Burying the Hatchet with "old" Europe...

The Wall Street Journal op-ed page this a.m. makes a good observation about the recent trip President Bush has made to Europe. It was about mending fences alright, but it was France, Germany and Russia that needed to do the mending.

Why? The column explains:

"Partly this reflects political facts: Contrary to expectation a year ago (and with the qualified exception of Spain), the leaders who supported the war in Iraq have all been returned to office, while Messrs. Chirac, Putin and Schroeder languish in polls.

Partly, too, it reflects the realities of power. Europe, collectively and in its several parts, requires a functioning relationship with the U.S. to secure its vital interests. The same cannot be said of America's requirements of Europe."

Translation: They need us more than we need them. Now that Iraq is a success and the seeds of freedom and democracy have been planted in the soil of the country that was once the biggest threat to stability in the Middle-East, Messrs Chirac, Shroeder and Putin are being given the opportunity to come back into the fold.

Posted by: Gary at 09:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 192 words, total size 1 kb.