Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (91632)	12/20/2004 12:50:18 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793820

Top Ten By Diplomad A Report from the Vice Chief Diplomad for Lists: Readers of this blog have sent in comments and emails stating that the Diplomad only has criticism and never any praise (except for the US Marine Corps). Not true. The Diplomad, like the Administration it honorably serves, greatly values its allies, and would never make the case that acting purely unilaterally is better than doing so in concert with allies. Here's our (current) top-ten list of allies we admire and appreciate (note there is a two-way tie for number 1): 1) The UK: There is no strategic relationship more important around the world than US-UK. The Diplomad may feel closer ideologically to Margaret Thatcher than to Tony Blair, but that earns Mr. Blair even greater praise for having to bring his own party around to his grand, strategic thinking. Blair's speeches on Iraq have been persuasive and, yes, we'll admit it, even more articulate than our own leaders' on the subject. 1) Australia: The Aussies are always there when it counts. This is the only country in the world that has fought alongside the USA in every war over the past century. We don't even mind too much when they beat us out for some Olympic medals. We consider them Americans with accents; or is it the other way round? 2) Israel: A tiny country that consistently pisses off the rest of the world even more than the United States has to have a lot going for it. Besides democratic values and military toughness, they've also got world-class science, agriculture, medicine and potatoe latkes. 3) Japan: Unfairly underrated and under appreciated as an ally, Japan, among other things, quietly supports OIF and works very constructively to help push back against North Korea. And they still make great cars and cameras -- in fact, at a time that American cars are being made in Mexico, the Japanese increasingly build theirs in the USA. 4) Denmark: Always on the right side of every intra-European argument. Plus it's the only entry as a country in the Holocaust Museum's wall of honor -- the Danish royal family during WWII was one of the great class acts of all time. 5) Singapore: Dynamic business center and sensible, pragmatic foreign policy, with leaders openly rejoiced over the US victory in the Cold War. 6) Turkey: Didn't cave into terrorist attacks earlier in the year; is struggling mightily to prove that a country of Muslims can be secular and democratic. Could have been more accommodating with our Iraq policy, but that's over with now. 7) Poland: Perfect example of a former Eastern Bloc country coming around to Western values and a heavy contribution to NATO. Kudos for their OIF participation. 8) Italy: Berlusconi is one of the most colorful and gutsy leaders in the world. Diplomads loved when he insulted that leftist German European Parliament guy, comparing him to Sgt. Schultz in "Hogan's Heroes." 9) The Baltics Three: It'd be hard to pick from among them, so let's just give the number-9 spot to all three: Welcome to NATO, where you don't have to take any crap from the Russians. 10) Spain's Jose Maria Aznar: The former Prime Minister understood clearly where he wanted his country to be in the war on terror. Nearly a victim of terror himself, he proved himself uncompromising, articulate, and unapologetic for his support of the USA in that war. Honorable mentions could go to South Korea, other former Eastern Bloc countries, Mexico under President Fox, the Latin American countries that deployed to OIF, and to Ukraine, if it elects Yuschenko.