My Way or the Highway

It seems that everyone is worried about US – Europe Relations. European Parliament Green Leader, Daniel Cohn-Bendit has some advice for the Americans as to how they can put things right.

Europe can help America re-find its place in the international community. A good first step would be for America to sign up to some of the treaties it has so far rejected. President Bush announcing a US intention to ratify the Kyoto Protocol when he visits Brussels later this month would mark a real progression of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Which roughly translates as; if they do what we want, we will forgive them. This from a member of the Tranzi elite that is always lecturing the USA on their arrogance. The USA – Europe alliance should be important enough to survive differences of opinion. These comments are no different from George Bush’s “You are either with us or against us” statement which infuriated so many in Europe. He quotes Chris Patten:

If you want to get a cheap cheer from certain quarters in America it seems that all you have to do is to bash the UN, or the French or the very idea that allies are entitled to have their own opinions.

OK so some of the reaction from our Atlantic cousins is a little crass, but the source of these ideas is not difficult to locate. The UN constantly makes a fool of itself, see Sudan and Libyan positions on human rights committees. It constantly attacks an important US ally, Israel, whilst ignoring the actions of the other parties involved. The French and the Germans have made hay big time with anti-Americanism. The German Chancellor won an election on this tasteless tactic alone. Besides, if Chris Patten thinks that America’s allies have a right to their own opinion, couldn’t Red Danny extend the same right to the Americans themselves?