I have gotten a different picture of the Britains relationship with Europe. I'm looking at events from afar. It seems to me that Britain wants to play the go between the U.S. and Europe. To broker the big powers. In order for them to go like Chris Burford says:
Chris: "Cook in an unguarded moment in 1997 said that the British government wanted to create a triangle of Britain, France and Germany. Blair looks as if he is pulling it off."
Doyle Britain would have to distance itself from the U.S. and drop the role of "junior partner". This would presume that Europe offered enough advantages to offset the loss of U.S. special status. So I have this question; Is Britain going to be a power broker between the U.S. and Europe, or is Britain going to move to a power relationship with Europe and away from the U.S? This seems to be a very important point in the current "deflationary" economic scenario. From the U.S. point of view the loss of Britain to influence Europe would be very significant lessening of U.S. influence. Etc. It would also point more seriously to the rivalry between Europe and the U.S. to dominate the world.
Doyle There are consequences for workers. The Europeans seem like the Japanese to resist to some degree the Clinton/Reagan vision of unfettered market capitalism. I suppose this might be the rock to shatter the awful U.S. social vision. Give us some room to debate and advance something else in the shards of U.S. declining influence. regards, Doyle Saylor