Posted on 02/23/2005 4:59:16 PM PST by Paul_Denton
If the E.U. carries out this threat -— and make no mistake, this would be a genuinely hostile act against the United States -- the transatlantic tiffs of recent years could come to seem minor, and Bush could be saying a final farewell to old allies rather than renewing strategic bonds.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
It’s hard to know at this point whether the Europeans are acting like fools or knaves in this drama. Chirac makes no secret of his dream of an E.U. that acts as a “counterweight” to American hyperpower, and he’s often able to convince Schroeder that what’s good for France is also good for Germany. On its own, Europe can do very little to balance the United States, as the experience of Iraq suggests, but it can accelerate the pace at which China may emerge to play that role.
If we make the Philippines (not Puerto Rico) the 51st state, we'll have bases on China's doorstep to counter this. http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/jan/article528.html
Spiteful idiots might be a good term. Jeff Head is right.
Taiwan would be as much, if not more, disposed towards the same. What a message that would send!
Jeff, you nailed it.
Selling arms to China, as a counterweight to America, is like bringing a man eating tiger into your bedroom to guard your wife.
Let alone the reaction that this has to incur in Australia and Japan.
As I've started to say, we are approaching a tipping point where we see the EU as outright enemies, and not some fuzzy thinking about wayward allies.
Yes, but it's not well known that the people of the Philippines (a) almost all speak English, (b) like the United States(for the most part, save for the Islamofascists), (c) once belonged to the US as a territory, (d) look up to us, (e) like American culture, and (f) are tired of their sleazy, corrupt government officials.
Taiwan is also a protectorate under the San Francisco Peace Treaty as well.
But if the Phillipines become the 51st state and vote Democratic, how will this change their history of sleazy, corrupt government officials?
The Chinese intend, IMHO, to seek absolute hegenomy in the far east, and perhaps much further afield...and there is only one way that can be achieved, by ejecting us and anyone else standing in the way.
To try and send a warning of this possibility is the principle reason I wrote the Dragon's Fury Series.
Yep, no doubt why the US and Japan were alarmed enough to exapand their strategic objectives to inlcude the safety of Taiwan as well.
No doubt why they are expanding into central and south america and making deals with the likes of Chavez and whoever runs Brazil.
Why would you assume they'd vote Democratic? Because they are Asians?
My mistake. Sorry about that.
no problem
Due to the economic circumstances of the Phillipines they would enter with a large portion of their populace eligible for government hand outs. This class becomes dependent upon those hand outs in a hurry historically. They, at the least, do not want their gravy train cut. The Democratic party is viewed as their best chance of keeping the income for not working.
(Why I would assume they would vote Democratic.)
I don't think people have quite picked their sides yet. China and Russia are eying each other, wondering if they are going to be friends or enemies. India has traditionally been close to Russia, Pakistan to China. They are busy eying each other too.
The U.S. tried very hard in the early days of the Cold War to ally with India, but eventually gave it up as a bad job and transfered its attention to Pakistan. Now all that is up in the air too. Pakistan is working with us, to a degree, but more from fear of being attacked as supporters of terrorism than from friendship. India, twice invaded by China, is nevertheless cozying up to them and has just refused to support Nepal against the Maoists.
Russia is wondering whether to deal with the US against the Muslims on its southern border, or to help arm the Muslims against the US, as it has done in the past. Russia at the moment is pretty angry with the US (or at least Putin is), but they must be wondering whether the US or Europe represents a greater threat to them. After all, Europe is much closer, and threatening to expand right up to their borders.
In other words, it's a new and very uncertain ballgame. But I must admit that I think China is one of the most dangerous threats to the U.S. Europe would be exceedingly foolish to cozy up to them. The US has been very generous to them. China is generous to no one.
Paul, the first sentence in your excerpt did not seem like a likely first sentence of an article so I searched through the article on the Washington Post site. Somehow I missed finding your beginning sentence, the one you used as an excerpt of the article.
In trying to be of some help to the Free Republic site as a whole, I hit the abuse button under the mistaken impression that you had erred in your post.
I am very sorry Paul, it was a big mistake on my part, which then led to the Lead Moderator apologizing for something which in fact was my mistake.
Upon another search of the Washington Post article for your posted excerpt again, I finally found it in the article within the second paragraph.
When someone takes time to post an article, with the link, the date, the correct topics list, the authors and an excerpt followed by comment, it's frustrating for everyone when the thread is pulled.
Moderators on FR get enough complaints and take more than their share of abuse. It's unfair for them to get blamed all the time, especially when someone else has made the error.
Please accept my apologies.
Sincerely,
bd476
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