oftwominds-Charles Hugh Smith: Brexit, the E.U. and the "Special Relationship" of the U.S./U.K.

Brexit, the E.U. and the "Special Relationship" of the U.S./U.K.

Any clique in the E.U. that thinks the U.S. will sit idly by while they "punish" the U.K. had better recalibrate their core interests and the potential for blowback.

One constant in a fast-shifting global chess board is the special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. The term special relationship defines a close collaboration diplomatically, militarily and financially.

Some might go so far as to speak of an Anglo-American Empire in terms of finance.

Needless to say, this special relationship impacts the European Union and the longer term impacts of Brexit.

Alliances are as complex as marriages. Just as marriages unite families as well as individuals, so alliances and treaties bind various sectors and agencies of nations in different ways and with different degrees of bonding.

Ties between France and Britain, for example, go back to the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The two have been rivals, adversaries and allies.

Nations that share borders almost always have special relationships due to the histories that go with borders--trade, war, occupation, alliances, etc.

Cont......