'The special relationship.'

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by swampdog2

I would agree if Cameron had said that to united states government , but he didn`t , parliament did.

Mr Cameron wants to suck up to the president, just like Tony Blair did; but the British parliament won't play anymore. They have to face their voters in less than 2 years from now; it might not even be a whole year away. If they had voted yes, their individual votes would be known and publicised at this election coming up, and I would certainly want to know how my MP voted. Cameron hasn't got the votes because the British people are not on board and the MPs are well aware of it. This message is not coming from Cameron, who is basically a rent boy (same as Tony Blair was), but is coming from the people of Great Britain as a body, via their MPs.

[b119a]

The Americans tend to want to fix things, and it is not a simple thing to fix a part of civilization.

[knobby109]

I don't see how a few bombs can achieve very much except kill a lot of people and generate anti-Western feeling.I'm not sure that the Syrian opposition is any better than the present regime in any case.

[rupertramjet]

Originally Posted by b119a

The Americans tend to want to fix things, and it is not a simple thing to fix a part of civilization.

The Americans try to preach democracy in the world, in our society, where the nature of the people is one of intermixing with others, on a fairly equal basis, where, in most cases, marriages between folk from different parts of the country, the Industrial Revolution and in the case of the US, a nation that has risen in a little over two hundred and fifty years, in which people from across the globe have formed a new nation, Tribal differences and enmities have been lost in time, certainly we have religious differences, but these tend not to be fanatical, there are sad exceptions in a few places, but we do not have Catholic and Protestant at each others throats.

That said, there is a huge misunderstanding of the middle east, and to be honest Africa too. If you glance at a map or an Atlas of the regions, you will note that most National Borders are straight lines, yet if you look at our own county and state borders, there are curves and twitches everywhere. The reason is that these borders were drawn in the 1900's by the British, mainly, and took no regard for Tribal or Religious differences. These differences have grown, as brother has to cross border to see brother, or cousin or Aunt, due to the misalignment one tribe, or religious sect has dominance, and therefore wins all the elections, and often the smaller group suffers oppression and sometimes massacre, as in Rwanda.

We have caused these problems, I do not know what the solution is, but lets look at why the hatred for the West started, and realise, that we need soft gloves on hard fists, not just hard fists!

[sydney1]

but we do not have Catholic and Protestant at each others throats.

Really? We are hardly one's to pontificate considering the mess we made in Ireland and certain elements in Glasgow..think Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic.

[rupertramjet]

Originally Posted by sydney1

Really? We are hardly one's to pontificate considering the mess we made in Ireland and certain elements in Glasgow..think Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic.

Please note that in the same paragraph I say:

there are sad exceptions in a few places,

I am certainly not pontificating, as a soldier I served five tours in Northern Ireland, both in the inner Cities of Belfast and Derry and the border country of Armagh, my Regiment suffering two of the worst attacks by the IRA, and amongst the highest casualties: http://www.parachuteregiment-hsf.org...%20Ireland.htm

Whilst I accept that the differences are deep in these places, I certainly do not believe that the differences are as immense s they are with in the Muslim World.