Britain punching above its weight
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="David">David</span> <span word="Cameron">Cameron</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="reflexively">reflexively</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="punch">punch</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="weight">weight</span>” (<span word="The">The</span> <span word="Tiger">Tiger</span> <span word="Under">Under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Table">Table</span>, <span word="December">December</span> 3, 2009, <span word="Economist">Economist</span>.<span word="com">com</span>). <span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="Cameron">Cameron</span>, <span word="Britain">Britain</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Conservative">Conservative</span> <span word="Party">Party</span> <span word="leader">leader</span>, <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="clout">clout</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="country">country</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="jargon">jargon</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="greater">greater</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="role">role</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span>, <span word="simply">simply</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="wants">wants</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="more">more</span>.</p><p><span word="More">More</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="than">than</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="More">More</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="territorial">territorial</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="justifies">justifies</span>.</p><p><span word="Once">Once</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="empire">empire</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sun">sun</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="set">set</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="clout">clout</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="match">match</span>. <span word="Nowadays">Nowadays</span>, <span word="territory">territory</span>-<span word="wise">wise</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="reduced">reduced</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="four">four</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="Isles">Isles</span>, <span word="plus">plus</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="havens">havens</span>, <span word="each">each</span> <span word="roughly">roughly</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shining">shining</span> <span word="pearl">pearl</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="oceans">oceans</span>.</p><p><span word="Yet">Yet</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="aspires">aspires</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="exert">exert</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="similar">similar</span>, <span word="influence">influence</span> <span word="globally">globally</span>. <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="Cameron">Cameron</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span> <span word="punching">punching</span> “<span word="above">above</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="weight">weight</span>”.</p><p>“<span word="Punching">Punching</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="weight">weight</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="term">term</span> <span word="borrowed">borrowed</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="boxing">boxing</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="boxing">boxing</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="matched">matched</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="weight">weight</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="boxer">boxer</span> <span word="weighing">weighing</span> 50 <span word="kilos">kilos</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="fight">fight</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="weighing">weighing</span> 60, <span word="or">or</span> 100. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="David">David</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="face">face</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Goliath">Goliath</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ring">ring</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="described">described</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="punching">punching</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="weight">weight</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="throw">throw</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="punch">punch</span> <span word="harder">harder</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="heavier">heavier</span> <span word="weight">weight</span> <span word="class">class</span>.</p>
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