Allow me to introduce Nile Gardiner. He is one of many resident British subjects on the staff at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D. C. His current brief is Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. Understandably Nile does not comment much on the Iron Lady’s disastrous actions and policies in Northern Ireland. As a British Conservative, he has insinuated himself as a military-defense advisor to the disastrous Presidential campaigns of Rudy Giuliani and Ted Cruz. Lately, his commentary has turned to President Biden and his “low key stopover” visit to Britain on his way to a NATO meeting in Vilnius.
It is important to keep in mind that Britain feels it has a copyright on the phrase ‘special relationship.’ Gardiner’s insulting remarks on President Biden’s EU courtship reflect the self-absorbed actions of a child spurned by a friend who has found another playmate. In an earlier commentary in 2009 Gardiner lists is instructions to President Obama to “declare,” “to reaffirm,” “to call” “to confront” and “do not.” Clearly this is a man who has an exaggerated understanding of his importance.
Gardiner may not yet be aware of it but the UK role in foreign policy is settling in as far less important than he imagines. For example, Biden supported the appointment of Ursula Von de Leyen, President of the European Commission as the next Secretary-General of NATO which Gardiner described as “classic ruthlessness.” Her experience working with the 27 nations of the EU made her an obvious choice but Gardiner felt the British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace was entitled to it even though Britain is no longer a member of the EU and the Conservative Brexiteers have spent 7 years whining about everything EU! The Ministry of Defense has spent 50 years covering up British security forces and MI-5 involvement in the 1974 ‘act of war’ bombing of Dublin and Monaghan. Ben Wallace has refused the requests of the Irish Parliament to turn over records that would explain the role of members of the Ulster Defense Regiment of the Army. It is not just the arrogance but the classic sense of entitlement!
Nile believes President Biden had no cause to rubberstamp a trade deal with the UK that was agreed to by President Trump. On its face the proposals looked more like a Brexit bailout rather than a good package for American businesses and consumers. Of course, there was the distinct odor of ‘personal’ considerations for Trump Inc in the UK. Finally, it made little sense for America to endorse a trade deal with the UK until one was negotiated with the much larger EU market. Nile neglects to mention that Trump spitefully dismissed the Obama trade proposal out of hand in 2017.
According to Nile: “President Biden can barely disguise his sheer hatred of Britain,” Surely a man with several advanced degrees learned that Britain so hated the Irish it codified that hate into the Penal Laws. Those statutes formed the basis of British rule in Ireland for 200 years! But that hate still lives on today. The Conservatives want to adopt a cover-up in NI of more than 1100 lawless killings by a collaboration of British security service and loyalist bigots. The victims were mostly Irish citizens and Catholic but those centuries of hate have taught the Brexiteer brigade that the victims’ families are not worthy of truth, justice, or accountability.
Finally, Gardiner offers advice to President Biden from Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven who proclaimed: “Building a European superstate was an unnecessary and irrational project …that would seem in future years to be perhaps the greatest folly of the modern era.” Brexit is the greatest folly of British history. Biden and America have moved on but clearly Britain has not.
Michael J. Cummings, Past Secretary
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Michael J. Cummings, a native of Springfield, Mass. is a graduate of St. Anselm’s College (B. A., 1968) and New York University (MPA., 1970) . He co-founded the American Brexit Committee in 2016 and served as Secretary. from 2016-March, 2023. He is a former member of the National Boards of the Irish American Unity Conference (1996-2013), the Ancient Order of Hibernians (2001-2008), and the Irish Northern Aid Committee (1988-1996). He also served as Chairman of the Capital District Irish National Caucus (1979-1982). He worked for the State of New York for 36 years in various capacities including as Assistant Deputy State Comptroller and Director of the Justice Court Fund. He served on the Peace and Justice Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.
Cummings has appeared on American, English, and Irish television and radio and his commentary and letters have appeared in major American, Irish-American, and Catholic print media. He is married 50 years to Nuala Hogan, a nurse and native of Ireland. They have five children and 8 grandchildren.
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