Comments on: British Foreign policy in an era of weakness http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/ Left-wing news, opinion and activism Wed, 23 May 2012 02:58:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gracchi http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6424 Gracchi Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:47:14 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6424 Conor, Lee I think you are right in that the role of British foreign policy will change. Personally I set less store on London as a financial centre and more on the vast immigrant populations say from South East Asia which mean that we have a cultural connection with the Indian subcontinent and hopefully an openness to it which will serve us well in the future. Aaron I agree about the Uk's imperial hangover- though its worth remembering at the moment we have one of the world's top ten armed forces in terms of spending. I don't think that will last and I think we need to be prepared for it. As to the correlation between economic growth and the growth of stability- I agree with you in part- I think in general say economic growth in India will fortify democracy there particularly with the expansion of education. In China I think its quite likely that we might see a Tocquevillian situation where the problem becomes the instability caused by temporary recession- amidst expectations of forever rising growth and there is a real issue as well with the Chinese regime using nationalism as a valve to release tension, whether its Taiwan or even Japan. Conor, Lee I think you are right in that the role of British foreign policy will change. Personally I set less store on London as a financial centre and more on the vast immigrant populations say from South East Asia which mean that we have a cultural connection with the Indian subcontinent and hopefully an openness to it which will serve us well in the future.

Aaron I agree about the Uk’s imperial hangover- though its worth remembering at the moment we have one of the world’s top ten armed forces in terms of spending. I don’t think that will last and I think we need to be prepared for it. As to the correlation between economic growth and the growth of stability- I agree with you in part- I think in general say economic growth in India will fortify democracy there particularly with the expansion of education. In China I think its quite likely that we might see a Tocquevillian situation where the problem becomes the instability caused by temporary recession- amidst expectations of forever rising growth and there is a real issue as well with the Chinese regime using nationalism as a valve to release tension, whether its Taiwan or even Japan.

]]> By: British self-interest dictates we should lose our ‘great power’ status « pixelisation http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6406 British self-interest dictates we should lose our ‘great power’ status « pixelisation Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:14:00 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6406 [...] Source. [...] [...] Source. [...]

]]> By: Lee Griffin http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6286 Lee Griffin Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:51:14 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6286 It's all about how secure you are in your own abilities I guess. I would love to see Britain become, as it is in some areas, the "wise old man" of the world. I think that the enhancement in safety and influence that such a status affords would far outweigh the loss of power. If we can become a country that is seen to have experienced a lot and learned along with it, this latter stage being what we really need to brush up on and achieve...as Aaron says getting our own houses in order...then while we wouldn't be able to assert influence through fear and force we'd be a much richer nation. There's certainly nothing wrong with being a country that simple gets on with it's own business impartially and objective to the situations in the outside world to my mind. It’s all about how secure you are in your own abilities I guess. I would love to see Britain become, as it is in some areas, the “wise old man” of the world. I think that the enhancement in safety and influence that such a status affords would far outweigh the loss of power. If we can become a country that is seen to have experienced a lot and learned along with it, this latter stage being what we really need to brush up on and achieve…as Aaron says getting our own houses in order…then while we wouldn’t be able to assert influence through fear and force we’d be a much richer nation.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with being a country that simple gets on with it’s own business impartially and objective to the situations in the outside world to my mind.

]]> By: Aaron Heath http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6278 Aaron Heath Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:55:34 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6278 <em>London also really is seen as a world class city</em> Only if you read its own press! <em>thanks to its financial services</em> Don't you mean the readiness of the Chinese Government to invest in Anglo-Saxon economies - chiefly London due to its relatively deregulated banking system - as they offered the best risk/reward ratio? I wonder, will the city-boys be crowing as loud in five years time? London also really is seen as a world class city

Only if you read its own press!

thanks to its financial services

Don’t you mean the readiness of the Chinese Government to invest in Anglo-Saxon economies – chiefly London due to its relatively deregulated banking system – as they offered the best risk/reward ratio?

I wonder, will the city-boys be crowing as loud in five years time?

]]> By: Mike Power http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6277 Mike Power Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:49:09 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6277 It is possible to be strong, even powerful and not be a bully. Sounds like a good way for a nation to be, in my view. But I'm not holding my breath. It is possible to be strong, even powerful and not be a bully. Sounds like a good way for a nation to be, in my view. But I’m not holding my breath.

]]> By: Conor Foley http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6273 Conor Foley Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:52:05 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6273 I think that speaking English (the international language) and being a bridge between Europe and America are quite useful (although the Irish can do both of those). Institutions like the BBC and the British Council are very respected internationally and the UK is quite good at being a 'good international citizen' in that it signs up to international treaties and generally abides by their provisions (Iraq was an exception and that is why it caused such heartache in the FCO). The Commonwealth is also a very widely respected institution and Britain is identified with qualities like fair play, honesty, etc. which help its reputation. London also really is seen as a world class city and, thanks to its financial services, I don't think that you can argue that it is in any sort of decline. I think that speaking English (the international language) and being a bridge between Europe and America are quite useful (although the Irish can do both of those). Institutions like the BBC and the British Council are very respected internationally and the UK is quite good at being a ‘good international citizen’ in that it signs up to international treaties and generally abides by their provisions (Iraq was an exception and that is why it caused such heartache in the FCO). The Commonwealth is also a very widely respected institution and Britain is identified with qualities like fair play, honesty, etc. which help its reputation. London also really is seen as a world class city and, thanks to its financial services, I don’t think that you can argue that it is in any sort of decline.

]]> By: Aaron Heath http://liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6269 Aaron Heath Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:21:13 +0000 http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2008/03/04/british-foreign-policy-in-an-era-of-weakness/#comment-6269 Surely we lost real power decades ago. We simply haven't accepted it yet. Of course we do hold onto a nuclear arsenal - yet, as the Falklands proved, they mean little more than a place on the UNSC. I think the idea that making everyone else richer will mean greater peace - on the face of it, makes little sense. Large populations with greater riches usually mean higher expectations and greater political pressures. America's wealth has hardly led to a more peaceful foreign policy. It has constantly fought proxy wars and all out conflicts since 1941 - usually (at least in the case of its covert operations and more recently in Iraq) to sate the demands of its profit hungry corporatocrisy. We can see with the tensions between Russia and Japan, Europe and Russia, China and Japan, and the US's ongoing real and rhetorical battles with Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela, that in a world with finite resources, infinite demands mean someone will go without. The parallels between the Laissez-faire global free trade movement of the early 1900s and today's globalized world are clearly evident. A large scale conflict within the next 50-years has to be a real worry. There is an argument that a wealthier Chinese population will mean a demand for genuine political representation. It is often suggested that this will mean democracy and therefore peace. Maybe, maybe not. Communist China is operating insidiously in Africa and continues to occupy previously sovereign neighbours, but who's to say a democratic Chinese people won't make even greater demands of their politicians, who will be obliged to deliver... Britain would do well to get over its own Imperial hangover. A headache that manifests itself in desperate Tory rhetoric about rediscovering past glories. The UK should relinquish its nuclear arsenal, cease all military entanglements and drastically reduce its military spending, and get its own house in order before worrying about elsewhere in the world. Surely we lost real power decades ago. We simply haven’t accepted it yet.

Of course we do hold onto a nuclear arsenal – yet, as the Falklands proved, they mean little more than a place on the UNSC.

I think the idea that making everyone else richer will mean greater peace – on the face of it, makes little sense. Large populations with greater riches usually mean higher expectations and greater political pressures. America’s wealth has hardly led to a more peaceful foreign policy. It has constantly fought proxy wars and all out conflicts since 1941 – usually (at least in the case of its covert operations and more recently in Iraq) to sate the demands of its profit hungry corporatocrisy.

We can see with the tensions between Russia and Japan, Europe and Russia, China and Japan, and the US’s ongoing real and rhetorical battles with Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela, that in a world with finite resources, infinite demands mean someone will go without. The parallels between the Laissez-faire global free trade movement of the early 1900s and today’s globalized world are clearly evident. A large scale conflict within the next 50-years has to be a real worry.

There is an argument that a wealthier Chinese population will mean a demand for genuine political representation. It is often suggested that this will mean democracy and therefore peace. Maybe, maybe not. Communist China is operating insidiously in Africa and continues to occupy previously sovereign neighbours, but who’s to say a democratic Chinese people won’t make even greater demands of their politicians, who will be obliged to deliver…

Britain would do well to get over its own Imperial hangover. A headache that manifests itself in desperate Tory rhetoric about rediscovering past glories. The UK should relinquish its nuclear arsenal, cease all military entanglements and drastically reduce its military spending, and get its own house in order before worrying about elsewhere in the world.

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