[SSG USA]

Although it is bad, and I apoligize in advance to any Eurpoean visitors on the board, I think something like this is exactly what needs to happen in Europe. Until there is a major strike in Europe, a lot worse than a train derailmant, they are not going to wake up and start taking terrorism out of the Middle East seriously. There was a joke a week back or so with the Concorde slamming into the Eiffel tower. This, or something of the same magnitude, is exatly what needs to happen.

[nathanbedford]

Alas, I fear you are correct. As someone who lives in Germany, I clearly gather no comfort from the prospect.

The central facts in understanding European lack of enthusiasm for the war against terror, its antipathy toward America, its near unanimous opposition to the war in Iraq and its visceral hatred of George Bush are:

1. A belief that America was attacked essentially for its support of Israel which is misplaced and obsessive because of domestic political lobbies.

2. That Europe is not a target.

3. That the notion that terrorists would strike with weapons of mass destruction is so fanciful that it need not be considered seriously or even considered at all -and it is not commonly considered.

[Issaquahking]

World opinion view in FR ping.

I'm curious if this is going to be somewhat of a play out of Europe getting taken over and that England, as in WWII, will become the turning point of the already declared war (on radical islamic fundamentalism) by then. I am a proud American, and thought it would be interesting to try and get a perspective from other proud countrymen. Australia, and Britain, have always been our allies, and see the bonds between the three getting a lot tighter before all is said and done.

England has Europe to create problems, United States has Mexico, and to a far less extent, Canada. with Muslim BS trying to radicalize it's religious law on mooslims who are Canadian. Even Australia has problems with the "Religion of Peace" island hopping towards them.

This is not a hate muslim turn in the thread. It is a concern about a possible "outting" of how soon we will have an official World War against the radical Islam element around the globe. Am asking others around the world if my vision is crystal clear, as far as a problem coming at the "freest" nations of the world.

[Nowhere Man]

Although it is bad, and I apoligize in advance to any Eurpoean visitors on the board, I think something like this is exactly what needs to happen in Europe. Until there is a major strike in Europe, a lot worse than a train derailmant, they are not going to wake up and start taking terrorism out of the Middle East seriously. There was a joke a week back or so with the Concorde slamming into the Eiffel tower. This, or something of the same magnitude, is exatly what needs to happen.

I'm afraid you are right and it is terrible that innocents must pay the price of that but there are many examples like that through history. I guess in a way, it is like tough love where to wake somebody up, you need to have them experience the worst so you can give them that jolt that's needed. I was thinking that since Europe has experienced Adolph Hitler, Communism and many such horrors in the last century, you think they would knoe better. The bright side is that when the Moslems were on the march in the Middle Ages, they fought them off because they knew what was at stake, perhaps there will be a new awakening there. The scary part is that France is a great power and their quest for atomic weapons, France provides an easy way to get them, just become powerful enough to steer their policy and they won't have to beg, borrow, or steal nukes.

[Mamzelle]

Nothing will "snap" Europe out of its complacency, I believe. If blowing up train stations brings about a electoral surrender, blowing up the Eiffel tower would bring a Muslim Coup d'Paris.

[Goodgirlinred]

Well, they can destroy a monument, but please, no more killing of innocent people. Enough of that has been done.
And guess who will have to go in and save the Franchises hides? You guessed it. The good old USA as always.