51st State

[jimmer]

The Election, The War on Terror, Neo-conservative politics and Friends. How close are we to becoming the 51 State of America and if so, what should we do about it?

 

jim

[undercovers]

PANIC

[bernardo]

(1) about two and a half thousand miles

(2) don't panic because it won't happen

WVNBIVDB

[mike1222]

I don't think it would ever happen, but if it did we should thank God that we are no longer ruled by the Europeans!

[bernardo]

As the UK is in Europe, we have, by definition, been ruled by Europeans for thousands of years.  I hope that we are not ever ruled by non-Europeans.  WVNBIVDB

[rod]

It`s to late

http://www.birminghamuk.com/blank.htm

[mike1222]

Bernardo,  methinks you are being a touch pedantic - you know very well what I mean by Europeans.  Perhaps if I had said Brussels it would have been clearer for you.

[bernardo]

mike1222: No, I am not being pedantic, and No, I do not "know very well" what you meant.  When you said "Europeans" I thought you meant "Europeans".

If you meant "The European Union" then you should bear in mind that it is the EU itself which is anti-European, because the EU wants to strangle and destroy the nations and peoples of Europe with regulation, dictatorship and tyranny instead of allowing the history and culture of thousands of years of European civilisation to flourish.  WVNBIVDB.

[archbishop]

jimmer don't you mean 47th state. There are only 46 states in the USA.

[bernardo]

archbishop - if you think that there are only 46, can you tell us please which are the 4 which you think do not exist?  GSTQ

[jimmer]

thank you all so much for your pithy and intelligent contributions. I now have all the relevant arguments regarding our relationship with the US. To be honest I have been a bit worried about our "special relationship" but with geniuses like you around I can sleep sound in the knowledge that whom ever we align ourselves with, our prospects will remain the same.

 

jim

[archbishop]

"GAB" Bernardo. You may think there are 50 states in the USA but as most of us know 4 of them are Commonwealths.

[FP]

Personally Jimmer,  I feel very angry about our so called alliance with the US.  I am not against American people at all.  However, I am British first and European second.  I do not feel any affinity with the US whatsoever and get very uptight when I see Bush and Blair together talking about our 'special friendship'.  My values are totally different from the values I perceive in the US.  I could go on for ever on this issue, and have stayed away until now.  I just sensed that you weren't getting a real response to your question.

[jimmer]

thank you fakeplastic. People often argue whether the UK should align itself with Europe or the US. The main difference is that European integration is democratic; we will get the chance to vote on further integration in a referendum and we can vote out our MEPs. Our relationship with the US is informal and is therefore difficult to democratise. They do, however, have a lot of  - i would say too much -  influence over UK policy decisions. What do we get in return?

 

jim

[FP]

I am not a political animal Jim and don't know enough to comment intelligently.  However, I don't think we get very much from the US at all, if anything.  We are very useful to them though so obviously they want to keep this so called 'special friendship'.  Very handy for them to have bases in Europe!!!  11 September (I refuse to call it 9/11) was so horrifying for them as they never had experienced any recent warfare in their own country.  I feel that we have been put directly in the firing line by Blair's wishes to be Bush's great mate. 

 

Once again, I reiterate that I have nothing against the American people, I just don't feel any more American than I do Indian, Russian or Chinese!

[mike1222]

Bernardo, I still think you were being pedantic over my use of the term "Europeans".  Of course we are, by definition, European - and, in my opinion, in theory we should govern ourselves. 

However, your point about the EU being anti-European and trying to strangle and destroy the nations and peoples of Europe...... etc. etc more than reflects my own opinion of our European Masters and reinforces my belief that we would be far better off under a new umbrella!!

Yes, I believe it was some sort of gremlin that caused my multiple answers - probably the "Government Spokesman" gremlin!!

[bernardo]

GAB archbishop - just because they are "Commonwealths" doesn't stop them from being "states" as well ;-)  GSTQ