David Cameron launches AmericaInTheWorld.com

BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson quoted British Conservative leader's "This novice is waiting with interest to see how that novice performs."  Watch key extracts of David Cameron's remarks below...

Comments

[Joe Otten]

Why choose such a divisive figure as Cameron, when mostly it is the left that needs to heed your campaign?

Or are you putting domestic point scoring ahead of defending America?

[H Taylor]

There is no bandwagon onto which this idiot wont jump.

[Richard, Tokyo JP]

We American's do have an image problem that isn't that fair and we need all the help we can get. So thank you and keep doing what you're doing.

One thing that really hurts America's cause are the Americans who go abroad and slam their own country. Some of our Celebs are the greatest ambassadors for Anti-American forces, I'm not so sure they know it. In some ways Micheal Moore does more damage to America than the leader of Iran could dream of. I live in Tokyo, do you know how many people believed that 9-11 crap he was pushing in 2004? I always have to set the record straight. Maybe I'm old fashion, but I just don't go around the world ripping my country even when I disagree with a president or a particular policy. If I have a disagreement, I try to work within the country to make changes, we should not be hurting our country image abroad just to a political edge on an issue at home.

Rich, Tokyo

[Kelly, Chicago]

Was Hugo Chavez not available to launch the site?? Seriously, why would anyone think that a guy who threw America under the bus on 9/11 anniversary to score election points would have ideas that most Americans would want to listen to.

[johnstlouis]

Hi, Kelly from Chicago,
I am not sure what you're referring to. What did DC do to throw America under the bus on the 9/11 anniversary?

[Patsy Sergeant]

Its interesting that the first two comments on this new 'site', have to demonstrate the lack of imagination of so many political activists.

I think it is about time that we had something like this - a kind of joining-up - if allowed to be!

I wish President-elect Obama all the luck in the world, and after all - as if you (plural) didn't know already Messrs Otten and Taylor, David Cameron will almost certainly be meeting Mr. Obama in an official capacity in the near future. They are both about the same age, and I am sure they will continue the CHANGE of outlook that is needed in world and national politics!

[Joe Otten]

Patsy, yes clearly Cameron should seek to meet Obama - and this result is good for the Conservatives, in so far as they wrecked their relationship with the Republicans.

Clearly also, the Conservatives will seek to frame this result as being about "change" ignoring as much as possible of the content of that change. That is obviously good spin.

But frankly the personal comparison is laughable. A black man who gets to be President is overturning centuries of prejudice. A posh boy leading the Tories is benefiting from centuries of prejudice.

[Josh]

When America becomes socalist like Europe. Don't blame me I didnt vote for Obama.

[Tonio]

anti-Americanism is a form of mass hysteria "light years from rationality" as one german newspaper columnist once said after Michael Moore spoke before a german crowd a few years ago. He called it a cult-like assembly of frustrated trust-fund brats who no longer believe in God, but must still blame something on all the things they cannot explain. America, in a Godless world, as become both Satan and God.

[James G]

Britain threw her lot in with America after WW2, calculating that the future was American and that thanks to sharing the English language, they would have a competitive advantage compared to all the other countries of the new Americanised world. But she underestimated the cultural power of America, and since then has seen her own cultural identity dwindle to the point that when you ask a British person today what their country, or britishness stands for, they can't answer the question. They probably know American "movies" or music far better than their own and now that they don't have much genuine home grown culture left, they try hard to think that American arts and even history are, in fact, theirs.

Formerly positive British values such as chivalry, fair play, standing up for the underdog, austerity, modesty, guile, pragmatism, even pessimism, are now derided and shunned in favour of a far more rationalist, and non European, materialistic approach to life: "if it aint got a price tag, it aint worth anything" "always back a winner" or "nice guys finish last" : exit the gentleman.

Politically, Britain has lost all semblance of independence from the US. This is because, as we saw with Iraq, Britain's military and intelligence services are highly dependent on America, and simply have no choice: our nuclear bomb won't work unless its owners at the pentagon say so, and even the British media is dominated by an American citizen: Rupert Murdoch, who does not hesitate to promote his American ideals, to the detriment of British and European ones, at every opportunity.

But the most important factor is culture. Walk down any British high street today and see whole families of bloated Brits spending their free time in rows of identical chain stores, imitating American vocabulary, listening to hip hop music, walking while eating junk food: this is a colonised land: militarily, economically but especially culturally occupied. When you manage to acculturate another society and shape its mentality your way, you don't need armies, laws or multinational companies to rule this country, its people accept voluntarily your dominance because they can't distinguish their own interests anymore from yours.

As hard as England tries to become American, it will always remain a sub American culture, so the only thing we could hope for in such a race is to be the best sub Americans, and beat the Puerto Ricans into second place.

[James G]

I don't think america is the "bad guy" to be blamed for everything that is happening to the UK. Of course they are often responsible, but only because Britain and especially British people have offered themselves up to them. It is hardly surprising, in their position anyone would have helped themselves. Britain offered her gold, her defense, her economic structures, much of her media and especially her culture. They renounced on keeping a strong identity and disabled themselves to resist in any way.

When the Bush administration couldn't invade Iraq alone and needed allies in order to start a war that every analyst and specialist predicted would be disastrous, they just called 10 Downing Street to give them their orders. Why do you think Britain, which is far more experienced in the region and does not share the neo conservative ideology and aims, simply followed and yet never explained why? Because they did not have any choice.

It is not surprising, given the lack of choice, that in spite of the growing and almost completed americanisation of British society at every level, there is almost no debate in Britain about this unequal relationship with the US. But it is in bad taste that those who are most supporting of this dependency, right wing British conservatives, are also eurosceptics, who claim to defend Britain's sovereignty and independence, in relation to the EU, a body which Britain has far more potential influence over.

The americanisation taking place in Britain is unprecedented in europe. Yet Britons who seek to denounce it are accused (especially by eurosceptic conservatives) of being anti-american and even somehow un-British while they are actually the last ones to defend British culture and interests.

What a tragic waste.

[Terry]

Thank you for this site. The United States of America is in need of places where the truth about us can be found. I hope David Cameron's dream does not turn out to be a nightmare, as James G's posting above this might indicate.