I hope you are right flieger, but I don't hold out much hope. I used to get the warm fuzzies when I thought about Europe (France included), but I have lost so many of those good feelings. If some one were to ask how I feel about Europe I would now have to say I view Europe as an enemy. Not an open enemy at least not yet, but I do think that day is coming. This has nothing to do with Iraq. That was your choice and I respect that. It has more to do with lack of trust. I no longer think that we can trust Europe to be either friend or ally.
It was never about Schroeder for me, or any other government that you would elect. Heck, we had eight years of Clinton and no conservative could be proud of that administration. This is a people to people thing that we have lost. We no longer have a connection on a personal level. I find that sad