The British Empire continues its hysteria at the prospect of losing its American muscle. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace made headlines when he declared in an interview with The Spectator that the U.S. and the U.K. are not superpowers. When asked about criticism from the military and others that the decision to build and deploy two aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy was an absurd overstretch from a country in denial about still being a global power, Wallace said: “I think it really goes to what the definition of what a global power is. It is obvious that Britain is not a superpower. But a superpower that is also not prepared to stick at something isn’t probably a superpower either. It is certainly not a global force, it’s just a big power.”
Britain, meanwhile, can act with others. “I take the view that the future of foreign policy around the world will involve more bilateral than trilateral alliances depending on the problems we face. So, West Africa may be a more French/British thing, East Africa may be the same.” In other words, military interventionism must go on, with or without the U.S.
As for Europe, there are two issues, Wallace argued, one of which is Europe’s relationship with the U.S. The other is staying power. “The question for the West — whether it is Ukraine, whether it is the South China Sea or upholding international laws — is resolve. That is the question: do we have resolve?” he said, sounding like Maggie Thatcher in 1990. He, like Tony Blair, supposedly dislikes the term “forever war,” yet like Blair, that’s what he promises. “I think standing up for the values you believe in, standing up to protect your interests, is a forever commitment. It’s unending — so be prepared.”
Meanwhile, Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab’s predecessor as U.K. foreign secretary, warned on Sept. 3 that “a dangerous fault line” had emerged in the U.S.-U.K. special relationship, describing the withdrawal from Kabul as catastrophic and forced on the U.K. Hunt said allied troops left in such ignominious circumstances that it “was a sobering moment for anyone who cares about liberal values and open societies,” reported the Guardian.
