Re: Britain/US split?

[Mark Jones <jones118@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 20/08/2001 12:24, Michael Keaney wrote:
> Penners
>
> Way back on 25 May, Mark Jones wrote:
>
> "Norman Tebbit seems to think, along with Margaret Thatcher, that
> political
>       salvation for the Tories lies in strengthening the 'Special
> Relationship',
>       and prioritising Britain's US connection over Brtiain's
> relationship with
>       Europe. But since it is the US itself which is pushing Britain
> further into
>       Europe, it's hard to see why Tebbit etc should be so stupid;
> no-one in
>       Washington, even among the Bush camp, is supporting the Thatcher
> anti-EU
>       line, are they?

This is what I said and you rightly but politely disagreed: the loony toons
in the lower depths of the Bush regime are indeed pushing for things like
Britain in Nafta and less involvement in the Eurozone. But this is surely
just one symptomatic part of the ongoing psychodrama of US national
retrenchment and isolationism. It was always (in less neurotic times) the
American consensus that Britain should be well inside the Euro gates, like
any proper Trojan horse ought. Pulling the British satrapy out of Europe
seems an awesome change of strategic direction, one with momentous
implications.

I see that Foreign Sec Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon or 'Buff' Hoon as the
Defence Sec is known in the corridors of power, are starting to talk-up
Star Wars 2. I'd like to see you unravel the twisted entrails of *that*
sub-plot.

I'm sure you/the Eye is also right about the deliberate unhorsing of
Michael Portillo. The Guardian was active in this, which may or may not
confirm the thesis that the editors reside on the South Bank and not in
Clerkenwell.

Mark Jones