ESSENTIAL ALLIANCE REIMAGINED
President Joe Biden and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson met during June 20121 to energize the essential alliance, America and Britain. The post-Brexit status of Northern Ireland interrupted the tone of the American president’s arrival in the UK. But unavoidable challenge, and mutual opportunity brought the trans-Atlantic leaders together. As predecessors during the past century, they were of distinctly different backgrounds, temperament, and outlook. However, what they and their successors will have in common and what their nations mean to one another is paramount. The relationship between America and Britain is merely not about a rich legacy or cultural heritage. It is a present and future necessity. The Anglo-America leaders must rise above the tendency of political progressives, Big Tech, the media, and their European counterparts, to appease China. Nor must they coddle cultural revisionism at home. The future of civilization depends not only upon their foresight but their defiance.
BEYOND BREXIT
The Anglo-Americans again find themselves at an important crossroads. Firstly, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union creates an historic opportunity for the trans-Atlantic alliance. Furthermore, the pandemic, environment, rise of information monopolies, global security and confronting China require sober and mature multilateral leadership. Today’s oligarchs and dictators challenge individual liberty, freedom of expression and free market capitalism. The rise of China does not preordain a grim Orwellian future. Nor does China’s embrace of Russia’s despotic Vladimir Putin. Parallel populist and nationalist impulses swept America and Britain before the current pandemic. America has now stabilized into a more traditionally multilateral posture and Britain is managing post-Brexit reality. But both are grappling with a cultural revisionism that corrodes confidence. The Essential Alliance must reinvigorate a multinational democratic coalition of nations. Moreover, America and Britain should consider a free trade agreement, if not an ultimate economic union.
THE GRAND ALLIANCE
Many progressives today view the steadfast Sir Winston Churchill as a politically incorrect, romantic nineteenth century imperialist who tried to hold onto India. Moreover, the complex Churchill is simply not acceptable to either diverse 21st century hard-core leftists or mainstream progressives. But during the 20th Century, the realistic progressive American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the end of Imperial Privilege and the Empire a condition for the landmark Atlantic Charter and victory over fascism. And to his everlasting credit, the realistic traditionalist Churchill agreed. The progressive and the traditionalist came together to save civilization. The so-called Grand Alliance forged by FDR and Churchill also led to a magnanimous and enlightened postwar world order. America and Britain founded the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and NATO. Furthermore, they enacted the Marshall Plan, overcame the Soviet Union, reunified Germany, and liquidated the Warsaw Pact without firing a shot.
GLOBAL COALITION
China’s cynical pandemic amnesia, recent treatment of strategic Hong Kong and threats to invade prosperous Taiwan raise new red flags of challenge to freedom-loving nations. In response, the Anglo-Americans must deepen relationships with their traditional global allies, building a robust coalition including Australia, Canada, India, Japan, South Korea, and NATO members. A greater democratic political alignment of free-trading nations can lead the world toward economic and environmental progress, as opposed to an egocentric China that seeks to seduce the non-aligned world in exchange for earth minerals. However, Anglo-American leadership is dependent upon an open-minded realization of our shared potential and responsibilities for our planet. Economic opportunity and free trade must be inclusive, and advance human rights, technological progress, and environmental realism. A rejuvenated Anglo-American alliance has potentially profound positive consequences for the world. Authoritarian China, along with sidekick Russia, cannot offer humanity liberty, free-markets, or shared prosperity.
21ST CENTURY RENAISSANCE
America and Britain must not abdicate leading the march of human civilization from classic Greece to the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and the Atlantic Charter. Moreover, a new dark age with dictatorial Internet censorship, one-party rule, or imprisonment for expression is not inevitable. However, with Brexit now done, a free-trade agreement and ultimate economic union beckon. America and Britain never separated economically following the “quarrel” of 1776. The Essential Alliance matters. Furthermore, Vladimir Putin’s brutal and incompetent invasion of Ukraine and alliance with China emphasizes the stakes for humanity. But first things first. After honoring Elizabeth II, new PM Liz Truss must immediately confront inflation, energy availability and prices, as do her EU counterparts. Consequently, President Biden must postpone his green energy ambitions and supply natural gas and other resources to Britain and Europe.
In conclusion, the essential Anglo-American alliance is described in my books America Ascendant, The Rise of American Exceptionalism and Glenn Miller Declassified. My forthcoming book, America and Britain, The Essential Alliance, is a definitive history of the alliance and its current potential. My recent related articles include Ameria Adrift, American Renewal, the Biden Doctrine, Cold War II, Defiant Ukraine, NATO Reborn and Elizabeth II.