The Europeans have lived in a protected little green house so long they
seem to think that if all the nice people just agree to be nice there
will be nothing but joy for all of us. Someone has to shoot the wolf at
the door, even if the loud noise disturbs your garden party.

The Wall Street Journal noted this morning that the reason UN
peacekeeping forces are more and more drawn from poor nations is that
they alone have the surplus troops for this sort of mission--troops
who moreover are thrifty to maintain and proud of the job. With the
exception of Britain's, European armies have been drawn down to the
point where they are essentially useless. From what I've read earlier,
that would also appear to be true of Canada's.

So not only is the U.S. the "sole superpower," it is very nearly also
the only democracy with an army. Think of NATO's war against
Yugoslavia. All of continental Europe couldn't manage a war against a
small Balkan nation, without the U.S. and Britain to do the heavy
lifting.


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

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