Replies

That is pretty much the attitude that the administration appears to have.

Then I applaud them for it.

It shows a lack of understanding and patience (not in terms of dragging things out, rather in learning the necessary formalities).

Horse manure. You say, "There is such a thing as a ugly American". Well, there is such a thing as an ugly European. Neil Cavuto said it better than I could:

Never mind that France wanted nothing to do with getting rid of Saddam and wants everything to do with rebuilding Iraq after Saddam. Here's the kicker: France says Britain and the U.S. should not have a role -- it's up to the United Nations to decide.
So, let me see if I've got this right. France offered not one soldier, not one plane, not one tank, or ship, convoy or grenade. Not one missile. Not one drop of blood. And yet, France is going to decide the new Iraq?
Well pardon me, Pepe, but I don't think so.
I don't know what amazes me more: How callous the French are, or how arrogant they are. People are still dying in Iraq and they are already tripping over their corpses to cash in on Iraq?
France couldn't lift a hand to a rifle to help us, but is more than willing to go for a few of their precious Euros to screw us?
We fight and die to free a people whose suffering you more than happily ignored. And they saunter in to set up shop so that they can merrily profit?
Please tell me the French word for chutzpa!
France schemes to sell brie, after we've given blood?
France plots business storms, while our guys are choking in sandstorms?
France notifies the world they're ready to do deals, while we have servicemen in this country notifying families of killed soldiers they're ready to do funerals?
What the French lack in guts, they more than make up for in nerve.
France wouldn't help the Iraqi people when they needed rescuing, but is more than willing to dive in and take the money because maybe France needs rescuing.
The French are as morally bankrupt as I hope soon they will be financially bankrupt.
Pity the poor country that calls you a friend and realizes the hand it's holding, is only digging for spare change.
You sicken me.
-- Neil Cavuto, 3/27/03

That sort of ugliness isn't the result of George W. Bush not "learnign the necessary formalities". It's the result of an ingrown European sense of unearned entitlement. That same sense of entitlement is at the root of Europe's belief that the US needs to kiss up to them.

I appreciate you giving me and others a fine, but somewhat crude, example of what I was talking about.

I submit that if you think so, then you didn't really understand it.

Moreover, the diplomacy I am talking about happens behind closed doors, not in newspapers and television.

Irrelevant to my point.

For the record, I am no fan of France.

Also, for the record, I do indirectly blame W and his cabinet's attitude toward Europe for the fact that I have had to deal with Gerhard Schröder for the last 3 years.

A bit less hubris and bit more diplomacy would have denied Gerhard the ability to use anti-Americanism to win in 2002. I say this with absolute certainty. A different attitude would have meant a different German government and an additional, traditional European ally.

"It's the result of an ingrown European sense of unearned entitlement. That same sense of entitlement is at the root of Europe's belief that the US needs to kiss up to them."

Actually, I prefer to call it simply the "Chihuahua Syndrome". Little dogs have arrogant bad attitudes; feelings of inadequacy for their small size cause lash-outs? Also known as the Napolean Complex.