Since the dark days following 9/11 the alliance between the UK and the US has been referred to as a "Special Relationship". This buzz term has not quite disappeared and now that Barack Obama has been elected as not only the first black president of America but also the first Democratic president in almost a decade, many thinkers are discussing how things will be different under Obama's leadership.
It is obvious that like his predecessors Obama wants to be friends with the UK, but how special is the relationship going to be different?
Barack Obama is a centre-left socialist, which means he will certainly be reaching out beyond the UK to form relationships with other countries.
We have had perhaps a glimmer of this position with his recent dialogue with Iran, breaking years of US policy under the Bush Administration barely a week into his presidency, telling their President that America is their friend, not their enemy, that they only have to unclench their fist and we will see revolution.
Obama wants stronger relations with other European countries and French President Nicholas Sarkozy has wasted no time in offering his support to make this possible.
The UK is going to have to get used to taking the back-seat once in a while, but I have no doubt that our relationship will be more special than ever before under the Obama presidency. For a start, the Special Relationship under Bush was more of a political phrase. Blair and Bush had a mutual respect but as for the peoples of Britain and America, Bush was loathed by the masses.
People actually like Obama. That is why the our relations will spread beyond the current political term and we will witness a real special relationship with America.
Thursday, 29 January 2009
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