http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/22/barack-obama-brexit-uk-back-of-queue-for-trade-talks
“The UK is going to be in the back of the queue.”
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| "go to the back of the queue" |
Barack Obama, has gone too far in this latest outpouring of support for Cameron and the "Remain in the EU" campaign. There is a very fine line between a Presidential personal opinion and a United States Presidential instruction to the people of another country to "do the right thing" and vote in a particular way. Coupled with the threat that the United Kingdom would "go to the back of the queue" (a strangely "English" word not usually used by Americans who prefer "the line"), Obama has thrown his weight into the into the remain lobby, with a script which could and probably was influenced if not written, by Cameron and his team.
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The British people do not respond well to threats and intimidation from what ever source, but the evidence from history including the recent Scottish referendum, perhaps indicates that instilling fear into the minds of enough people, can produce the result that some politicians and vested business interests may desire. In the case of the United States and the Obama intervention, a curious but revealing remark emerged from yesterdays reports. "Britain must remain in the E U to represent American interests in Europe". A Freudian slip perhaps, but never the less, a vivid indication of the real reasons for American concerns.
As for the Cameron and Obama, (and some others), constant reference to the "Special relationship" between the United States and the UK, it is as much of a myth now as it has always been since Churchill coined the phrase during the early days of World War 2. America will always act in what they consider to be American best interest at the time. They will dump any ally as it suits, dependent upon prevailing circumstances. We need only remember what President Clinton said during his tenure in the Whitehouse. "A Special relationship exists only between the United States and Israel, and the U S and Ireland", a statement which says it all.
It could well be that this government engineered Presidential intervention may influence the referendum outcome by the use of the "fear factor" and result in a "Stay In" vote, but the consequence of such a decision will be a very bad taste in the mouth of many British people for some years to come.
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