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Ugly Americans: Europe Cannot Blame It All On Bush
The International Herald Tribune ^ | June 7, 2004 | Pierre Lellouche

Posted on 06/06/2004 8:13:28 PM PDT by quidnunc

Ugly American?
  On Sunday, when 15 world leaders, including Presidents Jacques Chirac and George W. Bush, gathered on the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Allied landings, it was hard to find a festive mood anywhere in Europe.

Yet 3,000 U.S. soldiers died on D-Day and more than 400,000 Americans were killed in World War II. Their sacrifice made it possible for Europeans to celebrate the peaceful unification of Europe under the blue flag of liberty four weeks ago. Had it not been for the Allies and the United States, the unification of Europe would have taken place under quite different flags.

Sixty years is a long time. According to polls, a majority of European youths don't even know what "D-Day" is. But the passing of time is not the only explanation of the current mood in trans-Atlantic relations. The heart of the matter is far more profound, as evidenced by today's widespread anti-Americanism under its new guise, anti-Bushism.

Even those Europeans who still feel indebted to America take great pains to distinguish between the United States they respect — that of Roosevelt, Clinton or Kerry — and the Bush administration, which they openly despise.

I can remember U.S. presidents who were derided for being ignorant (Reagan), incompetent (Carter), or bumbling (Ford). But never have I such a rejection, bordering on hatred, as I see today for Bush.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bushhaters; dday; eurotwits
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To: Paleo Conservative
The Cold War would still be continuing if DemocRATS had been in power during the eighties.

You are correct. And that is precisely what Europeans such as M. Lellouche miss the most. Europe was the focus of the Cold War and as such had a disproportionate influence on world affairs despite a nearly nonexistent contribution to her own security. That Europe does not today enjoy. The Soviet Union was not an enemy out to conquer them, it was simply a lever of power for the moral relativists to control the direction of foreign policies of countries much larger and more powerful than their own.

This is not simply cynicism, it goes a very long way to explain the nearly insane Old European resentment of the Free World's victory in the Cold War and Reagan's part in it. This was the fertile ground on which a number of welfare states flourished, and it, and they, are much less congenial now that the slightest gesture toward Moscow on the part of Paris or Bonn no longer sends Washington D.C. into a tizzy of accommodation.

It is, frankly, no longer news that there exists a great deal of anti-American sentiment in the corridors of the kept. What is news is that it is beginning to be cordially reciprocated. I think M. Lellouche would do well to consider that the current, vehement, and continuing wave of anti-Europeanism in the United States is a far more significant trend than the tantrums we've been hearing from the continent for the last four decades.

21 posted on 06/06/2004 9:10:15 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: quidnunc

F$#K Europe!


22 posted on 06/06/2004 9:10:15 PM PDT by JPJones
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To: SunkenCiv

"...are dominated by cop-beaters like Schroeder and Saddam's buddies like Chirac. That won't last."

Oh? Do you think PM Blair will be re-elected? I think it's extremely unlikely. I've been talking to a few Britons and reading their publications, too. More than half of the people there hate us for the same reasons most of the French, the Spanish and Germans hate us--our moral values. And although they won't come right out and say it directly (preferring diatribes about how mean we are to their terrorist friends), they want to rid the earth of the Jews.

...will see if I can find a few European polls to post.

After a few years of study, my advice is to avoid any vacations to or purchases from any part of Europe, including that large island of people who stand with it. If they want to send us a better message than what we're seeing from more than 90% of their publications, we'll be watching for those. Otherwise, we need a much larger military build-up, and soon.


23 posted on 06/06/2004 9:11:43 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: Starve The Beast

I think it was at the very start of the War On Terror not long after 9-11.


24 posted on 06/06/2004 9:13:52 PM PDT by Gkubly
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To: Smartass
George W. Bush Will Triumph Over Evil - 2004

That is my prayer. The forces of evil are certainly lined up against Bush this year.

If they succeed in defeating Bush it will be a dark day for America.

25 posted on 06/06/2004 9:15:38 PM PDT by Jorge
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To: Jorge
Amen...
26 posted on 06/06/2004 9:24:20 PM PDT by Smartass ( BUSH & CHENEY IN 2004 - Si vis pacem, para bellum - Por el dedo de Dios se escribió.)
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To: quidnunc
According to polls, a majority of European youths don't even know what "D-Day" is.

Gee, and I thought American kids were the only ones too dumb to correctly answer these polls.

27 posted on 06/06/2004 9:24:27 PM PDT by MitchellC (No gamma rays for oil.)
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To: familyop

I agree that most of Europe, even most Britons, hate America. The support we've gotten from Europe in the war on terror has been provided by a small group of influential businessmen and politicians going against the popular will of the majorities in their respective countries. It is completely possible that in the near future whatever support we've gotten will completely reverse and disappear, just like the Spanish.

I've been considering lately how very tenuous the outlook is for the future of the US in particular and civilization generally. The Europeans are lost; the overwhelming influence of the atheistic leftists combined with the radical Moslem influx has created a toxic environment that is sure to destroy whatever remains of European culture. This region will forever after be known as "Eurabia".

Then recognize that a third of the world, from Indonesia to Morocco, is under the grip of the murderous heresy known as "Moslemism". This region will also be a degenerate cesspool, incapable of improvement, due to their own built-in lunacies.

Asia, too, is replete with tension and hatred. The bloodthirsty Communist Chinese will be responsible for a lot of grief for generations to come; count on it! Its a given, since they have yet to live through the kind of collapse that the Soviet Union experienced. And this will surely come! Just ask the people of any country that surrounds this monstrosity and that has suffered thereby, such as the Indians, the Nepalese, the Taiwanese, the Vietnamese, the Koreans, and on and on.

I am developing a real appreciation for the concept of the "remnant" of Christianity, that is, that very small, miniscule segment of the world population that is destined to preserve the fatih from an apostate and heretical world.

The big blowout is certainly near...


28 posted on 06/06/2004 9:39:24 PM PDT by vanmorrison
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To: Gkubly

The correct quote is in post 13.


29 posted on 06/06/2004 9:43:41 PM PDT by DB (©)
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To: Billthedrill
That Europe does not today enjoy.

Huh?

30 posted on 06/06/2004 9:50:54 PM PDT by stands2reason (Everyone's a self-made man -- but only the successful are willing to admit it.)
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To: vanmorrison

And when Frankfort or Paris have their version of 9/11, who do you suppose they'll look to for help?


31 posted on 06/06/2004 9:56:59 PM PDT by conshack
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To: conshack
And when Frankfort or Paris have their version of 9/11, who do you suppose they'll look to for help?

They might as well look to Ottawa.

32 posted on 06/06/2004 9:59:08 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
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To: quidnunc

We are an Asian/Pacific power. F europa in the mud. Leave these losers to their queer arab masters.


33 posted on 06/06/2004 10:02:30 PM PDT by Righty1
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To: Dont Mention the War

Ottawa ought to be able to provide a lot of help. Maybe they could send one of their National Health medical teams to assist.


34 posted on 06/06/2004 10:02:37 PM PDT by conshack
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To: Mears

They hate us just like their A-Rabid masters do!


35 posted on 06/06/2004 10:03:57 PM PDT by Righty1
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To: goldstategop

Hmmm? We cannot lump everyone together like the euros do. I have seen a report re the people who care for the American soldiers gravesites .. frenchmen .. who love what they do and honor our soldiers. It would appear it's the Chirac govt and their socialist pals who are against Bush and America.


36 posted on 06/06/2004 10:09:52 PM PDT by CyberAnt (The 2004 Election is for the SOUL of AMERICA)
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To: Righty1

"We are an Asian/Pacific power."

Many of us are quite aware that we have the best of faithful friends there. It is difficult for us to keep quiet enough to avoid drawing too much evil attention to those Pacific countries for now, and we look very much forward to the day when we can! Thank you!


37 posted on 06/06/2004 10:15:01 PM PDT by familyop (Essayons)
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To: quidnunc
According to polls, a majority of European youths don't even know what "D-Day" is.

And these are the people who talk about Americans being "provincial" and "naive".

Without D-Day, Continental Europe would either still be under Nazi rule or the Iron Curtain would have extended to the shores of Portugal.

The U.S. created modern Europe.

38 posted on 06/06/2004 10:18:08 PM PDT by Polybius
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To: nutmeg

bump


39 posted on 06/06/2004 10:20:46 PM PDT by nutmeg (God bless President Ronald Reagan)
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To: quidnunc
Even those Europeans who still feel indebted to America take great pains to distinguish between the United States they respect — that of Roosevelt, Clinton or Kerry...

Leave it to the Europeans to respect gypsies, tramps, and thieves who happen also to kiss their arses.

40 posted on 06/06/2004 10:29:50 PM PDT by F16Fighter
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