Stuff I Think You Should Know

Solidarity

'Nuff said.

Flag (and title) borrowed from Are You Conservative?

Open Letter to Londoners, and Britons in General

We want you to know we're with you.

We want you to know we're here for you.

We want you to know that we're willing to track these dogs to the ends of the earth with you, and put them out of our misery.

You have been our best friend and closest ally for a century, and we want you to know that everybody that messes with America's friends has a habit of winding up very dead. (If that's any consolation right now.)

We're standing with you today.

We're weeping with you today.

We're praying with you today for the recovery of those in the hospitals, and for those who have lost loved ones.

You've been a true friend through thick and thin, and if there's anything we can do for you, you just let us know.

We've fought many an enemy together. We will continue to fight anyone that would be your enemy.

There were only two times on September 11 where I came close to breaking down. The first was when I watched the second tower collapse, and everything suddenly became real. The second time was when your Queen had the Coldstream Guards play our national anthem. The anthem that, ironically, is about our army beating yours. That song means a lot to me- and never in my life did it move me more than on that day. You redefined "brothers-in-arms" that day.

I was personally very grateful.

I served next to you in Kosovo. It was a pleasure.

I served near you in Afghanistan. It was an honor. I did not see you there- because I was safe and cozy on Kandahar while you were out there in the mountains with our infantry, killing the Taliban.

Our countries have stood side-by-side and fought and beaten everyone from Nazis to Communists to Islamofascists. We could not choose a more honorable or a more worthy friend.

We love you. If there's anything you need, ask.

Be strong. I know I probably don't need to say that, as "British" and "resolve" tend to go hand in hand, but be strong. We're with you.

We're with you.

British Elections

Nothing real surprising there, just figured that since I gave my 2¢ on potential outcomes, I oughta do a followup.

The elections turned out pretty much as expected. Tony Blair is still Prime Minister, albeit with a much slimmer party majority.

Random bits from the article:

...Conservative Party leader Michael Howard said he planned to step down because "I did not achieve what I set out to achieve." He said he would stay on until the party considers whether to change the rules governing the choice of his successor.

Can I take this at face value? I certainly wouldn't if an American politician said it. "I wanted to win, I didn't, the people have spoken, I'll retire after this." Is it as simple as that? If so, kudos to Mr. Howard. That's a lesson lost on American politicians- how to gracefully accept defeat. Or is that just Al Gore and John Kerry?

The battering Blair took over Iraq during the campaign suggested that any future British leader will probably be wary of backing Washington militarily in the face of hostile domestic opinion.

I certainly hope not. I am happy to count the U.K. as my country's closest and truest friend- constantly and consistently- over the last century. Kudos to Mr. Blair for doing what was right regardless of public opinion.

Reader's Digest a few months ago had an article about Bush and Blair- how they grew up in the footsteps of that great friendship between FDR and Churchill. How the alliance was continued between Reagan and Maggie Thatcher. And how America and Great Britain always, always go to bat for each other. There are a great many countries in the world that I am wary of, many more that I genuinely dislike. There are only three countries that I really admire- America, obviously; Israel, for putting up with endless terorism and refraining from turning the Middle East into a parking lot these last forty years; and the United Kingdom, for aforementioned reasons.

A politically weakened Blair... could find it difficult to persuade British voters to approve a proposed constitution for the European Union, which requires ratification by all member states.

You say that like it's a bad thing. I don't know his stance on this issue, but maybe he should tell them not to sacrifice their independence to the inContinent.

Gosh, look at the time. Gotta go to lunch. Anyway, that's what I think.

Worldwide Democracy in Action, Part Three Thousand and Sixty-Two

Well, in a few hours the good citizens of the United Kingdom will wake up and go vote. I myself am very much a novice when it comes to the British electoral system, so this post will be based on conjecture and things I think I know but am not sure about. Now that we know what kind of shaky ground we're on here, I'll put forth some opinions.

The way I see it, whichever way the British vote, America wins. If they reinstate Tony Blair (as expected), then Bush gets to keep his steadfast partner in the War on Terror. If they vote Blair out, then the Conservative Party will be in charge, and I would generally view that as a good thing. I take issue with Michael Howard calling Blair a liar about the war in Iraq- but to be honest, it's quite literally news to me, as I just read it, just now, in the story I linked. So I don't know what's really going on there. It's just that when I hear accusations of lying about war flying around, it gives me flashbacks to idiotic moonbatted Dems last fall.

So. Go, fellow English-speaking believers in freedom and democracy, and choose your future. One thing I can promise you- as ignorant as I am of your political system, nobody at SITYSK™ (with our massive editorial staff of one) will ever mock your decision, even if we think it doesn't make much sense.* There won't be any of that crap some of your more... ignorant... citizens chose to spew after we showed the world we still supported President Bush. America is my country, and last I checked, the U.K. is yours. So of course I want what's best for America, regardless, but you guys pick who's best for you. Cheers, or something.

*- This promise is null and void if Charles Kennedy somehow becomes your new PM. When I see "Liberal", "Democrat", and "Kennedy" all together in a sentence like that, it makes me kinda queasy.

UPDATE: My take on the election results here.