Europeans Are Not Cowards. It's That We Know War.

The International Herald Tribune ^ | January 28, 2004 | Fletcher Crossman

[quidnunc]

Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina – Listening to Richard Perle on the radio recently was a little hard for a European like me. Perle, a former chairman of the Defense Policy Board, stated that European nations "do not have the most courageous of instincts," with the implication that America has to intervene in international affairs because Europeans are afraid to. Perle's comments take place against a chorus of similar sentiments to be heard on America's airwaves in recent months.

An average listener would be forgiven for believing that Europeans are a cowardly bunch of ungrateful wimps, whose anti-American bombast is a merely a cover for their complicity with evil regimes.

It may be true. But as a European myself — I'm from Britain — it doesn't feel true. And I wonder if our cultural disconnect comes from two very different experiences of war.

-snip-

[marron]

For what its worth, my boy was in the Navy in the Persian Gulf at the time the Cole blew. He told me that on his ship at least they served guard duty with unloaded weapons.

In non-middle east ports, they had no bullets whatever. In middle east ports, they were issued a magazine, but it stayed in the magazine pouch. You could load the magazine into the weapon at your discretion, but you would have to appear at an inquiry afterward whether or not you actually chambered a round. Needless to say, no one would do that unless someone actually opened fire on you by which time of course its too late.

They would actually have no one armed on deck while they were pulling into port, armed guards would only be assigned after they docked, which means that even if the guards were allowed loaded weapons, they would not have been on duty at the time the time the Cole was attacked. This does not say whether the Cole did or did not have an armed guard on deck, but merely that on his ship, in the same situation, there would have been no one armed.

Numerous boats would approach the ships as they pulled in, and at that time there was no effort at all to keep them back from ship.

[mwfsu84]

The greatest tragedy from the European experience is that they didn't learn anything from it.

They ignored Churchill's pleas to prevent the Nazi build- up in the mid 1930's. They could have crushed Hitler before he had a chance to grow. Instead they bargained for "Peace In Our Time", and paid a very dear price for it.

[tracer]

"And I wonder if our cultural disconnect comes from two very different experiences of war."

Indeed. One would expect that the "experiences of war" of a liberator and those of a defender whose subjects were disarmed by their own government might just be a bit different, then.......

[tracer]

"And I wonder if our cultural disconnect comes from two very different experiences of war."

Indeed. One would expect that the "experiences of war" of a liberator and those of a defender whose subjects were disarmed by their own government might just be a bit different, then.......

[Revolting cat!]

The current attitudes and policies of the western European governments and elites have nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with the history of European wars. They have everything to do with the post-colonial hangover, the legalized invasion of Muslim hordes on the European continent and with political correctness. The Europeans, if they want to point out the Americans hypocrisy, should point out to our white gloves treatment of the War on Poverty!

[David1]

Hey, I saw that same segment and I thought the same thing. Some people still think that if you are nice to the bad guy, the bad guy will turn into a good guy.

[VaBthang4]

"The current attitudes and policies of the western European governments and elites have nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with the history of European wars. They have everything to do with the post-colonial hangover, the legalized invasion of Muslim hordes on the European continent and with political correctness. "

Spot On!!!

[He Rides A White Horse]

Europeans Are Not Cowards. It's That We Know War.

Americans Are Not Cowards either, It's that we know the political systems you continue to propagate are Why You Know War.

...and Why We Should Avoid Them Like The Plague.

[PattonReincarnated]

Here's another one for you: Q. How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? A. No one knows, it hasn't been tried yet.

[VaBthang4]

"Americans Are Not Cowards either, It's that we know the political systems you continue to propagate are Why You Know War."

Hahaha....zactly!!

[PattonReincarnated]

>> A little backbone would have prevented that war.

And so went the League of Nations ... now the writing is on the wall for the UN.

[PattonReincarnated]

Personally, I think it is they hae a soft spot for dictators in snappy clothes. Same reason they can't stand Bush ... jeans and a field jacket just doesn't cut it in European fashion.

[Snuffington]

The major flaw of this analysis is that it mistakes the experience of the nation for that of the citizen. The Europe of today is extremely different from that which waged the last great wars. The citizens have changed along with it, even though they're loathe to admit it.

The United States of today is perceived as "militaristic" because it fills the vacuum that is left by Europe's abandonment of its own defense. While we try to keep our military outlook positive and optimistic (and are called naive and gung-ho for it), we increasingly resent the notion that we're shouldering the burden our "allies" neglect.

Meanwhile they continue to fight their last war endlessly, condeming us for reminding them of their errors, while becoming oblivious to the fact that this is neither 1939 nor 1914 (and demonstrating increasingly childish views of even those conflicts), and that their own military blunders are not sufficient to condemn all military actions for the rest of history.

[sarasmom]

You do understand that this website is in the USA?
Have you read the front page?
Assuming you have, let me enlighten you an a few primal truths that appears to escapes your capacity to understand.
The USA does not exist to provide socialist countries with a marketplace to sell their non-capitolistic exports.
The USA really does not care if Canada implodes, as long as you dont send your victims across our borders.
Suicide if you wish, we really dont care.
As long as we dont have to pay for your burial expenses.

[Alberta's Child]

Trust no one.

[dougherty]

What the hell is this idiot talking about? Americans know war all too well, thanks to the Europeans and WWI and WWII. I swear, some of these Euros are brain dead.

[185JHP]

The Brits are about as much "Europeans" as the Russians...

[dougherty]

We are showing the foresight to nip the next one in the bud, rather than wait 20 years before Europe gets overrun by the next band of world-conquerors, and Americans are expected to clean up the mess.

Exactly. We think ahead, they just cower and hope that by being nice to evil people, they will be safe. Fools.

[Alberta's Child]

Actually it is, if you are the commander. Great commanders work long and hard planning the battles that will be the death of many of thier men.

Fine. Richard Perle wears no stripes, and does not function as the Commander in Chief of our nation's armed forces. As such, I would not consider him a "commander" in any sense of the word -- he's just some guy in an expensive suit who has been pursuing an agenda of nation-building for much of his adult life. I, along with a lot of other people in this country, are very suspicious that what's in his interests is not necessarily in the best interests of this country.

[Alberta's Child]

Here's my dumb question of the day: Why did you post all those things to me? I fail to see the point.