[Maceman]

Of course Afghanistan was a push-over, a poor, war-ruined country pummelled at will by its opponent in a military mismatch equivalent to Manchester United playing a pick-up village football team.

Of course it was a pushover. Ask anybody. Take a look at almost any newspaper say, around October 11, to see the unanimous chorus of journalistic voices saying "of course the US will kick the Taliban's butt."

Seems to me, all I heard about then was "quagmire."

[Bounceback]

"Of course it was a pushover. Ask anybody. Take a look at almost any newspaper say, around October 11, to see the unanimous chorus of journalistic voices saying "of course the US will kick the Taliban's butt."

Seems to me, all I heard about then was "quagmire."

Exactly right.

The Europeans are themselves hurling headlong into a quagmire of mediocrity: they are turning their backs on individual sovereignty - and worse, turning their backs on their individual cultures and heritages - in an effort to mount a European Union worthy to sit at the High Table. In essence, the European Union is an expression of elitist envy - envy of the United States; envy of the economic potential of the Pacific economies. The Eu wants the United States taxpayer to furnish its military shield, to subsidize its socialist programs and most important of all, to defer to its 'wisdom'. At the end of the day, the European Union will be governed by the edicts of unelected bureaucrats growing fat in Brussels and corruption and discontent within the EU will be widespread. There will be no synergy established by such 'unification' - only sorrow.