- guardian.co.uk, Sunday December 17 2000 01.09 GMT
Beneath the froth of international diplomacy, it is evident that there is actually going to be a change in the terms of trade between Number 10 and the Oval Office. Blair will never be as in tune with Bush, a man he will meet for the first time in the New Year, as he was with Bill Clinton, his fellow member of the international brotherhood of the Third Way. More important, the new Republican regime in Washington will not have identical priorities to Britain.
The key points on the map of the Bush presidency will be Russia, the Middle East, so crucial to America's oil supplies, and the Pacific, where China is identified as the strategic threat. So we must expect a White House less engaged with the problems of Northern Ireland. We must prepare for a United States unwilling to expend its blood and treasure in Europe. Colin Powell, expected to be the new Secretary of State, holds to the doctrine that no war is worth an American life. Condoleeza Rice, the new queen of National Security, has talked about withdrawing from peacekeeping operations in Kosovo.
A more unilateralist America can be regarded as a frightening challenge or it can be seized as an opportunity to recast the relationship in a more grown-up way. While America and Britain will continue to enjoy common interests, it is time to drop the pretence that they are always the same. The environmental unfriendliness of the new order in Washington should impel Britain to find a louder voice in criticising America's unwillingness to take its fair share of responsibility for polluting the planet.
Instead of being a mute, London should be a candid friend to the US about the dangers of Bush's enthusiasm for the colossal expense of National Missile Defence. Our refusal to participate in this lunatic scheme may prevent America making a mistake which will harm others and itself. That is what true friends are for.
