A Special Relationship

On this, the 60th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir presumptive to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, it is a good time to examine the "Special Relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom. The Special Relationship is, of course, born out of our common history, common language and common legal system. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, it has saved the world from tyranny and terrorism on countless occasions.

In World War I, it as the US and the UK that stopped German imperialism. In World War II, it was Churchill's vision and US determination that saved the world from fascism. In the first Gulf War, it was the US and the UK, with the help of an extended coalition, that prevented a madman from controlling the world's oil supply. Remember, it was the Right Honorable Margaret Thatcher that told President George H.W. Bush not to go wobbly. Then, once again, it was Tony Blair who first offered help to the US following the 9/11 attacks. Most recently, the burden of prosecuting the War on Terror has fallen mostly to America and England.

The next question is where do we go from here in order to insure that the world is safe for democracy. The best alternative is one proposed by Mrs. Thatcher - a free trading and security block of the English speaking countries. Certainly, this security block is already happening on a de facto basis. In addition to the US and the UK, the toll in blood and treasure for the various fronts of the War on Terror has fallen mostly on Canada and Australia (the Dutch and the Poles deserve some credit too).

This security arrangement should be formalized. It would be a much more effective military cooperative than the European Union. As we all know, the European Union cannot mount an effective military operation on its own. It made that perfectly clear when it was unable to intervene in the Balkans. The Balkans campaign had to be turned over to NATO (which really meant the United States). The Western World's four most effective militaries would stand as a major deterrent to the misadventures of tyrants around the globe. In addition, we would not have to cater to the hand ringing of the other European countries and the third world dictatorships who make up the majority of the United Nations member states.

Also, since free trade is what drives our economy, the English speaking alliance will expand our free trade agreements to countries that are already major trading partners. Britain and Canada are two of our top five trading partners. Expanding this to Australia, New Zealand and, possibly, India would create large new export markets for our goods and services.

As a birthday gift to the Prince of Wales, let's say good bye to the UN and its anti-American and anti-Semitic rants and hello to a military and economic alliance that has already saved the world. It will not only benefit us, but it will make the world safer and more prosperous!