Why I Love to See Britain and America Thrive Together
There are times when politics becomes personal. For me, watching the United States and the United Kingdom step closer together this past week was not just a headline in a newspaper—it was like watching two old friends rediscover the bond that had always tied them together.
Both countries have shaped my life. Both are written into my story in ways that run deeper than economics or politics. And so, when I see Washington and London forge a new path together—whether it is called the “Tech Prosperity Deal” or simply the next chapter of the Anglo-American story—I feel something stir inside me.
The Pull of Two Homelands
I grew up in Germany, but my imagination was always elsewhere. For a boy in Freiburg in the 1980s, America was more than a place—it was an idea. The open roads of Texas, the skyscrapers of New York, the entrepreneurial fire of Silicon Valley. To me, America meant freedom, energy, possibility.
Britain, too, carried its own allure. From Shakespeare to the Beatles, from the grit of the Industrial Revolution to the elegance of Oxford, the UK stood for resilience, wit, and a certain stubborn independence. London, in particular, fascinated me: a city where history and global finance walked hand in hand.
Later in life, I lived both dreams. I built a career in the City of London, close to The Ned and Old Jewry, in that world of old stone and fast money. And I lived under the wide skies of Texas, raising children, running businesses, and learning what it means to call America home. I was shaped by both sides of the Atlantic.
So yes, I confess: I want both countries to win.
The Symbolism of the New Alliance
The announcement of a massive US–UK tech pact is, of course, about investment. Billions for AI, supercomputing, and advanced nuclear energy. American giants—Microsoft, Google, Nvidia—choosing Britain as their partner.
But to me, it is not the numbers that matter. It is the symbolism.
It means that Britain’s story after Brexit is not one of decline but of reinvention.
It means that America is not turning inward, but outward, choosing allies, strengthening bonds.
It means that the English-speaking world still sets the pace, even in an age where China looms and Europe dithers.
And most of all: it means that the two countries I love most are thriving together, not drifting apart.
Why This Matters Beyond Economics
Of course, critics will point to the risks. They’ll say Britain could become a junior partner, too dependent on Silicon Valley. They’ll say American capital is never altruistic. They’ll mutter about vassal states and “sloppy seconds.”
But that misses the point.
The US–UK alliance is about trust. Trust that innovation will not be strangled by overregulation. Trust that ideas can flow freely across the Atlantic. Trust that if we are to meet the challenges of AI, energy, and security, it will not be Brussels or Beijing leading the charge, but Washington and London—together.
I’ve lived enough of life in both countries to know this: neither America nor Britain is perfect. They stumble, they quarrel, they sometimes lose confidence in themselves. But when they act together, something remarkable happens. They set the rhythm for the rest of the world.
Europe in the Rearview Mirror
And what of Europe?
I know Europe well—I was born into it, educated within it, and for many years I lived under its structures. And yet, when I look at how Brussels handles technology, I cannot help but feel sadness. The EU regulates first and asks questions later. It sees AI as a risk to be contained, not a frontier to be explored.
Meanwhile, America and Britain see opportunity. That difference in mindset explains why Silicon Valley exists in California and not in Bavaria, why Oxford and Cambridge attract tech giants while the European Parliament drafts another directive.
This is not to disparage Europe—it has its strengths. But in the great race of the 21st century, speed matters more than process. And that is why the US–UK pact matters so deeply: it shows the world who is prepared to lead.
A Personal Reflection
When I walk through London, I feel the echoes of empire, the grit of survival, the stubbornness of a people who would not kneel even when the bombs fell in the Blitz.
When I walk through Texas, I feel the wide-open promise of America: the ranches, the highways, the courage to dream big and start from nothing.
Both places are etched into me. And both places, when they work together, remind me that the ideals of freedom, enterprise, and resilience are not relics—they are alive, and they matter more than ever.
So when I see Donald Trump and Keir Starmer, unlikely allies, stand beside each other and announce a new Anglo-American era of technological cooperation, I do not just see politics. I see possibility.
The Hope Ahead
The world feels unstable. Wars drag on. Economies wobble. Trust in institutions is fraying. But there is also light.
If Britain can reinvent itself after Brexit, then perhaps decline is not inevitable.
If America can reach across the Atlantic rather than retreat behind its borders, then perhaps leadership is still possible.
If AI, nuclear power, and supercomputing can be harnessed responsibly, then perhaps the West has not just a past worth remembering, but a future worth building.
And if those things happen hand in hand, across the Atlantic—well, then maybe my own life story, split between these two nations, was always pointing to this moment.
Conclusion: Pride and Gratitude
I love Germany for giving me roots. But it is Britain and America that gave me wings.
So yes, when I read about billions flowing from Seattle and Silicon Valley into London’s tech parks, I feel pride. When I hear that American engineers will build modular reactors on British soil, I feel excitement. And when I imagine Oxford students working alongside Microsoft researchers on AI breakthroughs, I feel hope.
Because these are not just business deals. They are signs that the transatlantic world is alive and strong, that the forces of freedom and innovation are not finished yet.
And I, for one, could not be happier.
