Friday, March 06, 2009

How the US sees the PM's visit

Even I'd been fooled by the British media's reporting that Gordon Brown's meeting with Barack Obama had been a great success, a strong basis for continued development of the 'Special Relationship'. I've filched this clip from Guido which gives us an entirely different perspective, and tells us how the meeting was seen in the US. What stuck me was the convincing posture of boredom that the American President managed to convey, as he sat there and and listened to our Prime Minister talking. Its worth a look. Only about 30 seconds.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the jiggling foot of Obama was the giveaway.

What a boring old fart Brown looks next to the charismatic new president!

Anonymous said...

The US has been receptive to Gordon Brown's united Europe diatripe. He is living in cloud cuckoo land. For example, The economies of Eastern Europe are on the brink of collapse, with states like Hungary about to default on their loans to the West. The European Union is scrabbling around trying to drum up support amongst its members to bail out the failed East, as failure to do so could cause a rift in Europe and even lead to the break-up of the European Union. Quite frankly, this is best thing that could happen. The EU is the greatest threat to our freedoms and liberties since 1945, and this whole economic crisis may turn out to be the necessary process we need to rid ourselves of the EU threat forever.

Eastern Europe borrowed heavily on low interest euro loans, but now their ‘canny’ get-rich-quick schemes have come back to bite them on the proverbial since their currencies collapsed and those euro loans have swollen in magnitude. It is a dog eat dog world out there and Britain must protect itself against any foreign threat – be it military or economic. It is quite humorous to see formerly swaggering Russia and China now change their tune and seek accommodation with West. How the mighty have fallen!
It is time to let the East collapse, let the German car industry collapse if need be, nationalise our banks, allow the EU to disintegrate. British jobs for British workers. Buy British!

Anonymous said...

Rhodri Morgan in his please-forget-me speech yesterday in the British Embassy compound in DC referred to Brown's recent visit.

I got the impression that many Americans listening to the speech did not know who Rhodri was referring to.

One saving grace: my American business partner (from California) knew who Brown was - but only because I told him that there is not much difference between what you sometimes get on your shoe and the guy who gave a speech to both your houses of Congress a couple of days ago.

Glyn Davies said...

Anon - He did look bored - so contrary to the UK reporting that I thought it worth posting.

Roman - Wow! Can'y accuse you of not being radical.

DC Man - problem is that when he's given a more serious platform, his style can make him seem a bit lightweight.

Anonymous said...

Glyn> It's 'funny' that you used the term "platform" - he was literally given a platform to speak from - "Only Men Aloud" and poet and singer Gwyneth Glyn did their acts on the stage, but Rhodri Morgan, bless his socks, did his speech at 'ground level' - not on the stage. So short people like my mother stood no chance of actually seeing him speak.

I was shocked at his style, being laid back is one thing, but he did not make a good impression, and his worship of Obama in front of a crowd was silly given that probably around 40% of the Americans in front of him were Republicans. Why risk losing 40% of your audience when you are trying to promote Wales? It did not make any sense at all.

He should have kept to points that Americans of all viewpoints can relate to - his comments about the wings on the Airbus plane that 'landed' on the Hudson a few weeks ago were made in Wales was spot on, Americans could relate to that.