Presidential visit

Took the opportunity to pop over to Stansted Airport last night to watch Airforce One come in. Loads of plane spotters in evidence around perimeter roads. Loads of security obviously - got id checked twice by local Police which is sort of comforting given the current climate.

Exciting!
I'm vaguely envious.

it amused me in a schoolboy way to hear one of the planespotters shout out 'Look! There's the presidents chopper!'. Phnar, phnar

After the way our thankfully outgoing president made a veiled threat about Britain leaving the EU I'm not surprised you folks didn't invite him to leave forthwith.

I don't think everyone here perceives it as a threat, more a stating of the obvious.

exavid wrote:

After the way our thankfully outgoing president made a veiled threat about Britain leaving the EU I'm not surprised you folks didn't invite him to leave forthwith.

Actually, outside the US the current president is quite popular. Certainly more so than a certain yellow haired clown who has been so successful to the horror of the rest of the world.
( that is my first and last political comment)

Of course we Brits could always advise you on who to have for POTUS !  I seem to recall that the Americans started a war in order to free themselves of foreign rule and here is Obama telling us to join up to be ruled from Brussels !
Puts on tin hat and dives into pre dug trench !

But he's not telling us what to do!
He's pointing out what will almost certainly happen with regard to our relationship with the USA is we leave the EU.
It's not the same thing at all.
Imagine the bleating from the Brexits if we leave and then find out the truth; it'll be a case of 'Why didn't Obama warn us'.
That'll be combined with 'Why are they (Westminster - the Government) telling us what to do', if we do leave the EU.

He is threatening us, he should keep his nose out of our affairs, he wouldn't like us telling him what to do !

MikeO, it seems you favour staying in the EU. That is not my view. As for trade who can see into the future. We as a nation are well respected around the world, if any country wants to trade with us I'm sure they will, as they always have. Long before any EU ever existed.

Perhaps it's more a case of losing cultural identity. Increase in migration will continue to escalate causing a loss in ethnicity and related values.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't

Bob

It seems that President Obama's government  and now Hillary Clinton have already made their mind up, come out of the EU and it will be difficult to trade with you, I don't particulally agree with that, I think trade is trade whether you are in or out and negotiating trade deals will always take time irrespective of the decission made. Cross border security is another issue that springs up, probably the UK and the USA have the biggest terrorist/security  data base and no doubt information is passed freely between both countries and the rest of Europe and will continue whatever the outcome of the referendum. My mind is made up what to vote unless proof the we will be better of within Europe and not speculation by either the in or out campaigners and speeches by the President who in my opinion should keep his thoughts to himself and let the people who it effects decide. This is just my 2pence worth but Mr Obama has done nothing but made my decission easier.

I don't want to get too political too long here but I do believe our dear leader was trying to give unwanted advice. He started his term of office by removing Churchill's bust from the White House. He sits with his feet up on the Resolute desk. He is definitely an Anglophobe. I fear for all European countries, especially the UK over the immigration implications. We have a serious problem with it here and our president is encouraging it. Sorry for getting off into the political, I shall endeavor to refrain in the future.

The "Resolute desk", was made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880 for the return of HMS Resolute to Britain.

For those who don't know about the Franklin Arctic Expedition and the searches mounted for those unlucky adventurers here's a link to a precis of the story. There have been many books written about the lost expedition and the searches for it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Resolute_(1850)

Indeed, none of them have proper respect for valuable antiques that don't belong to them. I'm sure Queen Victoria expected better.

Hmmm - the Churchill bust was on loan to "W" and was scheduled to be returned to its rightful owner before Obama even took office. There is so much miss-information flying around regarding this President it is hard to know what to believe. Is he a Muslim? Is he even a citizen? Is he an Anglophobe? What a bunch of nonsense. His statements regarding Britain leaving the EU were as MikeO said - statements of the obvious - it is advantageous to the US to have the UK in the EU. Simple fact.

Rubbish, It was said to assist David Cameron and the "in" campaign and put the fear of god into those who are undecided thinking that will be doomed if we don't stay within the EC. I personally don't like being told what to do or try to be persuaded to vote other than what I think is right for me as an English man who does no want to be  ruled by money spending  non elected members  in Brussels. If anything President Obama  whether rightly or wrongly has made me even more determined to vote out. What happened to our friends and allies in the UK, does that suddenly stop if we vote out, i don't think so, and that trade deals would suddenly stop, no, there would certainly be a adjustment period but I think all would work out satisfactory in the end and we would be better of without the rest of Europe taking vast chunks of money out of our country with little return and then to be told what to do. As an ex coal miner I didn't see the European community rushing to help me when it was needed. There should be truthful debate on  the subject, straight facts with no speculation so that the average man can make up his own mind without outside influences. This is an important vote which could change the UK forever so it should be left to us to make our own minds up with the information that is available  and vote according to our own decisions and not scare mongering. This is the last word that I shall say on this subject so if it upsets anyone accept my apologies.  Pud.

Well said. In my honest opinion, the US sticks their nose in Europe's business too much. We have enough problems right here at home.