Mr Smith goes to Washington was a classic, black and white movie from an era of relative innocence. These days were are much more cynical about politics and politicians. Whilst deep down most of us hope that somewhere amongst our leaders there is an idealist come realist working for the good of all we tend to know our dream will not be fulfilled.
Cynicism from voters with more than a dash of hypocrisy from politicians appears to be the 21st Century way. Perhaps it always was. But we have to keep hoping that we are wrong.
UK PM David Cameron and US President Obama are due to meet in Washington this week. Mr Obama has an election on the horizon, and so has one eye on November 2012. David Cameron is not in that precarious position but he is the leader of a government which is a Coalition. The UK coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives makes for a bumpy political ride.
At the top of this week's Washington agenda must be Afghanistan. That country lately lurches from one disaster to another, all too often due to NATO foreign troops. That does not mean that there is not fault on both sides. However as NATO are the occupying force it is easy to see why the West must lead by example.
Today, March 13, 2012, UK PM David Cameron, wife Samantha and Foreign Secretary William Hague will set off for Washington. Ahead of their visit to the US the Washington Post carried a jointly written statement by Mr Obama and Mr Cameron. It reads:
"Seven decades ago, as our forces began to turn the tide of World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill traveled to Washington to coordinate our joint efforts. Our victories on the battlefield proved “what can be achieved by British and Americans working together heart and hand,” he said. “In fact, one might almost feel that if they could keep it up, there is hardly anything they could not do, either in the field of war or in the not less tangled problems of peace.”
Keep it up we have — not only winning that war for our survival but also building the institutions that undergird international peace and security. The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share. But what makes our relationship special — a unique and essential asset — is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance. As leading world economies, we are coordinating closely with our G-8 and G-20 partners to put people back to work, sustain the global recovery, stand with our European friends as they resolve their debt crisis and curb the reckless financial practices that have cost our taxpayers dearly. We’re committed to expanding the trade and investment that support millions of jobs in our two countries.As the two largest contributors to the international mission in Afghanistan, we’re proud of the progress our troops have made in dismantling al-Qaeda, breaking the Taliban’s momentum and training Afghan forces. But as recent events underscore, this remains a difficult mission. We honor the profound sacrifices of our forces, and in their name we’ll carry on the mission.
Over the next few days, we will consult about preparations for the NATO summit in Chicago, where our alliance will determine the next phase of the transition that we agreed to in Lisbon. This includes shifting to a support role in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014 and ensuring that NATO maintains an enduring commitment so that Afghanistan is never again a haven for al-Qaeda to launch attacks against our citizens.As members of the international community, we have been united in imposing tough sanctions on the Iranian regime for failing to meet its international obligations. We believe there is time and space to pursue a diplomatic solution, and we are coordinating our diplomatic approach with China, France, Germany and Russia, our P5+1 partners. Meanwhile, as the United States imposes its strongest sanctions to date and the European Union prepares to impose an embargo on Iranian oil, the choice for Tehran will be sharpened — meet your international obligations or face the consequences.
As two nations that support the human rights and dignity of all people, we continue to stand with those brave citizens across the Middle East and North Africa who are demanding their universal rights. Having joined in the mission to protect the Libyan people last year, we support Libyan efforts to build democratic institutions and hold free and fair elections this year. We condemn the Syrian regime’s horrific violence against innocent civilians, and we are focused on the urgent humanitarian task of getting food and medicine to those in need. With our international partners, we’ll continue to tighten the noose around Bashar al-Assad and his cohorts, and we’ll work with the opposition and the United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to plan for the transition that will follow Assad’s departure from power.
As two of the world’s wealthiest nations, we embrace our responsibility as leaders in the development that enables people to live in dignity, health and prosperity. Even as we redouble our efforts to save lives in Somalia, we’re investing in agriculture to promote food security across the developing world. We’re working to improve maternal health and end preventable deaths of children. With a renewed commitment to the lifesaving work of theGlobal Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, we see the beginning of the end of the AIDS pandemic. Through our Open Government Partnership, we’re striving to make governments more transparent and accountable.
Finally, as two peoples who live free because of the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, we’re working together like never before to care for them when they come home. With new long-term collaborations to help our wounded warriors recover, assist in veterans’ transition back to civilian life and support military families, we recognize that our obligations to troops and veterans endure long after today’s battles end.
Our troops and citizens have long shown what can be achieved when British and Americans work together, heart and hand, and why this remains an essential relationship — to our nations and the world. So like generations before us, we’re going to keep it up. Because with confidence in our cause and faith in each other, we still believe that there is hardly anything we cannot do."
Opinion: A good read but is it any more than that? Do these two men believe in their rhetoric? This close bond was said to be disappearing but suddenly it is hot news again? You have to wonder why. We should not however simply belittle all of what is said. The problem is that the article appears to be looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. Through the glasses of politicians with their own agendas and spin doctors. As the UK struggles to financially survive how can we be such a wealthy country for example? If we are how come Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne want to cut, cut and cut again?.The only conclusion you can then draw is that there is wealth out there, but it depends on the governments spending priorities.
With the terrible recent events in Afghanistan, world economic woes, Israel, Iran, Syria and so much more to cause concern the meeting of these two leaders will not be easy. It has to be more than spin though or else what is the point. It should also be honest and open.
Those of us old enough to have heard of Neville Chamberlain, a UK Conservative PM resigned to history, know all to well that such meetings can be either fruitful or pointless. Chamberlain arrived back from Germany in 1938 full of hope, waving a piece of paper and saying,
"We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for two countries and for Europe. We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe."
"My good friends this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time."
As they say the rest is history.
Cynicism from voters with more than a dash of hypocrisy from politicians appears to be the 21st Century way. Perhaps it always was. But we have to keep hoping that we are wrong.
UK PM David Cameron and US President Obama are due to meet in Washington this week. Mr Obama has an election on the horizon, and so has one eye on November 2012. David Cameron is not in that precarious position but he is the leader of a government which is a Coalition. The UK coalition between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives makes for a bumpy political ride.
At the top of this week's Washington agenda must be Afghanistan. That country lately lurches from one disaster to another, all too often due to NATO foreign troops. That does not mean that there is not fault on both sides. However as NATO are the occupying force it is easy to see why the West must lead by example.
Today, March 13, 2012, UK PM David Cameron, wife Samantha and Foreign Secretary William Hague will set off for Washington. Ahead of their visit to the US the Washington Post carried a jointly written statement by Mr Obama and Mr Cameron. It reads:
"Seven decades ago, as our forces began to turn the tide of World War II, Prime Minister Winston Churchill traveled to Washington to coordinate our joint efforts. Our victories on the battlefield proved “what can be achieved by British and Americans working together heart and hand,” he said. “In fact, one might almost feel that if they could keep it up, there is hardly anything they could not do, either in the field of war or in the not less tangled problems of peace.”
Keep it up we have — not only winning that war for our survival but also building the institutions that undergird international peace and security. The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share. But what makes our relationship special — a unique and essential asset — is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance. As leading world economies, we are coordinating closely with our G-8 and G-20 partners to put people back to work, sustain the global recovery, stand with our European friends as they resolve their debt crisis and curb the reckless financial practices that have cost our taxpayers dearly. We’re committed to expanding the trade and investment that support millions of jobs in our two countries.As the two largest contributors to the international mission in Afghanistan, we’re proud of the progress our troops have made in dismantling al-Qaeda, breaking the Taliban’s momentum and training Afghan forces. But as recent events underscore, this remains a difficult mission. We honor the profound sacrifices of our forces, and in their name we’ll carry on the mission.
Over the next few days, we will consult about preparations for the NATO summit in Chicago, where our alliance will determine the next phase of the transition that we agreed to in Lisbon. This includes shifting to a support role in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014 and ensuring that NATO maintains an enduring commitment so that Afghanistan is never again a haven for al-Qaeda to launch attacks against our citizens.As members of the international community, we have been united in imposing tough sanctions on the Iranian regime for failing to meet its international obligations. We believe there is time and space to pursue a diplomatic solution, and we are coordinating our diplomatic approach with China, France, Germany and Russia, our P5+1 partners. Meanwhile, as the United States imposes its strongest sanctions to date and the European Union prepares to impose an embargo on Iranian oil, the choice for Tehran will be sharpened — meet your international obligations or face the consequences.
As two nations that support the human rights and dignity of all people, we continue to stand with those brave citizens across the Middle East and North Africa who are demanding their universal rights. Having joined in the mission to protect the Libyan people last year, we support Libyan efforts to build democratic institutions and hold free and fair elections this year. We condemn the Syrian regime’s horrific violence against innocent civilians, and we are focused on the urgent humanitarian task of getting food and medicine to those in need. With our international partners, we’ll continue to tighten the noose around Bashar al-Assad and his cohorts, and we’ll work with the opposition and the United Nations-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to plan for the transition that will follow Assad’s departure from power.
As two of the world’s wealthiest nations, we embrace our responsibility as leaders in the development that enables people to live in dignity, health and prosperity. Even as we redouble our efforts to save lives in Somalia, we’re investing in agriculture to promote food security across the developing world. We’re working to improve maternal health and end preventable deaths of children. With a renewed commitment to the lifesaving work of theGlobal Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, we see the beginning of the end of the AIDS pandemic. Through our Open Government Partnership, we’re striving to make governments more transparent and accountable.
Finally, as two peoples who live free because of the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, we’re working together like never before to care for them when they come home. With new long-term collaborations to help our wounded warriors recover, assist in veterans’ transition back to civilian life and support military families, we recognize that our obligations to troops and veterans endure long after today’s battles end.
Our troops and citizens have long shown what can be achieved when British and Americans work together, heart and hand, and why this remains an essential relationship — to our nations and the world. So like generations before us, we’re going to keep it up. Because with confidence in our cause and faith in each other, we still believe that there is hardly anything we cannot do."
Opinion: A good read but is it any more than that? Do these two men believe in their rhetoric? This close bond was said to be disappearing but suddenly it is hot news again? You have to wonder why. We should not however simply belittle all of what is said. The problem is that the article appears to be looking at the world through rose coloured glasses. Through the glasses of politicians with their own agendas and spin doctors. As the UK struggles to financially survive how can we be such a wealthy country for example? If we are how come Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne want to cut, cut and cut again?.The only conclusion you can then draw is that there is wealth out there, but it depends on the governments spending priorities.
With the terrible recent events in Afghanistan, world economic woes, Israel, Iran, Syria and so much more to cause concern the meeting of these two leaders will not be easy. It has to be more than spin though or else what is the point. It should also be honest and open.
Those of us old enough to have heard of Neville Chamberlain, a UK Conservative PM resigned to history, know all to well that such meetings can be either fruitful or pointless. Chamberlain arrived back from Germany in 1938 full of hope, waving a piece of paper and saying,
"We, the German Führer and Chancellor, and the British Prime Minister, have had a further meeting today and are agreed in recognizing that the question of Anglo-German relations is of the first importance for two countries and for Europe. We regard the agreement signed last night and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again. We are resolved that the method of consultation shall be the method adopted to deal with any other questions that may concern our two countries, and we are determined to continue our efforts to remove possible sources of difference, and thus to contribute to assure the peace of Europe."
"My good friends this is the second time in our history that there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honor. I believe it is peace in our time."
As they say the rest is history.
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