What about Great Britain?

Submitted by Squire Tom (United Kingdom), May 20, 2007 at 08:03

While the Europeans can be seen as weak, let us not forget that Roosevelt pushed Britain and France into taking a tougher stance on Germany prior to WW2. The war bankrupted Europe but brought America off the brink of economic ruin. Its funny how the USSR did not have to pay back the lend lease scheme post 1945, and even recieved additional economic support up to 1950, and that Europe and the UK struggled with crippling debts and high interest rates, so high that the UK has only finished paying them off this year. Perhaps European weakness is America's own doing, intentional or not.

Let us not also forget that the US has not won a single independent war since 1945 and arrived late in WW1 and 2. The USA should stop acting as if they won the World Wars independently. The UK plays an important role in all US military action around the globe, and the UK supplies the second largest amount of military forces to NATO and is the largest military power in Europe. UK military forces are widely regarded as the best fighting force on the planet and are capable of fighting independently and winning, e.g the Falklands war of 1982. Europe's failure to deal with the Balkans is not a chance for the Americans to scoff, it was the UK and Prime Minister Tony Blair that pushed President Bill Clinton to authorise more ecffective air strikes and patrols in the area, and to promise to committ military ground forces to deal with the crisis.

The UK also has the worlds fastest growing economy and has vital links with the British Commonwealth, and acts as a mediator between the USA and th EU. The UK is also responsible for the majority of military technology; radar, sonar, EMP, aircraft carriers, battleships, destroyers, trimarans, tanks and development of the nuclear bomb along with the USA.

The UK - US relationship is a force for good in the world, and Europe should be proud that there has not been a single military conflict since 1945. Europe has successfully integrated an agressive Germany into modern society and is a dominant cultural and economic power. The US should not see Europe as a burden, and should look at Great Britain as an equal partner.

Great Britain has the skill, experience and ability to be a major world power and should rightly be called a Great Power.

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