Ted Re..Sorry, dude, these are not your children, they are countries and if anyone has acted immaturely its Mr. Rumsfield and in the past week, Mr. Bush.
If that was true, then why did Germany say last night that they were going to support Turkey by sending in missiles, which their NATO negotiators blocked earlier in the day. Is that your version of sanity. Do mature adults really do that?
I now know why the American people gave Bush a 47% rating on foreign policy.....you all just don't get it. So let me try to explain to you.
Germany is pissed at the US so its refused to comply with provisions required of it under the NATO treaty; that is, supply missiles or whatever to Turkey. Turkey already understands that its not personal; that Germany is failing to comply in order to piss off the US. And they further understand that if push comes to shove, Germany will come through. However, Germany decided to go the extra mile by providing the missiles outside the auspices of NATO. Why?
First, the German makers of the missiles will get paid and won't get screwed over by this political flap with the US.
Secondly, its a show of solidarity with Turkey and proves how loyal a fellow European can be, and thereby scores points with both Turkey as well as the other smaller European nations in NATO and the EU.
Thirdly, it continues to keep its middle finger up so the US doesn't forget where it stands.
From where I'm sitting, France and Germany are very serious about this breach, and if Blair gets dethroned, the UK will be right behind them.
they have more at risk than we do and they are entitled to an opinion.
Nobody said they didn't.
Bush did by not listening to them.
However if it is their opinion to abrogate the terms of the NATO treaty, then they should be well aware that opinions sometimes have unintended consequences. It is probably too late for Germany's mea culpas to stop all of the consequences.
Hey, they got Bush's attention finally so apparently its working.
We will see. Worse, Schroeder and Chirac put the onus on themselves by going too far, and now having to back down. Before it was GW who was playing fast and loose, well look who is doing it now, and who had to eat crow.
You've pointed out Bush's achilles heel. His/your hubris is what got us into this mess. I wouldn't count on Germany and France being the only countries to get hurt by this flap.
Even the American people are becoming more in sync with the attitudes of the Europeans.
I agree, yesterday there was a lot of talk in congress about changing our troop allocations in Nato. Most people agree that the europeans have the right to defend themselves, and pay for it. Maybe now they will realize what it costs.
I know you all don't believe in polls but I would give the latest one at least a cursory look.
Not to worry....its looking less and less like they will be on our team due to the continuing insolent behavior of Mr. Bush and Mr. Rumsfield
Good for Mr GW and Rumsfeld getting the ingrates off of the dole.
In my experience, you never win by acting like a hi school chump. Bush was embarrassing yesterday......he should have stayed in TX.
and you think the Europeans are acting like children. Right!
In the NATO case, absolutely. Rummy mentioned that he was considering reducing troops in Germany, and here they are saying they put the missiles in the mail yesterday already. They folded like a cheap suit. And you call that mature in a time of war.
This is not WW II so stop with the drama. Its only a time of war because Mr. Bush has made it that.
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