Re: From the U.S. point of view, an extraordinary and unprecedented state of emergency exists in which the most fundamental American interests are at stake. The normal state of affairs has been suspended. The Europeans say, "Surely you don't expect us to simply rubber-stamp your decisions?" The Americans answer, "Surely you don't expect us to spend our time trying to convince you to stand by us?"
There's some truth in that.... I remember, for instance, Belgium's Foreign Minister Louis Michel stressing that the very word "war" was improper, "we are not at war!", he insisted. Well, as I pointed out in my first posts on the subject, we're exactly in the same conditions that prevailed in 1940, that is, the "phoney war". On 1st September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, on 3rd Sept, both France and Britain declared war on Germany and, eventually, in May 1940, Germany invaded France, Belgium and the Netherlands. And all the while, European leaders and public opinion were in denial about the real course of events....
Gus |
