Emmanuel Gustin wrote:

There is nothing wrong with having different values and opinions,
as long as you are capable of respecting each other and having
a healthy debate. If that fails, then friendship, alliance, and
ultimately democracy itself will break down, even down to the
point of Civil War. In a sense it is less the difference of opinions
between Europeans and Americans that is driving them apart,
than the contempt publicly shown by people who ought to know
better --- for example Rumsfeld's jibe about 'Old Europe'.

There's no shortage of contempt for America and this current
administration coming from Europe. In fact, European contempt for
Bush was being voiced even before he was officially President!

National values isn't really what is driving the divergence between
Europe and the US. It is national *interest*.

Europeans assume the US is basically just another European country,
with national interests in line with Europe.

That is really no longer the case, and hasn't been since the demise of
the USSR.

The sooner the US returns to a policy of neo-isolationism, the better
off we'll all be, at least on this side of the Atlantic. I no longer
much care what you on the other side think.


SMH