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Comment by mclightning | Hacker News Reader

It is weird US is bothered by Qatar having good relations with Turkey, which harbour US bases, 50+ US nukes, and NATO's second largest army.

It is almost like US doesn't want its allies to work well with each other. /s

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>> It is almost like US doesn't want its allies to work well with each other.

Pretty much on point. See also support for Brexit and anything that divides Europe. It's really just about protecting US's interests. Double standards is part of that. International law is for weaker nations(i.e divided).

US support for Brexit seems to generally follow party lines in the US. Almost all Americans I know (I am American) thinks it's a terrible idea promoted by conmen. The few who do support Brexit have some other beliefs I find very questionable.

I have the opposite experience. The Americans that are against brexit seem to be ignorant of the reasons why Brits want it. They just see it as a partisan issue and think of themselves as being on the "smart"side. Having talked to such folks many times, I have the impression they have no clue beyond the surface of the issue.

I don’t believe brexit is in US interests. And I think any US politician saying they support brexit is pandering to their base. The UK is a major diplomatic and political avenue into the EU. What other EU country has a relationship with the US like the UK?

Brit here: I think it is in the US interests, depending (and trump thinks in very simple ways). If the UK splits hard from the EU, it can (supposedly) be persuaded to accept US standards of food etc. Europe is also weakened by losing a major member so it can be pulled apart over time and 'embraced'.

I can see how the US, this pres especially, might see brexit as an opportunity and benefit.

(edit: clarification)

US media is distinctly anti-brexit, and paints leavers as uneducated xenophobic nationalists. Personally, most americans I know are mildly pro-brexit. Seems to echo our national narrative of the nations birth, and sovergnity. Most americans seem not to have a strong opinion on brexit, although most are familiar with the term.

That's... not how US stance as a country is perceived from outside. We don't see average Joe's opinion, but mainly statements and actions of politicians. And they do generally support Brexit

The Article 1 branch of the U.S. government sees American interests somewhat differently from "divides Europe":

https://www.rte.ie/news/us/2019/1201/1096402-gfa-congress-br...

A civil war in the UK would not benefit the US, neither a hard border with the EU/Ireland (i.e for trade).

>> Asked to name his biggest competitor and foe globally, the US president said there were "a lot of foes" and named Russia and China among them, but the first on his list was the EU.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44837311

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/22/very-dangerous-putin-trump-w...

These were Saudi demands, not US.

This is what the GCC is bothered buy. The US was discombobulated by the whole thing, and tried fruitlesslyto get the two sides to kiss and make up.

(After Obama's neutrality/mediation, Trump has sided with the GCC, but against the opinion of the professionals; the shift seems less about US interests and more about his personal interests and prejudices.)

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