And now as a nation we have our very own George W Bush in the form of wet behind the ears Prime Minister David Cameron. This gaffe a minute premier shows all the signs of being a diplomatic nightmare for the collective British interest over the next few years.
But am I alone in wondering why have the press not said more about it? And would they have been so forgiving if an outgoing Gordon Brown had made such stupid remarks during his last days in Number 10?
Perhaps comparing him to George W is a bit rich though? After all GWB was just plain stupid, whilst DC has had all the advantage of an Eton/Oxford education, which makes his gaffes even the more startling.
For instance consider Gaffe No. 1. in Washington in July, when he referred to Britain having been America's "junior partner in 1940 when we were fighting the Nazis." This was not just an insult to all those who served and fought and lived through World War Two, is was also cringinglly and historically incorrect? How can someone from Eton totally forget about Pearl Harbour not happening until December 1941? And where were our American cousins when we needed them at Dunkirk? and yet the media hardly mentioned his error. How on earth Cameron achieved a grade A when he took his History A-level at Eton in 1984 is any ones guess
Then a few days later in Ankara we found the Conservative Party's answer to Jeremy Clarkson sharing his views on the Gaza Strip when he referred to it as a "Prison Camp" Now I actually agree with him on this one, it is the inaction of so many before him and now of him and his government who still continue to allow Israel to openly flout International law that has created such a situation But did he not think of the potential harm he might do as Prime Minister by expressing such a comment so openly without any thought as to the consequences?Now he will have to appease the Zionists to readdress the balance!
And of course more recently we have him upsetting our Pakistani Allies by suggesting that they "Look both Ways" when dealing with terrorism and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Camerons comments linked Pakistan wrongly with the export of terror and drove a massive wedge between the two countries. Now of course it was true that a few years ago there was proof of senior Pakistani intelligence officers being involved with Taliban warlords, but to make such a comment in the current context as if nothing had changed and to do so in India! for heavens sake?
What DC seems to be guilty of is wanting too much to suck up to his hosts when abroad, wherever he may be, So in Washington he praises there non existent contribution to the war in 1940 whilst demoting Britain to also rans, without a thought as to the damage he would do back at home.
And then in Turkey. so desperate was he to sound pro Muslim to his hosts and new friends that he suddenly decides to tell the truth about Gaza which many of us having been trying to get across for years!
And again in India, he knew very well that the home Indian audience would dance with glee at his anti Pakistani ramblings, but that does not warrant his action! His rentaquote attitude to overseas hospitality is not only embarrassing, it's also downright dangerous.
Only after this latest blunder have the Press shown any real interest, and then not to any real degree. Meanwhile the Tory party tell us that he is just speaking his mind? Well I am sorry but when you are abroad as Prime Minister representing the whole Country then some account has to be given over to diplomacy.
Meanwhile the other half of Westminster's answer to Jedward, Nick Clegg has also been getting in on the act by declaring recently that redundancy could give men a welcome opportunity to “reinvent” themselves as stay-at-home dads. This of course followed hot on the heels of his gaffe at the dispatch box when he declared the war on Iraq illegal. Now once again I agree with him, but for a statement like that to be said at the dispatch box by a deputy PM plays straight into the hands of the International Courts. He might of inadvertently done those of us who opposed the war a favour, but don't try and tell me he meant to do it!
These two men are supposed to be running the country! Instead there constant blunders are now turning us into the pariah of the world. For all my disquiet as to the actions of previous post holders can anyone really have imagined Tony Blair, or even Gordon Brown making such huge mistakes?
John Dingle once said of another young Tory Prime Minister "I'm very close to suggesting that Mr. Pitt has now served as long as he can usefully do so. He seems to take his foot out of his mouth only for purposes of changing feet."
If only John Dingle could of seen these two in action!
STOP PRESS 5th August 2010: And now according to DC speaking In Turkey
"Iran has got a nuclear weapon"
Allah deliver us
