Special Report posted April 29, 2013 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
Britain and Europe: Where America’s Interests Really Lie
Introduction
The United States has a strong and continuing interest in a prosperous and stable Europe, but the policies and pronouncements of President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State are making that goal less, not more, attainable. This is especially true as regards current, very public U.S. pressure on Britain to stay inside the European Union, apparently…
Special Report posted June 6, 2011 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
Problems in British Foreign Policy
Abstract
It may take years before the results of NATO’s military operations against Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s Libyan regime can finally be judged, but the issues raised by the crisis are of immediate importance.
First, the way in which the operation has been conducted is a reminder of the importance to the United States of its European allies. The…
Special Report posted January 10, 2011 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
Britain's Coalition Government: A Preliminary Verdict
Abstract
Britain and the United States face similar budgetary problems. Deficits in both countries are unsustainably high. So is public spending. Action is being taken in Britain, but in the U.S., there is continuing pressure either to take no serious action at all or to take the wrong action, most notably by repairing the deficit with tax increases or—to make…
Special Report posted July 15, 2010 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
Europe: What Future?
Abstract: The pretense that the European Union is successful and stable—and that the euro is a successful and stable currency—has been exploded by events surrounding the financial bailout of Greece. No one knows where the contagion will spread or how it may end. The world’s financial markets have occasionally teetered on the edge of panic. But the full implications of…
Special Report posted January 26, 2010 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
The Decline of Britain: A Cautionary Tale for America
Abstract: Similar trans-Atlantic experiences reflect more than the economic linkage between England and the United States or the well-known swing of the political pendulum. Most significantly, the echoes and counter-echoes demonstrate how, at the lowest common denominator, political fashion and, at the highest, political thinking in America and Britain take place in the…
WebMemo posted May 1, 2009 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
A Tribute to Margaret Thatcher -- 30 Years On
Thirty years ago, Britain embarked upon a conservative
revolution that not only transformed the country but left an
indelible and unmistakable impact on the rest of the world. Only
two British Prime Ministers--Winston Churchill and Margaret
Thatcher--have by force of personality and power of example done
anything like this.
In The Gathering Storm, Winston…
Special Report posted April 30, 2009 by Robin Harris, D. Phil.
Securing the West: The U.S., the U.K., and Present Dangers
Section I
The Special Relationship
When a serving British Prime Minister makes his or her first
visit to meet an incoming American President in Washington, it is
taken very seriously -- at least in London. For Gordon Brown, the
stakes in March 2009 were even higher than usual. Having been
written off by commentators and much of his own party as an…