Brown message to US: it's time to build, not destroy

Source: The Guardian

Minister signals foreign policy shift ahead of PM's Washington trip

The first clear signs that Gordon Brown will reorder Britain's foreign policy emerged last night when one of his closest cabinet allies urged the US to change its priorities and said a country's strength should no longer be measured by its destructive military power.

Douglas Alexander, the trade and development secretary, made his remarks in a speech in America, the first by a cabinet minister abroad since Mr Brown took power a fortnight ago.

The speech represents a call for the US to rethink its foreign policy, and recognise the virtues of so-called "soft power" and acting through international institutions including the United Nations.

In what will be seen as an assertion of the importance of multilateralism in Mr Brown's foreign policy, Mr Alexander said: "In the 20th century a country's might was too often measured in what they could destroy. In the 21st century strength should be measured by what we can build together. And so we must form new alliances, based on common values, ones not just to protect us from the world, but ones which reach out to the world." He described this as "a new alliance of opportunity".

Read more: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2125375,00.html

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Destructive power is no measure of a country's might, Britain tells US
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2067238.ece

"hard power" and what is left will be "soft power." I cringe every time I hear that we are "the only remaining superpower." There should an asterisk by that phrase whenever it is used - an asterisk that notes that we are the world's biggest debtor nation. Another asterisk might note that no one appointed us to be the world's policemen.

around their pinkies like they did toady blur.

This is simply a plea for a better fig leaf to cover the aggression. They're mad because of the form, not the content, of Bush's policies.

getting my hopes up. Yeah, the bushits are all about bad form..their content sucks the life right outta our Planet, too! :(

Excellent!! He's also not some foreign toady for the neo-cons.
:thumbsup:

Also, I wish our newspaper reporters would use the word "fortnight", sounds so distinguished.

he's at his best when he's killing things or, if that is unavailable, destroying property.

Gordon Brown brought his Cabinet into line last night to reassure the White House that he was not going cool on the special relationship.

After just over two weeks as Prime Minister, Mr Brown asked Tom Scholar, his chief of staff, to write to all the Cabinet emphasising the importance of the link with America and reminding them of his own words that “we will not allow people to separate us from the United States in dealing with the common challenges we face around the world”.

The move was an effort to mend fences with the US Administration after a day of confusion over the implications of a speech in Washington by Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary and one of Mr Brown’s closest allies, which was widely seen as a criticism of US foreign policy. Mr Brown will also fly to Washington to see President Bush, probably within the next 2½ weeks, earlier than expected.

British officials contacted the White House directly yesterday morning to emphasise that no slight had been intended and Downing Street described as “nonsense” and “extraordinary” the interpretations placed by some newspapers on Mr Alexander’s speech.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2072371.ece

How much does it cost these days to build a secret base inside a dormant volcano on a tropical island, anyway?