Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of Great Britain, was treated like any reliable ally of the United States ought to be : just like any of the 190 other nations in the world, with a DVD box set of popular Hollywood movies, with Region 1 encoding, unplayable anywhere outside the US. No private dinners, no Camp David, just a quick meeting and out you go. Brown could have been a minor African ruler, says the National Review.

This despite the fact Mr. Brown is unlike any of the other 190. His country is the 6th largest economy in the world by GDP. Britain is also the staunchest ally of the United States, having supported its endeavours in Afghanistan and Iraq from the beginning. The UK is the only country that has actually provided a significant number of troops for both wars and continues to spend billions of dollars each year to pay for two of America’s wars.

This reminds me of the way Rajiv Gandhi, a former PM of India, treated the King of Nepal during an official visit to Delhi in the 1980s. The King was made to wait outside Gandhi’s office for several hours while Gandhi conducted other business, including playing golf and having lunch. Albeit the comparison is not perfect, but allies and friends don’t treat each other this way. Nepal has had a long relationship with India, just as Britain has had with the US. UK has proved over and over again that it is the only reliable ally for the United States in Europe.

It is understandable that Obama wants to break away from GWB’s policies. It is also understandable that he is too “busy” dealing with the economic crisis to pay any attention to minor details of protocol. Obama just doesn’t have time for dealing with foreign affairs at this time. There are, however, simply no excuses for the way Brown was treated.

The blame lies squarely with the official charged with handling Brown’s visit. Given the high level of specialization these days, this official is most likely only responsible for visits by foreign dignitaries. Is he also too busy with the economy to buy a more appropriate gift to mark Brown’s first official visit to meet the new President?