Just Saying | Has Britain become a completely useless country these days?
Yonden Lhatoo argues that it was wrong of Hong Kong to deny entry this week to a British activist in light of Britain’s diminishing relevance and influence in the international arena
During a heated BBC panel discussion this week on Brexit, an American commentator caused a stir by postulating that Britain was “weak and divided, and relying on old ideas of British greatness”.
A Belgian journalist on the panel ramped up the rhetoric by declaring that Britain was a “completely useless country”.
Worst. Speech. Ever: British PM Theresa May endures prankster and coughing fits before slogan literally falls apart
Critics had a field day ridiculing May, who came across as a leader long past her sell-by date, struggling to finish a stuttering, insipid speech that was interrupted by heckling, coughing fits and even letters of the slogan behind her falling off in a sad display of decrepitude.
We all know that the sun set on the British Empire a long time ago, but how relevant still, really, is Britain on the global stage?
Former foreign secretary Douglas Hurd once famously declared that his country’s military strength allowed it to punch above its weight. That was back in 1993 when Britain was far more relevant to the rest of the world than it is today. Now you have Boris Johnson, nuff said.
