[DoughtyOne]

France got it’s ass kicked over it’s leader’s remarks, and that is as it should have been.

Let them try it again, and we’ll see who appolgizes firts.

I’m all in favor of France as long as it realizes which side it’s bread is buttered on.

When they turn on us, they damned well better know it’s a two way street.

[Atlantic Bridge]

This over-insinuating BS like "freedom fries" was for sure not helpful for the cause. The politicians in Germany and France desperately waited for a chance to leave their old servant role playing in transatlantic relations behind and such behavior of Americans and Guantanamo gave them the cause and possibility to do it. This kind of verbalism was used as "the" example that America can be no friend of Europe and Gitmo and capital punishment was used as "the" example that Americans are somehow a strange and fundamentalist barbarian tribe. A kind of Christian Taliban. MSM at its best. Since Europeans never believed (not yesterday and not today) into WMDs of Saddam, or the unselfish motifs of America to invade Iraq, anti-american politicians like Schroeder or this French dude Chirac had an easy game. In difference to the European people they always dismissed the US and used the negative sentiment for their propaganda. After all they have been successful I.e. the growing gap between America and Europe is the only but at the same time quite important "merit" of the Schroeder term. He will therefore find his place in history books as the chancellor that emancipated central Europe (we do not talk about Germany only) from America.

It is indeed a fact that America lost because of Schroeder and Chirac much of its influence in Europe. I doubt that its former position as a broadly accepted "leading nation" ever can be be achieved again. Even with pro-american Politicians like Merkel and Sarkozy as European leaders nobody on the European side wants the old balance of strength back. To give you a example: During the 80ties German chancellors followed the course of the US without any hesitation (i.e. in the rearmament of NATO with intermediate-range missiles against the broad opposition among the common European people), today nobody really cares about the wishes of the US administration anymore. I.e. there would be absolutely no chance to install the new anti ballistic missiles and related systems in western Europe. The US had to sidestep to Poland and the Czech republic for doing that and it is still not sure if it is possible to push it through there at last. The thing is that the importance of Russia grows while the relevance of America in continental Europe shrinks in the meantime for various reasons.

Because of the MSM, the Iraq war and the recent verbalism America is standing for the vast majority of western Europeans on the "bad" side today. For sure the public US image is not better than the image of the Russians in Europe i.e.. This kind of BS gives the perfect evidence that Schroeder and Chirac were absolutely successful in breaking the image of America totally. If you ask European youngsters about America today you will get a completely distorted image about unscrupulous and chickenhearted conquerors who butcher peace loving people with their high-tech weapons.

This is something most Americans are absolutely not aware of. They still believe into their omnipotent influence as a Superpower. The facts in Europe are much different. Without the hearts of European people the transatlantic relationship will lack all of its substance. The stand of the US in Europe lost much of its basement during the past 5 or 6 years. Europeans will continue to sell things to the US and vice versa, but there will be no amicable relationship in the future anymore if nothing is changed soon. Beside of this psychological moment the US lack the possibility to press Europe practically into their political direction as Schroeder and Chriac demonstrated us in a impressive way with Iraq.

Therefore relations need a new start with calm words and some pragmatism. If we want to maintain the transatlantic link we all have to do something for it. It might be true that the US military is more powerful than the one of the Europeans, but you should not underestimate the potency of the old continent. If you want to have solutions on this planet you Americans need Europe on your side since the challenges in the near future are simply too big for you alone.

"Freedom fries" might be popular among some American conservatives, but such verbal behavior makes clowns of themselves in Europe. Beside of this Europeans who are pro-America need some calmness to rebuild a little bit of what has been smashed during the past 5 years or so. Therefore Nicholas Burns is correct while others are backstabbing us pro American Europeans with their self-righteous hullabaloo.

Regards from good old Europe

A.B.