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Barack Obama's churlishness is unforgivableDavid HughesDavid Hughes is the Daily Telegraph's chief leader writer. He has been covering British politics for 30 years.The juxtaposition on our front page this morning is striking. We carry a photograph of Acting Sgt Michael Lockett - who was killed in Helmand on Monday - receiving the Military Cross from the Queen in June, 2008. He was the 217th British soldier to die in the Afghan conflict. Alongside the picture, we read that the Prime Minister was forced to dash through the kitchens of the UN in New York to secure a few minutes “face time†with President Obama after five requests for a sit-down meeting were rejected by the White House.What are we to make of this? This country has proved, through the bravery of men like Acting Sgt Lockett, America’s staunchest ally in Afghanistan. In return, the American President treats the British Prime Minister with casual contempt. The President’s graceless behaviour is unforgivable. As most members of the Cabinet would confirm, it’s not a barrel of laughs having to sit down for a chat with Gordon Brown. But that’s not the point. Mr Obama owes this country a great deal for its unflinching commitment to the American-led war in Afghanistan but seems incapable of acknowledging the fact. You might have thought that after the shambles of Mr Brown’s first visit to the Obama White House - when there was no joint press conference and the President’s “gift†to the Prime Minister was a boxed DVD set - lessons would have been learned. Apparently not. Admittedly, part of the problem was Downing Street’s over-anxiety to secure a face-to-face meeting for domestic political purposes but the White House should still have been more obliging. Mr Obama’s churlishness is fresh evidence that the US/UK special relationship is a one-way street.
“Obama’s churlishness is fresh evidence that the US/UK special relationship is a one-way street.â€.It has always been thus, except in the minds of British politicians determined to bathe in the reflected glamour and power of the American presidency..There’s every reason to believe that Obama in particular hates the British. He’s absolutely obsessed with race, as his autobiography, helpfully subtitled “A Story of Inheritance and Raceâ€, points out. Given that Obama grew up worshipping his deadbeat absentee Kenyan father, the fact that the British tortured his grandfather is unlikely to have escaped Obama’s attention.It was a rude way to treat an ally, David, but how much more humiliating was Brown’s obsequious behaviour in running through kitchens just to be by the side of his unrequited love? Why can’t we have a man for Prime Minister?Phil McG on Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I no longer care what Obama says. He’s completely unqualified to be president of the USA.AcePilot101 on Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
One way street? Do the terms World War I and World War II mean anything to you?davids on Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Should we really care what he thinks or does? Let’s concentrate on pressing matters at home - unemployment and homelessness should be enough to occupy a large part of the time of any Prime Minister.fastmacuk on Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Please!I think churlishness you’re seeing has more to do with Mr. Brown’s involvement in freeing a convicted terrorist killer than Obama hating Brits.I hope BP gets enough oil from new Libyan drilling leases to keep the queens subjects warm from Americas cold shoulder.djtempest on Sep 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Obama doesn’t impress me but if I had the chance to snub Brown I’d take it with both hands.Robert Eve on Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
The next three years will be frustrating for the sensible people with an historical understanding of the relationship between the US and UK. Obama is headed for single term ignominy and Brown the same…soon enough the nightmare will be over. Be patient.cdpierce on Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
If Obama hates Britain because of some possible torture of his grandfather than he is a truly stupid man. he actually comes across to me as someone who carefully thinks things through, and I think he has decided that Britain is of limited value to him and so will not make any especial effort. he gets a little more mileage from Germany and France, but not much. Overall I think Obama does not have much time for Europe because his geopolitical issues are far away from Europe and Europe has little influence over them.IN reality all that matters is our national interest, if its best served kow-towing to America then sod the insult; if its not, then stop running after them.At the moment we don’t know what our national interest is apart from this macho desire to ‘punch above our weight’. The Netherlands manages to get by nicely without punching anyone, so maybe there is a good example for us, or perhaps Norway.As for those suggesting this has to do with freeing the Libyan terrorist then that is ridiculous and suggestive of an American regime even more imbecilic than Bush’s.Neil on Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Well said. Of course, this is all part of the grand imperial technique an empire uses to keep the underlings in line. Like the campaign of contempt America waged against the French a few years ago, it creates a psychological dissonance that presumably the electorate and the snubbed leader’s successor will then be eager to see dissipated by toadying up to the empire even more, just as Sarkozy slobbered all over the Americans, committing France to NATO, after Chirac’s more distant approach.It will work as long as the electorate cares what the Americans think. And American-controlled media outlets like the Daily Telegraph will do their best to make them care, stoking up this feeling of psychological discomfort by constantly braying about the “Special Relationship at Risk!â€. It’s to your credit that you’ve taken a different line.If Brown had any spine, he would withdraw British troops from America’s various imperial wars. Of course, if he had had any spine, we’d never have been participating in them in the first place.torchlight on Sep 24th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
