Yes indeed, alas and alack, but then we all knew it really:
But it's all over now
You used to whisper little things to set me aglow
But it's all over now
I listened to you tell me little white lies
Never thought you meant to deceive
Whoever would have doubted those innocent eyes
And all the little kisses that you made me believe
According to The Mail a 'secret' memo has been issued by some outfit called the Congressional Research Service which is, apparently, a sort of in-house intelligence service whose task it is to keep Congress men and women fully up to date with the latest geo-political assessments. This, er, distinguished body has come up with a very fine example of 'the bleedin' obvious'!
The document – prepared by the Congressional Research Service, an in-house intelligence body that gives confidential analysis to legislators – states that while Britain and the US are likely to ‘remain key economic partners’, a ‘reassessment of the special relationship may be in order… because its geopolitical setting has been changing’. [My emphasis]
The memo, edited by Derek E Mix, the CRS’s chief European affairs analyst, says that the development of organisations such as the G20 group of major economies has led to a decline in the ‘influence and centrality of the relationship’.
Well, if the Congressmen and women of the United States of America had been regular readers of this blog they would have picked that up for themselves long ago. Still, at least they now have it in black and white, the so-called 'special relationship' is as dead, if not deader, than the two splendid politicians in the photo above. Now all that remains is to break the news gently to the prats who run this country, many of whom believe that, like the Himalayan Yeti, it still exists.
'The cousins', according to The Mail's report have three worries about Britain, our economy, the chances of a hung parliament and the possibility of 'Brexit' from the EU. They are quite right to be concerned but in fact all of that is, or should be, fairly peripheral to US national interests as it 'pivots' to East Asia where Britain has absolutely no influence whatsoever. Not that we have much influence anywhere given that we are up to our ears in debt and our armed forces reduced to "Dad's Army" levels. Also, it must be acknowledged, it is not as if the current POTUS actually wants us an ally. His disdain is apparent. We are not (yet!) an undemocratic, anti-American, militant, Muslim country of the sort with whom Barack Obama likes to devote his time and diplomatic wooing.
Even so, if a blast of cold realism blows the daydreams out of Whitehall and Westminster, then all I can say is 'jolly good show!'
