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British prime ministers have always tried to play up the "special relationship" with the US. The usual phrases are trotted out: shared values, common history, global leadership. In reality America has special relationships with a number of countries; Britain is just one of them and not even first among equals. So perhaps Gordon Brown's visit to Washington to meet George W. Bush was never really going to change the world as we know it. But even still, opportunities were lost.
The two leaders had a chance to address serious issues facing them and the planet; Iraq, global warming, the credit crunch, poverty, hunger, emerging markets and countries and how to tackle terror. But nothing of substance regarding these issues emerged from their meeting. The steam may have gone out of the Bush presidency and Brown may be more interested in who will occupy the White House next year but putting decisions on hold is a dangerous game to play. The world may be facing its greatest financial crisis since 1929 but you wouldn't know it from the lack of urgency at this summit. This vacuum of leadership undermines those who claim the special relationship is anything special at all.
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