enroute Chile (with UKN crews) when the war started. The difference was that the Thatcher government decided to make a stand.<br /><br />Agree re: Sandy Woodward's book.C-dore 14noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-26227584753024797302010-02-27T13:02:29.000-05:002010-02-27T13:02:29.000-05:00Sim - probably not. There is a long history of mo...Sim - probably not. There is a long history of moonbattery at Foggy Bottom, and now it has top cover.Grumpy Old Hamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-15431451035577025422010-02-27T11:55:38.000-05:002010-02-27T11:55:38.000-05:00Byron-
I don't doubt that. However the UK, Au...Byron-<br /><br />I don't doubt that. However the UK, Australia and all the other members of the Commonwealth are proud nations. Continue spitting in their face and see where your '1000 ship navy' goes.Simnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704146.post-32428920322373926552010-02-27T11:35:31.000-05:002010-02-27T11:35:31.000-05:00There will always be an England...There will always be an England...MR T's Haircutnoreply@blogger.com