Posted on 08/16/2008 5:38:38 AM PDT by WesternCulture
With all due respect, I'm pretty sure Dubya & Co will continue being the laughing stock of international affairs over here in Europe for a long time (- Hey, I'm aware you Americans have invested him with the highest of US offices, but I wrote "With all due respect" initially, so I won't drone on about how much many of us Europeans actually admire America, our common interests etc, out of sheer courtesy:D).
Europe and the US will remain best friends and just like my (personal) best friend since 30 years and I squabble from time to time (I'm 39), we're all in this civilization together - and together, we have a responsibility towards our origin as well the future of Western civilization.
Has the era of George W Bush defended as well as promoted Western values?
Most Conservatives around the globe probably agree, by today, that Reagan and Churchill made the right decisions in the field of global affairs of their time.
No sane person would wish to blow up an innocent little child playing in the street, whether that innocent little child happens to have been born into the totalitarian barbarity of Nazism, mid 19th century Japanese militarism, or the present Islamist disaster of government that currently plagues the remnants of a culture that once was known as Persia.
The men who truly understand what Niccolò Machiavelli was on about usually make good leaders (- and by the way, it ought to be acknowledged more often that Macchiavelli was a true Florentine republican who supported the idea of democracy ALTHOUGH he accepted the tradition of "i principi" - the monarchic despot rulers of Renaissance Italy/Europe of his time).
However, many of us Europeans doubt Bush JR is a new Reagan, Lincoln or Churchill.
There are some obvious reasons for this;
- The Bush administration has, more or less, apologized for the invasion of Iraq and seems to have given up on establishing law and order in the country. Perhaps this frustrated situation could all be blamed on Europe, but what good will it do?
- The Bush administration continues to be lenient towards the phenomena of illegal immigrants, especially those coming from south of the border. This is indeed something that continues to upset and irritate a lot of good, hard working Americans.
- The Bush administration has failed to maintain good relations with Europe. As a European, I'm well aware there are plenty of ignorant French, German and Italian crybabies among our "intellectuals". However, I'd say that while most of Western Civilization and our closest allies by today recognizes Reagan as a great leader of the free world, GWB never will be viewed in that way in my part of the world.
- The Bush administration has prove unable of coping with what might be the most severe threat to the US economy since the Great Depression, namely that of the Euro. The European economy is marked by slow growth since decades, but that doesn't matter much in this context as the fast decline of the USD we've seen in recent years constitutes a situation American economy doesn't seem prepared for. If American companies, at large, knew how to do business on European soil, the present conditions might have been of great advantage to overall American business life, but sadly enough we see very little of such initiatives taking place.
Europe can't tell the US what to do as well as vice versa and most good Europeans, in resemblance with good Americans, understand that's NOT what neither of us are here for. But let's continue the dialog for whatever it's worth - and in my opinion, preserving Western Civilization is worth a lot.
The invasion of Iraq might have been necessary sooner or later and the WOT absolutely is, but I also think most Westerners agree it's a better idea to fight these wars in a truly UNITED manner than to continue throwing mud at each other. Let's leave that to our teenagers on both sides of the pond.
Soldiers from many civilized nations (including mine), have died in the WOT and this fact alone calls for more of unity and determination among nations who are truly devoted to the irrepressible idea of human freedom.
Whatever one might say, George W Bush tried hard to become a new Reagan and some might say he was successful.
However; governments come and go, the US and other truly strong nations will, eternally, prevail.
The usual (cold hearted:D) love from Old Europe,
WesternCulture
With Merkel, and Sarko, and Klaus, and Tusk it seems like we have pretty good relations with the Euros. Sure, the Spaniards turned tail and Blair retired. But Brown is on his way out and at the end of the day Spain doesn’t matter in any significant way. Berlusconi gets along w/ Bush. Where, then, is this mythical ‘poor relation’ w/ Europe?
And, ahem, given Europe’s record on terrorism - be it in Rwanda, or Madris, or Bosnia - why exactly do we care, when we are doing what’s right?
How is it that Europe (GB, France, Germany) won’t be overtaken by Muslim demographics and succumb to sharia law?
Italy too.
Huh?
i have traveled to at least 10 countries during his presidency and he is popular NOWHERE. and I hear this from people across all spectrums of politics, from every kind of foreigner you can imagine. you may disagree with their take, but you cannot disagree with the phenomenon that he is one of the least popular US presidents around the world in recent times. thems the cold hard facts from here, overseas folks. it isnt just all the liberal media.
i did not hear this take on Reagan overseas like this, but then again, Bush is no Reagan and Reagan considerably more conservative of course, as well as a polished and forceful leader with great depth.
Bush is criticized for not doing more to work with leftist euro trash “she” male led governments
The US pulled an unfair share of weight on Iraq.
Bush made the euro fags step up to the plate on Iran. They failed but then again what do you expect from soft, flabby socialistic societies?
Enjoy muslim rule starting in 20 years. Sweeden might make it ten more before it implodes.
Who cares? Our ancestors left Europe and fought a war to be free of it. Europe is nothing more than a vacation theme park for us (until the muzzies take over).
Maybe one day you Europeans will realize that most Americans don’t give a rat’s ass what you guys think of us or George Bush.
I’d be more worried if they liked him.
Reagan was liked I agree but so wasn’t Clinton. Carter is liked in the Arab world.
I think you make some good points.
The best analogy for Europeans is the ungrateful freeloading teenagers. He thinks his parents are mean because he doesn’t get exactly what he wants.
Europeans have been allowed to become spoiled and self-absorbed because the USA has for decades been picking up the tab for the truly adult activities of the world, most notably defense. They’ve been allowed to “invest” their money into unsustainable welfare schemes that make our Social Security look like paragons of financial solidarity.
So like any ungrateful teen they complain about the parents. Move into the real world, support yourselves for a few years without the enormous hidden subsidy of US maintenance of peace, the only thing allowing world trade, and then we’ll talk.
My favorite part is the bit about how Bush failed to maintain good relations with Europe. While true, it assumes that the responsibility for the relationship rests entirely on the US.
Perhaps Europeans have failed egregiously to respond appropriately to a common threat? Perhaps they prefer to believe that if they ignore it, it will go away or perhaps focus solely on the USA? Perhaps it’s Europe that has failed to maintain the relationship?
Actually, the assumption that it’s the US who is responsible for maintaining the relationship ties right back into the meme of who’s the adult (USA) and who’s the spoiled teenager (Europe). Can’t expect teenagers to behave responsibly.
The biggest problem Bush has is that when Tratorist activities such as Sandy Berger stealing Top secret info, Nancy Pelosi meeting with the enemy or the New York Times and L A Times releasing National Scurity information, Bush did not prosecute them. We should ask WHY?
KENNEDY, REAGAN, CARTER, NIXON
They seem ambivalent about:
BUSH 1, FORD.
And despised are:
JOHNSON, CLINTON, and GEORGE W. BUSH.
A mixed bag, but there you have it.
My parents told me that they were surprised when Harry Truman was starting to be admired in the 1970's, they said (they were both Dim's at one time) that while he was president, he was EXTREMELY unpopular.
Conservatives have good reasons to dislike some of Bush's positions, and his lack of verbal self-defense of his correct positions, but he will be remembered for his resolve on all issues as much as anything else.
U.S. Classified information will remain as such for a long, long time. Therefore, President Bush’s legacy will also remain open to interpretation for such a long time that the truth may never be known.
Exactly how does one do that? With money? How about you guys pay back the debt from WWII and we'll talk. How about reimbursing the cost of protecting Europe from the Russians for all those years?
Really. What can the U.S. do to make you guys like us?
“I don’t know or care what the Europeans think.”
Please allow me to translate your statement into sincere and honest language:
“I don’t wish to know what the world outside my house looks like”.
Above, I didn’t insult any other nation/continent, so don’t put up that kind of sissy attitude. What do you strive to accomplish in life - becoming the spokesman of Michael Jackson?
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