So do we still think countries aren’t running to the US for deals? 
Given that everything that fuckwit says in those WH press conferences is a lie, there’s probably no more than 5 or 6 Trump-friendly countries that have been in touch. I hope we’re not one of them, but I fear the worst.
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I think some will go looking for deals, others will go to appear to be looking for deals and others again will do nothing and sit back.
Why would you sign anything with the US under this administration. If he wakes up in the morning and decides to rip it up on a whim then it’s not worth the Microsoft Word document its written on.
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I mean kind of funny it went from 50 to 15 I’ll give that, but the main players in the world aren’t stupid.
Negotiating with the tangerine is the best bet even if he’s an idiot.
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Works both ways though, they know if they don’t negotiate he could wake up tomorrow and slap them with bigger tariffs.
Like it or not the US are the world order and people will find it much easier to go ask for a deal than stand against it.
Not saying it’s right really just not surprising. I’d rather everyone gave the US a collective finger in all respects (defence and trade relations) but they never will. They’d have to side with china or Russia, who are both still much more scary, to do so.
Let see the outcome but this is entirely sensible and pragmatic from Starmer and clearly in the best interest of British business and people.
Our ability to be flexible and highly responsive to changing economic winds is critical.
As a fan of The Thick of It and Yes Prime Minster…ouch. But justified.
True. Or he might not. Who knows. Its a shit show all round
I do think appearing to negotiate is the way to go though. Then just keep having scheduling conflicts for the zoom meetings.
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I’m not against the way Starmer has handled Trump, in fact it’s about the only thing I’m prepared to say he’s done well.
I think it’s still fair to find it loathsome for Britain to be quite as cozy with these fascists.
Today - Vance: “UK in pole position for trade deal with US”
Tomorrow - Vance: “Until the Islamic United Kingdom changes their brutal and disrespectful food safety laws, they will not be getting any sort of trade deal”
You can’t negotiate with bullies because they don’t negotiate in good faith.
This administration has proven that you can’t take them on their word or anything they say in good faith. They will 180 their position at the drop of a hat.
You can be as pragmatic as you want, but in no scenario does the UK come out with a favourable deal here.
It’ll be “take our chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and let Blue Cross and Kaiser Permanente take over the NHS and maybe we’ll let tariffs stay at 10%”.
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Ever since I was born the UK has masturbated over ‘special relationship’ which seems to be nothing more than a parasocial relationship where the UK barks to the US’s command.
Loyalty to the US is embedded into the system.
I’ll wait to see what concessions we make and make a judgement then. One problem it has to be said is Starmer/Labour do feel very desperate with their popularity plummeting and their ‘economic’ decisions being quite unpopular. Not the conditions that ensure we’ll get the ‘best deal’ possible.
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Literally every country in the west says the US is their most important and enduring ally, even Denmark lol
Every country thinks they have a special relationship with the US, but the reality is that the US doesn’t have friends it has interests and this has never been more evident than now.
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We have stringent food safety laws and practices in this country, we raise and grow our own chickens, eggs and beef, why the fuck would we want this subpar shite that is already full of even worse rubbish than the cheapest produce you can already buy in the UK.
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Apart from speaking the same language, we have no more of a special relationship with America as we do with most European countries.
Trump couldn’t care less about us or any other country, even his own to some extent, it’s all about what he can gain financially and boosting his ego through displaying his power.
Idiots like Farage who think Trump admires him are delude and although any leader that deals with him have to be careful not to criticise him because he has no loyalty and will hold a grudge against anyone that goes against him, including people that he’s previously worked with or called friends.
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As someone who has been with an American for 10 years, has lived in Kansas and has traveled to about 17 states I firmly stand by my statement that the UK has much more in common with the Dutch, the Danes, Norwegians etc. than they do with the the US.
The culture shock Brits get when they move to America and vice versa is HUGE. So much more than people realise.
UK-US are great at fighting wars together though, and that’s really the basis of the “special relationship”.
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Can you elaborate on that a bit please? Not a challenge at all, just genuinely interested. What are some of the main things you have noticed Brits having in common with Europeans but not Americans?
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This is a really enjoyable speech from the Singaporean PM on the tariffs and their consequences:
“Vassal State: How America Runs Britain” by Angus Hanton is a great and eye-opening book on Britain’s relationship with the US and how Britain is run almost exclusively for the benefit of the US economy. 
One example that always sticks in my mind is the surprise at which a US company felt when they were able to purchase Morrisons, the grocery shop chain, for less than the worth of the freeholds on the properties it owned.
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https://x.com/3lfares/status/1912426156659257425?s=46
JD Vance seems to agree with you
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I’d agree with you there, having lived in Norway/dated and nearly married a Norwegian for a while and then Aarhus for a little bit, I found attitudes in almost everything were not too dissimilar.