[Mamzelle]

re: Paris expects them to show humble gratitude for being granted membership)))

I thought they were being bullied INTO the EU, rather than the other way around...? Certainly Ireland doesn't want in, and a lot of the Brits don't. If the EU excludes Eastern Europe, than what's left except Old Europe?

The French are continually accusing the US of lacking "nuance" in diplomacy, but Chirac is acting tres, tres, how you Zay? Lak zee cowboy?

[keats5]

Cowboys don't act like that. Cowboys are our heros.

[irish_links]

....Certainly Ireland doesn't want in, and a lot of the Brits don't....

Although many Irish have caught the Euro-lefty disease, sad to say, the position of the Ahern administration is mildly pro-U.S. Ahern has stated that the Republic is likely to support a U.S./U.K. initiative in Iraq, although Eire would like to see a U.N. resolution before it formally takes that step.

As a "neutral" country, the Republic is very much into multilateralism and tends toward a naive pacificism. Give credit, however, where credit is due. Unlike the French and Germans, the Irish trully believe in the U.N./Multilateral approach. They are not reflexively anti-American. Eire has nothing to gain and everything to lose by annoying the U.S. government and Americans, whose tourist dollars and high tech investments are essential ingedients to Eire's current prosperity. If, in the end, they oppose us, which is unlikely, it will be from sincere belief, not opportunism.