The United Kingdom
England
Good news everybody! (well, it's only a committe comment but a step in the right direction anyway)
originalThe UK government needs to be "less deferential" towards the US and more willing to say no to Washington, a group of MPs have said.
The Commons Foreign Affairs committee also said it was wrong to speak of "the special relationship" with the US, as it was fostering other alliances.
However, the MPs did agree that the link between the countries was "profound and valuable".
The Foreign Office said the two nations share a "unique" bond.
The committee said the phrase "the special relationship" did not reflect the "modern" Anglo-American relationship.
It was originally coined more than 60 years ago by Winston Churchill.
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The committee said that the relationship was more associated now with the perceived support Britain gave to President George W Bush over the Iraq war. Over the longer-term, the UK is unlikely to be able to influence the US to the extent it has in the past
"The perception that the British government was a subservient 'poodle' to the US administration leading up to the period of the invasion of Iraq and its aftermath is widespread both among the British public and overseas," it said.
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"This perception, whatever its relation to reality, is deeply damaging to the reputation and interests of the UK."
Sir Winston had first coined the phrase during his famous "Iron Curtain" speech in March 1946.
He had been inspired by the countries' shared struggle against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
And throughout the Cold War, cultural and historical similarities, diplomatic consultation and defence and nuclear co-operation meant that Anglo-American relations were particularly close
bbc also posted a follow-up article;
I can't think of one durable gain this 'special relationship' had for britain, long before Iraq. There's quite a long list of times the US got its way to our detriment or 'used' Britain as it's 'poodle' though. The Naval treaty (mentioned in the article) and Suez being the two most obvious 'what friendship' moments. It was just BS thought up by Churchil (who had a romatic fetish about the 'english language' and its speakers, and American ancestors), as the US helped bail him out in WWII (the only real example of significant support)... although the end result of that was American & Soviet hegemony over the world, european defeat, and loss of Britain's status as world power & its empire (plus loads of debt). So much for that then. UK has been pretty much following the USA in all senses (not just a political poodle but culturally too), although to be fair the whole world has gone down that road to a certain extent....
This raises the possibility that the Iraq war will be seen as a moment after which that relationship took a real downturn.
Indeed, it is arguable that the "special relationship" of the second half of the 20th Century and since has been something of a departure from what at times has been an antagonistic one.
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It was not, of course, until the US entry into World War II that the "special relationship" really developed.
Churchill's view was too ambitious. US leadership during the Cold War was based on far more than friendship between English-speaking peoples - on Nato for a start.
Britain has declined from being the master, to being a rival, to being a partner and now to being perhaps simply useful.
I'm glad this is now coming to an end and there is the prospect of Britain having a regard to itself more as an independent entity again
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