Notes

The language is naturally a large uniting force between the UK and US 'special relationship' but also how deeply rooted the US's founding was in English and Scottish Englightenment thought... John Locke, Adam Smith, David Hume, Thomas Hobbes... We still read these people... We use the common law system of the British Empire while the majority of Europe uses civil or Roman law... The ideals behind the US Decl. of Independence and the Constitution were basically written by Englishmen and Scotsmen who, not long before, had written "what would we do if we could dismantle the government of GB and start over..." The US was largely created by Englishmen and Scotsmen (or their American-born children) and most Americans have at least some English or Scot in their familial history.

...because of the "special relationship" Britain was refused 2 times to join the EEC in 1960, finally the 3rd time they begged the EU - they were admitted in the EEC.

The UK is currently the black sheep of Europe (despite begging Europe to join the EEC - it is the most Euro-skeptic member always boycotting something)

For this reason Britain, is ironically so-called the 52nd State, and not an EU country. - De Gaulles refused Britain's entrance due to fear of English becoming the dominant language


To date, Britain remains the only country in Europe that was refused EU membership.

Many Continental Europeans, though, do tend to think otherwise because of the close alliance between the UK and the USA in times of war and intenrational disputes, this of course being much more apparent in the unfortunate situations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

UK is not culturally part of Europe

MAJORITY OF THE EU (ESPECIALLY FRANCE!) CONSIDER US AS NOT PROPER MEMBERS OF THE EU AND JUST AN ANNOYANCE WHO WOULD BE HAPPY IF WE LEFT - BENEFIT BRITAIN AND EU IF WE LEFT?

Obama said the Prime Minister would be the first person he calls in the even of an international crisis