[vannrox]

...!

[TexasRepublic]

Message to Europe: Lead, follow or get out the way -- we are going to Iraq!

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

The Europeans are still squabbling over the funding of their so-called rapid reaction force, which is not going to be terribly rapid, nor much of a force.

Becasue America is still there to defend them. Once we get the hell out, they'll get more serious about it.

[big gray tabby]

Needs a qualified barf alert. The piece blows chunks but aims them at everyone.

[Paradox]

I haven't seen this kind of hand wringing since the Reagan years... so we must be doing SOMETHING right..

[LenS]

I read this book a couple of years back. Professor Kennedy did a fine analysis of past great powers. His analysis of the situation in the late 80's wasn't too bad either, especially for an academic exposed daily to colleagues who looked upon the US as the devil and the USSR as a saint. His examination of the USSR, Europe and Japan did point out the negative trends facing all three. I suspect that being an American, familiarity led him to overestimate US problems and to underestimate the impact of the other's problems. Of course, I had the advantage of reading his book after the USSR had collapsed, Japan had been mired in permanent recession, and the US had massively outgrown Europe.

[kaylar]

The European Union has a larger population than the United States and a bigger GDP. Europe is hugely endowed with both money and experience.

15 countries combined have a larger population than the USA, and a marginally higher GDP, and they think that's something to be proud of. The fact that one country ALONE nearly equals all 15 of them is something they should ponder.

Furthermore , if one does a NAFTA-EU comparision, I suspect their margin of "victory" in both categories declines.

[dead]

Well, even Ivy League professors occasionally call it wrong.

Ya think?

[Steve0113]

The challenge is made more severe by an American administration which ... combines an instinct for unilateralism with absolute certainty about the justice and urgency of its mission.

Yeah, we're funny that way.

[Ancesthntr]

Powell replied with words to the effect that he had phoned because 'they are more likely to tell you guys than me'.

Yep, seems like Dubya's doing things the right way after all.

The European Union has a larger population than the United States and a bigger GDP. Europe is hugely endowed with both money and experience.

Yes, but so many of them are French. The author of this piece simply cannot conceive of the huge advantage that this gives the US - it is akin to us being given 22nd century technology from a time traveler. I can't believe this oversight, especially coming from an Englishman!

[Teacher317]

The largest naval armada assembled since 1945 currently cruises the Arabian Gulf. The decks of these warships bristle with weaponry of a sophistication and potency that no other state on Earth comes anywhere close to matching.

I can't help but smile while reading these particular lines.

(finding that silver lining!)