this will be interesting

And not in a good way, I fear.

British ex-pat Andrew Sullivan excerpts a letter from an American ex-pat in London, on the welcoming committee for President Bush's trip there next week:

The BBC is working the country into a frenzy regarding the upcoming Bush visit. Personally, I would love to go up to London and hold a placard welcoming the President but I fear for my safety. The Mall looks great with all the flags but I have no doubt it will all be trashed. We're getting reports that anarchists will storm Buckingham Palace. The papier mache effigies of W are nearly complete. …

And, of course, the moral midgets running for the Democratic nomination will undoubtedly claim this as Yet More Evidence Of How The Bush Administration Has Alienated The World. Because, as everyone knows, the root cause of violence by anti-globalization anarchists is that evil neo-con cabal in Washington.

UPDATE: London's Telegraph describes in gruesome detail the behind-the-scenes preparations for the summit. It would appear that for diplomats and security agents in both the Bush Administration and the British government, multiple root canals would be preferable.

Meanwhile, the Spectator claims that the Brits are quite disgruntled about our handling of postwar matters (but do read past the first few paragraphs to get the whole tenor of the piece).

(Both links via The Corner.)