Posted on 02/10/2005 2:17:21 PM PST by quidnunc
Most of Europe, even France and Germany is not anti-American.
But they violently anti-single-superpover.
And here is the conflict comes. If the superpower keep telling them who they should do business with, then the balance wil tip against the superpower however big sentiments they have for the American way of life, the movies, songs Coca-Cola and so on....
This is more about dignity than politics.
Then there is a fear factor too...
Logically, what would stop the US doing whatever it wants regardless who is its ally, or friends?
So that's why the europeans prefer a multipolar world.
Not a suprise, the chair did not even cooled out after Condi Rice left Brussels, the EU signalled that they are ready to lift the arms embargo on China...
"During anti-war demonstrations in Britain left-wing marchers have unashamedly waved banners defending known terrorists ...."
... while the remaining 59.4 million other Brits quietly got on with living their lives.
It would be difficult to overstate the damage that has been done to the image of America overseas by just one entity: CNN International. Whenever I hear someone outside the US make a statement about us which they think is factual but which I know to be either false or a gross distortion, I ask them what they use as their main source of information about what is going on in America. Invariably, they cite CNN.
Many folks in Europe honestly believed that Bill Clinton was one of the most poplar presidents in our history (never elected with more than 49 % of any vote and one of only two to be impeached), the rate of violent crime in America is at an all time high (actually lower than twenty years ago, and on a per capita basis lower than in Britain), or that GWB had no possible chance to be reelected (when I was asked during the past year who I thought would win the election and would answer simply "Bush" people were genuinely astonished).
It was not always like this and I personally peg the change to the spread of CNN since the mid to late 1980's.
So Iraq was everyone's problem. Not just the USA's.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow," as heaven-born playwright has famously expounded.
Noooooooooooooo!
I'd just managed to haggle a price for cheap baked beans!
Baked beans? Is that what Mrs Slipperduke really believes?
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