That *Special* Relationship

So the media and the internet is alive with stories about how Obama may have snubbed the Prime Minister. Certainly, Brown’s visit has been met with less fanfare than those of Brown’s predecessor – both with Obama and with Bush Junior. Then again, I dare say if Gordon Brown were coming to visit you then you wouldn’t be rushing to clear your diary for the fucker.

Which is the point – perhaps Obama was just too busy to meet properly (ie a photo opportunity that might boost Brown’s popularity) with Brown. Ok, he had time to meet the scouts, but it is all a matter of priority. The scouts are just as, if not more, important to Obama than meeting the British Prime Minister.

Leaving us with the question of "where exactly does our special relationship sit with the US at the moment?" Well, it hasn’t really changed that much from where it has always sat. See, the relationship between the US and the UK is like the relationship between a charismatic, powerful individual and a needy, clinging partner. With the UK very much playing the part of the needy lover. Being treated to a special relationship with the US boosts the ego of the British nation and – in particular – the ego of whatever muppet is resident in Number 10. Yet the simple truth is we are the junior partners in the relationship with the US, and Gordon’s visit highlights that we need the power and influence of the US far more than the US really needs us.

Think about it – Obama doesn’t need Brown to achieve what he wants to achieve. He has billions of dollars to throw at the recession, and he has the goodwill and Congressional influence to achieve that at the moment. The last thing he really needs is some sort of grey ghoul brown-nosing him – people on his side might start to question the wisdom of what he is doing if they associate his policies with such as colossal failure as Gordon Brown. Obama doesn’t need to do a massive press conference with Brown; the brief chat he had with him yesterday was probably enough of a waste of time as it is.

Which is why Brown’s arrival in Washington was greeted with far less fanfare than Blair’s arrivals when Bush Junior was resident in the White House. Bush Junior needed Tony Blair – partly to create an illusion of coalition against Iraq, and partly because the emotive Blair was far better at making the case for the War on Terror than any of the ruthless hawks in his administration. There was no real love between Blair and Bush, and no relationship of equals between the UK and the US in that era of international relations, but a grudging understanding that the US needed the UK more than normal.

Our relationship is special only in that UK-US relationship is better than the US relations with so many other countries in the world. And that isn’t really an achievement when you consider that other countries worry far less about not getting on too well with America. France is a great example; whilst Sarkozy has been much keener than others to court the US, the general attitude – especially under Chirac – was that the US could go fuck itself. So whoopee-do – we get on far better with the US than other countries that don’t really care how they get on with the US.

So let’s be very clear – Brown wasn’t snubbed; his visit simply shows the reality of the special relationship with have with America. We are not equals; we just have more influence with the US because when they shout, we come running. When the US needs us, our Prime Minister will be treated better than other world leaders visiting the US and our nation will appear to be bosom buddies. When the US doesn’t need us, then guess what – we’ll be left floundering.

C’est la vie.