I don't think our relationship with any European nation is in danger of being compromised unless we find evidence to prove otherwise in the millions of documents that have been unearthed in Iraq.
No, our relationship with Europe is not in danger because its already been compromised. When Bush leaves office, things will smooth down some but his behavior this past year will forever change how the Europeans see us. Germany, Russia and France are much closer to each other than ever before. And in the future, they will tend to stick together to balance out whenever a future G. W. Bush should appear on the landscape. And don't kid yourself.....Russia, Germany and France together will end up being a formidable restraint in our ability to act in the world........particularly, if they decide to do a true breach of our relationship.
And just for the record, the European people dislike the Bush administration more than their leaders. After all, Chirac of France and Putin of Russia are both right of center.
Every side admits that there will be disagreements between allies regarding foreign affairs, and that we always manage to work through those issues, and I'm confident that is true.
This was more than a disagreement; it started out by Bush snubbing Germany and France and ignoring their positions, and then it escalated into we're the big boys on the block and you will do what you we say. When you are the biggest, its stupid to rub the smaller guys noses in it......esp. when the smaller guys are fairly big in their own right and only look small in comparison to you.
Germany, France and Europe......old Europe.....are pissed big time.
What I'm not confident about is whether any European country was doing anything to subvert our efforts to stem the tide of terrorist activity. I haven't seen any evidence that this is so, but I am sceptical none the less, and hope I am wrong. That is the difference between me and a liberal......I'm not willing to make unfounded accusations against anyone unless or until I have definitive proof.
The difference between a liberal and a conservative is that you can't seem to figure out who is a friend and who is a foe. If you think, Europe has been aiding and abetting Hamas, al Qaeda or Saddam, you are succumbing to the same paranoid misperceptions befalling many other conservatives.........they seem to see a terrorist behind every European. Europe along with the Canadians and the Aussies are the closest thing we have to allies and friends in this world......its lonely at the top. We would be very stupid to jeopardize those relationships.
Furthermore, the Europeans have a better understanding of the Muslim world than we do because they are closer physically to it and they have sizeable Muslim populations. They feel very similarly about terrorism but their response to it is more measured for good reason.
I am also sober enough to realize that our country went through an unrealistic tech bubble that couldn't possibly be sustained, and that the events of 9/11 added to the problem. Since March of 2000 we have been going through an adjustment that was inevitable. Unlike liberals who will paint a gloomy picture and flat out lie to further their agenda of regaining power at any cost.....which I find very disgusting.
There is no question that we are working off a tech bubble but there is also no question that Bush's focus has been overseas and not here in the US. He is president of the US, and not Iraq.
The tactics they use to gain that lost power is what I find so ridiculous as to be funny.
I think partisan individuals behave similarly whether they are Dems. or Reps. Its why I decided to be an independent. |
