The Brits have never really given up on shaping American national security policy. Anyone who’s worked at the State Department or the National Security Council can confirm that British diplomats are very busy lobbying U.S. policymakers, digging for the latest in our thinking and knowledge, and establishing close working relations with our policy people. They had, and have, a double mission: Learn what we’re really all about and increase London’s influence on our policies.

Our British cousins are quite sure they understand the world much better than we do, and so, it is only logical for them to try to convince us to act as they would if they were still number one among national power rankings. Having lost that position after World War II, having seen the sun set on the British Empire, they resort to the next best thing: get us to follow their guidance.