Thread: America's Closest Ally.

"don't they build some M1A2s there?"

Unless that's a very recent development, no.

Originally Posted by Amled

Should be Canada, is UK by a landslide.

Normally I would agree but apparently the leftwing brigade here has tarnished that title.

In order I would say:

UK
Isreal
Austrailia
Canada

France, well they will always be French....

Australia is VERY good as an ally, because although they don't bring a lot of physical strength to the table, philosophically they're true-blue and loyal.

Howard was just returned as Australian Prime Minister, and he is very closely identified with Dubya.

Contrast that with Tony Blair, who, although a strong and loyal ally, has to fight the 'Bush's Poodle' slander, and in so doing has sometimes had to distance himself and show his independence of the US for doemstic political considerations.

So the Brits are sacrificing and actually doing the heavy lifting in the War on Terror right alongside of us - but the grumble and ***** the whole way. Aussies aren't making as much of a contribution, but I have a sense they don't resent what they are doing, and wouldn't mind all that much if they were asked to do even more.

UK without a doubt is #1 followed by Australia.

I didn't want to get into a fracas.

Israel is the actual friend of the US.

Without Israel, the US would have no influence in the ME; and not only the Israeli govt but also the Israeli population has always stood solidly behind the US.

Now tell me which other country has done so - solidly, that is!

Originally Posted by Ray

I didn't want to get into a fracas.

Israel is the actual friend of the US.

Without Israel, the US would have no influence in the ME; and not only the Israeli govt but also the Israeli population has always stood solidly behind the US.

Now tell me which other country has done so - solidly, that is!

I agree that we are very close allies, and Israel is currently the only country in that region that is not a moral cripple and shares most of our values and political system. They are the only democratic state in the region, and they enjoy all the fruits of freedom with very little of the pathologies of their enemies that surround them on all sides.

But Israel is chiefly concerned with what's best for ISRAEL. I understand that completely, and I don't resent it one bit, given what stakes they play for. If the US and Israel are close, it's because we're important to them. If we weren't, I don't think we could count on Israeli support internationally.

This differs from the 'Anglosphere' countries that support the US almost out of shared heritage and philosophies alone.

Bluesman, you have a point, although in the "Anglosphere", with the possible exception of Australia, it is a moral liability to be seen as pro-US. In Israel, it is only natural to be pro-US. Being the most isolated country in the UN, the Israelis realize how much worse a position they would be in without the US (if Israel would exist at all), a perception that doesn't really exist in the Anglosphere countries. There are approximately 600,000 Israelis with American citizenship, and I think something like 80% of Israelis backed Bush when polls were done around the world. So in terms of philosophies, the Israelis are not too different from the US (have the whole "fuk France" attitude too). But you are right that when push comes to shove the Israelis are looking out for the Israelis.

Originally Posted by ZFBoxcar

Bluesman, you have a point, although in the "Anglosphere", with the possible exception of Australia, it is a moral liability to be seen as pro-US. In Israel, it is only natural to be pro-US. Being the most isolated country in the UN, the Israelis realize how much worse a position they would be in without the US (if Israel would exist at all), a perception that doesn't really exist in the Anglosphere countries. There are approximately 600,000 Israelis with American citizenship, and I think something like 80% of Israelis backed Bush when polls were done around the world. So in terms of philosophies, the Israelis are not too different from the US (have the whole "fuk France" attitude too). But you are right that when push comes to shove the Israelis are looking out for the Israelis.

Thanks for the back-up, Boxcar. What you said ("...in the "Anglosphere", with the possible exception of Australia, it is a moral liability to be seen as pro-US.) circles back to my point that we can count on the Aussies, but who knows if Blair can hold on for another election? If he can't, we all know why he will have been defeated - close identification with Bush, which is, as you've said, a moral (and I should add, a political) liability.

So, my point was and is: Australia is a more dependable ally than the UK. Because if the Brits change their government (very possible), it will be largely for one reason, and at that point, the US is the third rail to the new Brit PM - touch it and die instantly.

Originally Posted by ChrisF202

UK without a doubt is #1 followed by Australia.

This is how I eventualy decided to vote. Israel is close up there though.