"bullcrap" was Mr NotAMonkey's term...

Your point doesn't undermine mine.

Never a unified EU unified position re intervention...ermmm what was Bosnia and Kosovo then?

Godwin's Law again. You just can't help it, can you?

Nice complete and utter contradiction in (incorrectly) stating our "global power trajectory" has been "downwards" for 70 years, yet insist we "would" be stronger "as a unified bloc". So EU membership is and has been that great? But also it isn't? Do you contradict yourself in closing arguments in court, legal, then call the jury "nazi-wannabees" just to seal the deal?

Never mind that until 2016 we were ranked #1 in the soft power index, overtaken only by the US last year. The rest of your conjectured wailing about our supposed global irrelevance I shall weight accordingly.

Attachment: legally_lobotomised.jpg (147.60Kb)

I've just Googled soft power. Ability to influence by wheeling and dealing and being nice.

First thing to come up was from Portland communications (the ones behind the various failed labour coups and anti Corbyn press set ups)
It said this.
he distribution of global power is rapidly
evolving, precipitating far-reaching
economic and political changes affecting
nations of every size and standing. Traditionally,
power in international relations has been defined
and assessed in easily quantifiable ‘hard’ terms,
often understood in the context of military and
economic might. Hard power is the exercise of
influence through coercion, relying on tactics
like military intervention, coercive diplomacy,
inducements of payment, and economic sanctions. i
Soft power, on the other hand, is the ‘ability to
affect others to obtain preferred outcomes by the
co-optive means of framing the agenda, persuasion
and positive attraction’.ii Soft power strategies
eschew the traditional foreign policy tools of the
carrot and stick, working instead to persuade by
using networks, developing and communicating
compelling narratives, establishing international
norms, building coalitions, and drawing on the key
resources that endear one country to another.
In simple terms, ‘hard power is push; soft power
is pull’. iii

Apologies for formatting.

Sounds like something invented to be a fad like mindfulness.

I can see our ranking slip looking at the emboldened part and the PM.

This really f***s me off is when people write stuff that they attribute to allude to be the thoughts of another person even when that person hasn't said anything like what they are being accused of saying.
Don't make up what I've said!
Thank you.

EFA

Nice complete and utter contradiction in (incorrectly) stating our "global power trajectory" has been "downwards" for 70 years, yet insist we "would" be stronger "as a unified bloc".

...............................................

I may need a lobotomy if I read much more of your stuff,Mr Notamonkey!

There is no contradiction whatsoever.We have been declining in global influence (down from number one) since about 1917...

The relative decline has continued since 1945 (down from number three) steadily...there are those who say our foreign policy (and meaningful ability to act independently) over the past 25 years has been vis a vis the USA that of a Warsaw Pact country to the USSR...there are those who say this has largely been the case for 60 years since Suez...

Our much vaunted reputation was blown apart by our failure in Helmand. Not the fault of the squaddies, but our 2nd rate equipment and logistics.

Our soft power indeed assists us..imagine where we'd be without English being the international language and the ongoing (though perhaps diminished) positive view of our 'culture'

We have maintained greater clout diplomatically and economically overseas than otherwise would have been the case from being part of the EU and thus supported in our security concil seat by the EU members as well as The USA.We have indeed 'punched above our weight'

Will our global decline by accelerated or arrested by Brexit? IMHO,the former

Edited by legaleagle (04 May 2017 7.31pm)

You're not patriotic if you don't think Brexit will be a success. Apparently.

I'm sure like me you are patriotic and want it to be a success despite our misgivings.

You are certain of this? Why?

What don't you say we 'will end up like Switzerland'?

Pure, unsubstantiated, political driven bollocks you spew, Michael.

You talk an incredible amount of bollocks.

Your misguided EU bias, possibly driven by your belief that if you vote out you are a 'bigot', which eases your middle class guilt derived from leaving normal society and living in a white only enclave, where you treat the 740 non British inhabitants to an 'Uncle Tom existence, which in turn produces the bollocks you spew on these boards, despite the fact that all these non-Brits are white and help you, so they must be ok, which they probably are, but your condescending attitude is self defeating.

Still, what do I know?

Edited by matt_himself (04 May 2017 9.08pm)

You cannot defend yourself. Pathetic.