[CGVet58]

we have allies. Poland, Spain, Italy to name but a few. And the list is growing.

Don't believe or let yourself be swayed by the emphasis placed on the importance of having a France, Germany or Russia on our side. That these nations currently have a stronger potential by virtue of their economies or traditional strength isn't the issue - the meat of the matter at hand is that this War on Terror is a war of wills first and foremost.

Think of it this way - we're still in the trees (of the current conflict) and have not yet had sufficient time/distance to put us more into a "forest" perspective. To continue this metaphor, we see trees that previously were thought to be healthy (ie: our relationships with FRG) that now aren't; but other trees we're not used to observing (Eastern & Mediterranean Europe) grow healthy and strong.

Metaphors or other figures of speech ultimately only have value, though, in the "soundbite" impact (and ease of ingestion in our Instant-MacDonalds multi-tasked attention span world); so here's my own soundbite:

This is War.
America has been awakened.
America fights this war humanely.
America's leader, President Bush, appeals to (what little glimmer remains of...) decency among old-europe nations to do the right thing.

But no matter what... America will defeat our enemies and if need be, utterly destroy them.

(I know, not much of a soundbite, but I've never been one for coalescing complex life-or-death issues into a smarmy, 15-word-or-less statement that's universally understood and accepted)

CGVet58

[arete]

But no matter what... America will defeat our enemies and if need be, utterly destroy them.

Just like we did in Viet Nam? We sure kicked those rice eating, pj wearing shoeless uneducated commies around there now didn't we?

Richard W.

[freedumb2003]

but I've never been one for coalescing complex life-or-death issues into a smarmy, 15-word-or-less

Them bad
Us good
Them die
We live

It's simplistic and jingoistic but look at the word economy! ;)

[ColdSteelTalon]

But no matter what... America will defeat our enemies and if need be, utterly destroy them.

A reaaaally big AMEN! to that!!!