Boris Johnson signed up to AUKUS for the jokes about the French, but the French have not even noticed that we were in it, so the joke is on us. As ever, that joke is Johnson. Have the Americans or the Australians noticed that we were in AUKUS? Not noticeably. The submarines are going to built in Australia after all, so we have no role in it.
If anything, the French think that recalling their Ambassador to Washington effectively recalls their Ambassador to London. Even Australia, which has been an American client-state for as long as anyone can remember, is treated as more of a sovereign entity than Britain is by three other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, while the Russians just buy us up.
AUKUS is an excellent move, taking us away from Europe with which we have nothing in common to realign with the Anglosphere. Britain was never a European country but a maritime trading nation whose Empire was almost all outside Europe. Brexit is a chance to return to our historic role-including restoring the imperial measures the US got from us, and still uses.
ReplyDeleteIt turns that we are not really in it. And the American system is different, because it is older.
DeletePathetic, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIn both senses of the word.
DeleteWe are indeed in it and it’s enjoyable to watch us displace the French.
ReplyDeleteWe're not, so far as anyone has noticed, and we haven't. The submarines are being made in Australia.
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