I could vote for Germany. They’ve remained a strong pillar of democracy for the West, they’re Europe’s most stable economic powerhouse, and didn’t the fall of the Berlin wall greatly quicken the collapse of the eastern bloc and Soviet Union? I’d say they’re a pretty good ally to have.
I’d go with Australia as America’s best bud, especially when you factor how far Australia is from the US, in terms of both miles and spheres of interest.
Canada is forced to cooperate with the US due to geography and practicality. Even so, Canada has told the US ‘no thanks’ on some of American’s misadventures, notably Iraq and Viet Nam, although Canada went into Afghanistan. Similarly,
France has not gone along when America is in the wrong, yet has shown the US real friendship over centuries, sometimes to her own detriment.
Do they send entire armies to bleed and die in their thousands to support US wars in the Middle East? I can only think of one country that does that.
…Poland?
Well, as others pointed out, it comes down to what you consider a “good ally.” Setting a better example and not just marching off to war with your crazy buddy could be considered a better ally than one that just says “yeah, what he said!” to everything.
I’m gonna come out with the crowd and say that the entire Anglosphere, that being Canada, Australia, the UK, and little old NZ are probably our BFFs 4ever in the world. I think that the vicissitudes of fate have drawn us closer to some of our other allies, particularly South Korea, but in terms of genuine comradeship, it’s gonna be our sisters in the Commonwealth.
Though, as I’ve mentioned in other threads, I have a total thing for Turkey. When you compare them to our other Middle-East ally (cough cough), Turkey’s given us far less trouble in life. (I consider our war against Turkey to be water long under the bridge at this point.)
But, and a big proviso, in terms of ‘countries that have given us, over time, the largest assistance,’ the answer’s gotta be the big cheese - without France, we’d be under the crumpet-mad jackboot of the English squirearchy and spelling everything wrong, too. The whole thing about the French as ‘cheese-eating surrender monkeys,’ in my opinion, is absurd, and has little basis in reality - if anything, I’d stereotype the French in the opposite direction, ie insanely aggressive and warlike people.
Honestly, I hope next time there’s a NATO meeting, it concludes with lots of hugs.
Reading through this thread, I am reminded of John F. Kennedy’s speech to the Canadian Parliament, on May 17, 1961 (cite to the whole speech):
Canada may not always agree with what the US does in the world, but that does not mean that we do not have your backs. You’ve certainly had ours in a number of conflicts.
We may have our differences in foreign policy, but when the US needs a friend, Canada is always standing by, ready to help. We helped Americans escape fron Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979-1980 (cite); and when the US closed its airspace as 9/11 was happening, Canada took all the inbound-to-US aircraft from wherever, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. And we must not forget that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a joint US-Canada venture, with personnel of both countries working together to ensure North America’s defense. With all due respect to our European and Oceanic friends, I don’t see any of them stepping up to defend North America and the United States as Canada does daily as a part of NORAD.
Echoing Mr. Kennedy’s words to Canada’s Parliament, I would suggest that geography, history, and necessity have made the US and Canada allies. Perhaps the best kind; since though we may be independent sovereign nations, we must work together in all ways to ensure our safety and prosperity.
It’s in neither national interests to talk up the closeness of some aspects of the relationship, both countries need to appear independent and self-interested.
But in particular areas, the UK and US are close to being one entity. This is what the UK puts in, and which has a very significant presence among friends in some Washington buildings:
If anything I’d say the statement is non-racist/anti-Semitic, but the speaker is likely to be. Not in this case of course, I’m making no such accusations on these boards (that would be so tiresome). But there is nothing anti-Semitic (or racist) in saying Jews largely control the media in itself. It is, however, the kind of statement you’d expect to hear from an anti-Semite and not many others.
In the same way France is one of the UK’s best allies despite being their arch-enemy for many centuries before the 20th. I think historical aspects should mostly be ignored if they’re not reflected in existed relationships.
I’m surprised to see you say French support is overemphasized. I’m also wondering if you mean the American War of Independence, because I’m not sure France was particularly involved in ACW, plus of course the “civil” side to that war means if they were supporting one part of the US they were hindering the other. If you do mean what you wrote then you’re completely missing the huge contribution the French made to American independence. Admitedly they only did it to piss the British off, but without France there’s a good chance that little revolt would have been put down. I’ve always thought French support has been completely underemphasized by most Americans, especially the ones who feel France “owes” the US for WW2 (I see it as returning the favour).
It is my opinion, though, that the US is increasingly looking to France as a European ally instead of the “obvious” choice of the UK.
The US was created by violent revolution against Britain; it’s hardly a surprise that there was violence between us. What this has to do with current allied status and how it is a black mark against it I have no idea. The US has never fought wars with Norway, Belgium, Kuwait or Thailand. By your logic this makes all of them closer allies to the US than Britain, which is clearly nonsense.
France was far, far, far more supportive of the Confederacy than Britain ever was. Napoleon III wanted to intervene in the war on the side of the Confederacy but wouldn’t do it without the British support as well which wasn’t forthcoming. You’ve got British and French support for the Confederacy on its head. If “near wars” are to be counted for anything, you’ve got Britain and France upside down again. Nappy III didn’t get his wish for siding with the Confederacy but did take the opportunity to invade and take over Mexico while the US was distracted by the Civil War. When the Civil War was concluded, 50,000 US troops were massed on the border with Mexico with the clear intention of threatening France with war; and on Feb 12, 1866 the US officially demanded the withdrawal of French forces from Mexico. Any border disputes between the US and Britain over who owned what uninhabited speck of an island on the US/Canadian border don’t even rise to the level of chickenfeed in comparison.
As noted, France supported the Confederacy, not the US.
Meant to post a new thread
Though we (little old NZ that is) got sent to stand in the corner for 20 years after we said that we didn’t want to play host to your “nuclear wessels”. 
Ask H. P. Lovecraft!
I saw the thread title and thought, “NoonesayIsrael!NoonesayIsrael!NoonesayIsrael!”
And there it was, right in the OP. Sigh.
Not at all surprising or unexpected, is it? I rarely hear a peep out of Canada, Mexico, Australia, etc. Israel is featured in the news every day. Every single day. I’m almost 50 years old and I can’t remember a single day I’ve watched the news and there wasn’t a segment on the day’s latest from Israel. The weather, sports, and Israel. You can count on those three things watching American news.
I’m sure we would if they really needed it.
I’d say Canada and the UK are our strongest allies, with Germany also up there…plus places like Australia, Japan and South Korea also being on the list. The fact is most of the major nations on earth are pretty good friends and allies to the US, if you leave what their various citizens think of us out of the equation. 
And also if you don’t try and figure whether WE are particularly good allies to THEM.
-XT
You mean like we did in '48, '56, '67, '73, and every time Israel has been subjected to yet another terrorist attack or cross border rocket attack? There is no alliance between the US and Israel, and at this point it’s hard to imagine Israel being in such desperate straights that they ‘really need’ our help militarily.
The general consensus seems to be “every majority white, English speaking country”. Curious.
The US didn’t offer the UK with military aid during the Falklands War, but it did offer intelligence, diplomatic aid with the other South American states, and lots and lots of Sidewinder missiles.
On the other hand, the UK (government) has been happy to support the US in all of our current military misadventures.
The US clearly comes in a distant second when it comes to who the UK’s best ally is- to Portugal.
The CIA doesn’t know either. That’s how intelligence agencies work. 
I made my comment because debates about Isreal tend to be the most tendentious ones on the Dope. And tiresomest, too. Didn’t want to see the thread devolve into that, and to be fair, it has not.