During World War II, FDR's objective and message was simple: the purpose of the United States as a country, and of our involvement in the war, was the end of colonialism and imperialism. As most of the world was still living under the yoke of imperialism, this was incredibly powerful. It was expressed most directly at the Yalta Conference, when FDR said to Churchill: "you know, you're going to have to give up India, and the rest of the British Empire," to which Churchill replied "yes, I know, we'll give it up eventually." FDR snapped back "No! No, you're going to give it up right away! And France is going to give up Indochina, and the Dutch are going to give up Java. I don't care what this does to the European powers, I'm ending colonialism! We're going to free these people, and we're going to help them develop!"But alas, it was not to be. Roosevelt died in 1945, and Truman was taken by Churchill's counter-vision - that of a renewed British Empire, with America providing the muscle and the British financial and intelligence elite providing the brains and calling the shots. So, Truman essentially betrayed the US - he waged a relentless campaign to turn our Soviet allies into the enemy, imported fascism (ala McCarthy), shut down much of our vast productive apparatus built up during the war (which was to be used to help former colonies develop), turned the remaining elements into the modern-day military-industrial complex, and allowed the imperial powers (especially the British) to recolonize much of their lost territory. This state of affairs came to be known as the "Special Relationship" between the US and UK, and is the geopolitical dynamic which persists to the present day. Well, until now anyways. President Obama seems to understand that the British Empire, like all empires inevitably, is now in its death throes, and that the only way for the US to provide for future prosperity and security is to make a clean break. His snub of Gordon Brown, and his ending of the "Special Relationship," was deliberate, and was meant to send a clear signal to the other 3 great nations of the world - India, Russia, and China. The signal sent was thus: "We want to join with you in the cause of development and peaceful coexistence. We renounce imperialism, and will no longer be party to it." This was further borne out in Sec. Clinton's recent trips to those three countries, as well as the public clash between the US and UK as regards the G20 response to the financial mess. In effect, it was not only and extradition of America from the collapsing British Empire, but a declaration of war on it.So, does that make sense now?

No I dont and I dont think your three paragraphs was why either.

You are truely pathetic. And you should learn to footnote...sad....

You took a lot of words to say Foreign Policy = Switch Sides

"So, does that make sense now?"No, do it again, this time use your brain.

Is that it... First of all Obummer is not smart enough to understand what you said,even though its a Fairy tale. He is just an idiot who disses our allies,and bends over to our Enemys.. Thanks for nothing Obama!

Britain perceives it as a snub. It was not intended as a snub.

So this also explains the cheap non imaginative gifts Michelle Obama stiffed Sarah Brown with also?http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5848073.ece

That is an interesting spin on history. I never really learned it like that. I think you left out that we have a mutual heritage with Britain and that the communist nation of Russia after WWII didn't desire a friendly relationship with us. Britain is our friend and it is going to take more on our part than ditching her to get in with Russia, China, and India. We would have to change our country's principles. Obama has already eluded to that. I am for keeping our principles and growing in strength of economy. Then we could have a limited relationship with these countries while keeping them at a distance."Keep new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold."Old friends are the best friends.

hmm i dunno. im still pretty sure its the US empire and that obama is content on keeping it that way.