A nation must think before it acts.
There are only two countries in the world whose citizens have fought alongside American troops in every single war since World War I: Britain and Australia. No other American ally, friend, or partner can make that claim. Not surprisingly, the “special relationship” with Britain has been of the closest cooperation and trust that could ever take place between two independent nations.
Volumes upon volumes have been written about the ties between Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt; a new movieonly underscores the close connections between the greatest Briton who ever lived and his American partners, even when they bitterly disagreed. Similarly, there is a burgeoning literature that addresses the very close personal ties between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The two shared a commitment to democracy and free markets that was both deep and genuine. It should therefore come as no surprise that it was the United States, specifically the Pentagon, that rushed to Britain’s aid during the Falklands War. I should know; I was personally responsible for ensuring that London received every bit of kit it felt it needed to prosecute the war, even if that meant running down our own stocks.