Replies

Let's not forget that one of the unintended consequences of W's war would be making Europe even safer for socialism. Blair is likely to go soon and a more leftist Labour Party will be ruling the UK for the forseeable future. Spain, which is 80-90% against war will get rid of its current conservative government as soon as Spain has an election. And so will Italy. At the same time, former and probably current (closet) commies currently in power in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania and other great allies of ours may manage to keep themselves in power thanks to us buying their friendship. The EU will be strenghtened and NATO will be weakened.

Great job, I'd say.

Blair is likely to go soon and a more leftist Labour Party will be ruling the UK for the forseeable future. Spain, which is 80-90% against war will get rid of its current conservative government as soon as Spain has an election. And so will Italy.

Well President Bush has said all along that the goal of the war is regime change.

On the other hand, if the leftists in europe have indeed been selling stuff to Iraq in violation of U.N. mandates, it could hurt the parties in charge.

What makes you think all the "right" governments in Europe will lose?

Which is more salient an issue in Italy, Spain and the UK...an EU dominated by France and Germany or supporting a war to disarm Saddam? I say the former is a much bigger campaign issue in Europe.

A successful war, combined with evidence of WMD and the brutality of Saddam, along with grateful Iraqis will be the result.

It's far more likely that conservatives will be strengthened and twits like Germany's Schroeder will be tossed on their ear.

Let's not forget that one of the unintended consequences of W's war would be making Europe even safer for socialism.... The EU will be strenghtened

Uhh, how will a Socialist EU be stronger? Have you been asleep for the past 80 years?

This whole premise you've posited is absurd on it's face.

"Safer for Socialism"? Yeah, right. The socialists right now, right at this very time frame, are at the pinnacle of their power and influence in Europe. The last dying gasps of a profane, unnatural and irresponsible theology will from this point on see diminishing returns, sometimes quite rapid and startling. Borne on the wings of revolution in the early 20th century, socialism seems doomed by a triad of competing political realities that it may never recover from.

This triad is (1) the realization, finally, that socialism doesn't work, never has, and never will; (2) the new Bush doctrine buffeting it from conservative (right-wing) governments in the US and in other states relavent to the region; and (3) the inexorable pressures from below from Islam.

Demographics do not favor the growth of socialism in Europe for the next 20 to 50 years. The area is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. The main features of this demographic Doppelgänger are declining birth rates and the immigration flood. Of course, if Europe fails to address these problems, making the Union safer for socialism will not only become the least of their problems, it may cease to be an option at all.

Blair may or may not be in trouble. As soon as the Frenchies expressed their desire to overrule anything British, his countrymen reverted to national instinct. Almost immediately support for both Blair and the war increased, and continues to do so even as we speak.

I'm getting a little tired of these "polls" that show a position's support at 70, 80, or even 90 percent, as Tim Russert belched yesterday. Where have you ever seen figures like that on anything, especially in Europe?!? Well, Bush I was at 91% after the first Gulf war, but what ever happened to him and that level of support? Clinton, in periods between elections, was in the 60's, but oddly never got to the coveted 50% in any national election. Hmmmm....

It is possible that in some areas figures could approach this level on the antiwar theme, but if that is truly the case, then the EU is in a lot more trouble than it, or most observers, realize. Being "anti" anything is not a good foundation for a union, especially one as ambitious as the EU. That's one reason I feel confident that that union is not going to make it. (Oh, there are lots of other ones, too, but we'll save them for another time.)

If all these "conservative" governments are in trouble in "socialist" Europe, how'd they get elected in the first place? While I agree that the constant (left-wing) media drumbeat does have an influence (it's worse over there than it is over here), it's awfully hard to ignore reality when you realize that the ass that the alligator just bit was yours. That's what determines elections, and that's what a lot of Euros will see when they look out their windows come election day.

"What is your position on the issues, and why should I support and vote for you?"

"I am against the Americans and all they have done to make our current lives a living hell."

"I see. Anything else?.

"I support Paris and Berlin forcing us to accede to their every whim and command. Other than that, no."

That sounds like a winning platform anywhere in Europe, save for France and (maybe) Germany. But trust me, they've already been written off.

When times are good, Europe, it seems, can fancifully entertain itself with Utopian dalliances. We are not, however, riding the crest of good times. That being the case, most of these states in question will either find leadership defined by their leaders, or their leaders will find it pushing up from below, in which case the current ruling cliques could (and probably will) find themselves on the outside looking in.

Yet, you believe the EU will be strengthened, and NATO weakened, eh? You're probably right about NATO. It's time appears to be coming to and end. Oh, it'll take a little while, but the handwriting is there on the wall for all to see.

The EU continues to survive, wheezing and groaning, in spite of itself, not because of it. And given the current divsions that are highlighting fizzures, fractures and splits that always existed but were thrust into the closet to impress the company, it shouldn't be too long before we see that frail entity go on life support.

You think this is a great job? I'll give my take on this. This current President, the illegitimite one who stooped to stealing an election, who is probably the most mentally incompetent man to ever sit in the Oval Office, who has no initiatives of his own, who relies on his daddy too much, who finds himself in a constant state of "eyes wide shut", knows exactly what he is doing. Like Secret Agent Maxwell Smart, he gives every impression (to the untrained eye) of beng an incompetent in way over his head, but by the end of the show we'll see he's turned out to be smarter than everyone else.

You just wait and see.

CA....