It's a scenario that would make the current flap over the U.S. government's penchant for spying on foreign governments look downright quaint by comparison.
Fox says it is "counter-productive at best and downright hypocritical at worst" to pursue a foreign policy of giving aid to countries in Africa and elsewhere while also imposing punitive tariffs on their goods.
Although he has the enthusiastic support of the prime minister, some other cabinet ministers, including the powerful pairing of the chancellor, Gordon Brown, and the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, are sceptical if not downright hostile.
In fact, with its plethora of granular privacy settings and the somewhat foreign concept of 'Networks', Facebook can be downright baffling for new users.
It's safe to say that as a country, our foreign language skills are spotty -- if not downright poor.
It reflects at best a reluctance, and at worst a downright refusal, to engage with views and voices opposed to George Bush's foreign policy.
These goonish tactics have been nullified by the evolution of foreign superstars, plus the occasional Chippy Swede, Stick-Wielding Russian and Downright Certifiable Lithuanian.
"The fact that a Hillary Clinton presidency would be compromised by tens of millions of dollars in foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation is no laughing matter either – it is downright terrifying," said Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Trump campaign.
The economy was stagnant and, with its rules against foreign ownership and insistence on keeping debts low, the professional soccer league Bundesliga seemed downright old-fashioned.
Thus, Ukip-waverers are courted, very real policy failures – notably that British youngsters are so much less work-ready than their foreign counterparts – are dodged, and the debate is conceded to the ignorant and the downright bigoted.
