International Relations

  • UK’s strange view of int. relationships

    In a poll by YouGov, it appears UK citizens have a strange view of friend and foe, or neighbour and stranger. In a list of 18 countries, there are surprising results as to who we think will come to our aid.

    In the top three are nations – Australia, New Zealand, and Canada respectively – that aren’t considered to have strong militaries. In the case of Canada, it’s considered a neutral state, anyhow.

    Thankfully, the US polls fourth in the list, and considering the assistance it provided during WW2, and thereafter, it makes sense. However, it’s odd that Sweden and Italy are in fifth and sixth place.

    Lastly, in seventh is Ireland, a nation historically the UK cannot consider an ally and has been seen as a foe, at times. This shows the UK is in a sorry state of affairs in its understanding of world alliances.

  • Is Israel all that wrong?

    The whole world appears to be in some sort of Cold War. It’s a factional, stateless race for ‘rightness’ and a sense of success. It’s obvious in Europe and Russia, the Middle East and China. There’s a competition for supremacy alongside a moral cry for alarm at things.

    It doesn’t sit inside democracy or emerge from the killing fields of public opinion. It isn’t a sound of change or a voice for the voiceless. The endless streams of protest resemble a babble of countless pundits. The chaos and confusion runs into the heart of things.

    Israel has its own gauntlet to run. It’s got the UN for a brick wall and hurdles set up by competing European nations to get over. It also has the tricky issue of terrorist organisations, but it challenges that as well. It must be tiring being in fractured negotiations too.

    We all need a break – a rest – from things but it’s not apparent yet. The wars roll on, the conflicts bubble over, and the tumult still rises higher. No one is in sight as being a solution, and nowhere seems safe right now. It’s a hullaballoo for kids, and a brainteaser for the adults.

  • Starmer walks the stage

    Sir Keir Starmer has been on a jaunt to New York City in the brightly lit halls of power that is the United Nations. He’s met with an array of world leaders such as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ursula von de Leyen, and Lula Da Silva, to name a few. It’s clearly a good place to meet people.

    In a post on X he’s trumpeted the UK’s standing in the world. He’s clearly felt buoyed by his trip and what he’s done. His speech to the General Assembly also elicited feelings of international cooperation over the problems facing the world such as the Middle East.

    The only problem is the UK faces the hard task of having to negotiate agreements by itself. The likes of NATO and old alliances may seem fitting for some situations, but not others. There’s a large void in international relations that we have to fill on our own. Let’s hope he can do it.