Dear UK Friend,
Today the TV is filled with news about your nation’s concern over a perceived “anti-British” tone in comments about BP.
Quite frankly we across the pond are slightly amazed at this reaction from you. To be honest the only people associating BP with Britain is, sorry love, you guys.
So lets clear the air. We don’t blame you or rather we didn’t until now. As one friend said at a party, “I wonder why they are jumping to BP’s defense. I mean smoke and fire right?” Simply put, thanks to you, people ARE now making a link. Yesterday we had a world cup match. For the first time one felt in the fans a dislike for your country in the fan reaction. Before all this, any sports encounters between us just engendered good-natured ribbing or a naturally healthy sport rivalry. Yesterday the fan yells grew uglier especially when news came on about the British PM calling Obama on BP. Memo to your PM. STOP LINKING BP WITH BRITAIN! BTW your ambassador here really needs to go on a charm offensive.
May I make a suggestion? Re-think your responses. This especially critical in light of the fact that our “special relationship” is, okay lets be honest, slowly fading. It is sad but true. As the older “euro centric educated” population declines the new rising American generations do not see you in quite the same way. In days gone by English history and literature was drilled into us. We saw your culture as part of our American culture. So naturally we felt close. But now our educational system stresses multi-cultures and England does not occupy her preeminent place in our educational process.
That doesn’t mean we don’t like you anymore but younger Americans do not see you as a mother country. In fact our perceptions of critical British history is evolving in new ways. For example, I doubt our growing Hispanic population will see the events around the “Spanish Armada” in quite the same way. True it will take twenty-five years or so for this to be fully felt in our governments attitudes to you but hey what’s twenty-five years in the great scheme of history.
Now don’t go crazy about it. We will still feel comfortable with you and, thanks to public television imports, there will always be a class of citizens that think of you as special. But the days of unqualified free passes in our sentimental hearts is drawing to a close. Also the views of the rapidly aging DC crowd are NOT the average American’s views. I’d suggest you end your diplomats out into the hinterland to charm up the new emerging leaders.
So let me end this by asking. Do you really want to endanger our new evolving relationship by defending an oil-polluting group of incompetent businessmen? Do you really want large parts of the American public to associate you and yours as being somehow involved in destroying of our wetlands? There is a rising tide of anger over BP. May I suggest you grab a “cuppa” and sit this one out before you ignite a dislike of Britain that will leave a lingering scar on our friendship! We will in the future have spats. This is NOT one you can win or need to get into yeah?
PS One-One. How sweet it is.
