European-American Relations Continue to Improve

After the horrible mess in the lead up to Iraq, relations between the US and Europe are rapidly becoming better and stronger than ever. Hurray! This is a highly positive sign and one that I look forward to continuing in earnest!! It is SO GOOD to have our European allies back

euractiv.com/en/security/tra … cle-133371

How much you think this is related to Bush’s plummeting poll numbers in a cause-effect way?

Mr. Smith IV -
I am equally heartened by the thaw, albeit slowly and with a watchful eye, on US - Libyan relations.
Quite amazing headlines:

[quote]Libyan press, people welcome restoration of relations with US
May 16, 2006, 12:55 GMT
Tripoli/Cairo - Libyan press and people welcomed on Tuesday the restoration of Libyan-US diplomatic relations one day after Washington announced the diplomatic move that would also see Tripoli removed from the list of terrorist states.

Al-Jamahiriya newspaper ran a front-page article titled ‘Libyan-US relations: From problem to solution’ saying that both Libya and the US would benefit.

The article said that US-Libyan confrontation in the past ‘has not been beneficial to Libya’ and was definitely harmful to America ‘as evinced by economic and political realities.’
news.monstersandcritics.com/midd … ns_with_US[/quote]
and:

[quote]Libya: U.S. Announces Plans to Restore Diplomatic Ties
May 15, 2006, Posted to the web May 16, 2006
David I. Mckeeby, Washington, DC

The United States soon will re-establish full diplomatic relations with Libya, based on Tripoli’s 2003 decision to renounce its sponsorship of terrorism and to eliminate its programs for production of weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced May 15.
allafrica.com/stories/200605160123.html[/quote]
and:

[quote]Libya-U.S. alliance unlikely to inspire Iran, North Korea
Jonathan Manthorpe, Freelance, Published: Thursday, May 18, 2006

Trotting out Libya’s erratic and often terrifying leader Moammar Gadhafi as a poster boy for a better world may strike many people as decidedly odd.

But this is what United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other Washington officials did on Monday as they announced the re-establishment of full diplomatic ties with Libya after 25 years of violence and suspicion.

“Libya is an important model as nations around the world press for changes in behaviour by the Iranian and North Korean regimes,” Rice said.

So the message to skulking evil-doers in Tehran and Pyongyang is that if Washington can clasp a repentant terrorist sponsor and American killer like Gadhafi to its bosom, no one is beyond forgiveness and America’s fond embrace.
canada.com/edmontonjournal/n … 93ee245f8a[/quote]
and:

[quote][b]Libya welcomes new US relations[b]

Libya has hailed Washington’s decision to renew full diplomatic ties with Tripoli as an “important step” which will help reinforce world peace.

Libya’s Foreign Minister, Abdel Rahman Shalgham, said it heralded a “new page” in relations between the two countries.
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4985804.stm[/quote]

Quite frankly this is one of, if not the, most stunning turn-a-round politically I’ve seen so far in my life.

With friends like this . . .

"Another U.S. ally in the war in Iraq distanced itself from the U.S.- led effort today when Italy’s new prime minister, Romano Prodi, called the U.S.-led invasion and occupation a “grave error” and said he would propose a withdrawal of Italian troops.

“We consider the war in Iraq and the occupation of the country a grave error,” Prodi told the upper house of parliament, wire services reported. “It has not resolved, but complicated the situation of security,” he said."

[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Mr. Smith IV -
I am equally heartened by the thaw, albeit slowly and with a watchful eye, on US - Libyan relations.[/quote]

Abdullah Ali al-Sanussi al-Darrat, imprisoned in Libya by Moammar Gadhafi since 1973, is the longest-held journalist in the world.

No wonder he and the Bush administration are new best friends.

[quote=“spook”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]Mr. Smith IV -
I am equally heartened by the thaw, albeit slowly and with a watchful eye, on US - Libyan relations.[/quote]

Abdullah Ali al-Sanussi al-Darrat, imprisoned in Libya by Moammar Gadhafi since 1973, is the longest-held journalist in the world.

No wonder he and the Bush administration are new best friends.[/quote]

Has Bush imprisoned journalists???

[quote=“jdsmith”][quote=“spook”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]Mr. Smith IV -
I am equally heartened by the thaw, albeit slowly and with a watchful eye, on US - Libyan relations.[/quote]

Abdullah Ali al-Sanussi al-Darrat, imprisoned in Libya by Moammar Gadhafi since 1973, is the longest-held journalist in the world.

No wonder he and the Bush administration are new best friends.[/quote]

Has Bush imprisoned journalists???[/quote]

A pattern of behaviour?

"Federal Source to ABC News: We Know Who You’re Calling

A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.

“It’s time for you to get some new cell phones, quick,” the source told us in an in-person conversation."

Freedom of the what? That’s so Old America.

"A set of flashcards designed to help applicants for U.S. citizenship learn basic civics has become one of the most popular items sold by the Government Printing Office.

But the $8.50 flashcards

Let the Italian like the Spanish troops go. For me, I would rather have France and Germany back any day. No offense to the Spanish or Italians but I have always been horrified by the nasty debate that emerged with France and Germany. They have always been the center of Europe and I am happy our relations with them now are not only cordial but exceedingly friendly. Italy and Spain can do what they like with regard to troops in Iraq and I fully understand that leftist politicians are not under any obligation to support “our” war. Let them make such decisions however while still cooperating with us in other areas. That is all I ask. The vicious demonization on both sides of the Atlantic is thankfully over and regardless of political climate and changes and shifts in leadership, I am overjoyed that we are all once again working together. That is all I ever wanted.

[quote=“jdsmith”]
Spook, surely this war on the press wasn’t begun by the Bush Administration? And my apologies for calling you shirley. :slight_smile:[/quote]

That’s okay, jd. I’m used to being kicked around here at the Forum.

Wah! You keep shifting away from my main points. I want to once again praise Europe and its leaders for meeting us halfway and I would like to once again underline how important it is for the world that Europe and America continue to cooperate in said fashion. When the US and Europe and our East Asian allies are in sync, the world as a whole will benefit. Forget the tit for tat trade disputes or the occasional mud slinging, the world benefits when the Europeans and the US work together. I would love to see EU expansion continue. Look at how successful the Europeans have been at solidifying democracy and instilling sound economic values in the nations of Eastern and Central Europe!

Yes, cross-Atlantic cooperation is vital.

Tell me fred, what sort of European expansion do you think is best for that relationship: a broad, though loose EU such as Britain advocates, or a deeper, tighter EU along the United States of Europe model advocated by France and Germany? The second model, featuring an elected, effective, if limited presidency and unitary foreign ministry, would make for a more effective partner, but would also sometimes present a more significant bulwark against unpopular US policies.

Absolutement!

Either or works for me as long as the Europeans arrive at such decisions in a democratic and transparent way. It is THEIR decision after all and they have generally been quite wise and knowledgeable about what works best for them so I suggest that we let them come up with the best solutions and deal with it when they decide what they want. Regardless, the benefits to world peace and security are immeasurable. The US simply could not have done what the EU did in Eastern and Central Europe despite its military protection.

I disagree. The only time we had a bulwark against US policies was when the disgraceful leadership of Germany under Schroeder and Fischer and France under Chirac and de Villepin gave rein to their most undemocratic, most high-handed, most corrupt tendencies. Those have been brought to heel and so I see no difficulties. Ask Europeans after all how they felt about Carter and the disaster that his term in office meant for their security and economic relationships. We betrayed them then and we stabbed France and Britain in the back over Suez. We had it coming with Schroeder and Fischer and Chirac and de Villepin but that still did not make it in the best interests of either of our nations to engage in such a childlishly foolish debate. We both realize that now and for that the world will be a better place.

The stronger Europe is, the more influential, the better for the US. These are not mutually incompatible goals. Hurray for the new leadership in Europe and here’s to an ever stronger EU!!!

You must mean the center of “Old Europe,” right?

Nice. Although I have to say if I were a Euro, I would definitely recommend taking a second look at having a too-powerful central government.

Take big agriculture. I remember some years back reading (I forget the source, perhaps the Prague Post?) about small farmers in Poland who had resisted collectivisation (and the loss of their land) under the soviets. They find that in order for their country to join the EU (which was a fairly popular among the big business set) they will have to stop selling their eggs and milk at market (and lose their farms). Why? They don’t operate on the same industrial scale, and they lack much of the equipment larger operations (and EU regulations) consider standard.

If that kind of stuff were decided on a more regional scale, perhaps more of the continent’s cultural heritage could be preserved and the union might enjoy a touch more legitimacy.

Let’s just admit it it’s Islamofascists vs. everybody else in the world. Europe vs. America is not interesting and not a big deal. It’s good that some Europeans have waken up and realize this facts. We have to stand together against the real enemy and stop fighting each other. Europe is not the enemy of America. The real enemy are the fascists. The fascists who beat their women and have no respect for any human rights. Islam must be destroyed. I am a liberal and I agree with that. It doesn’t matter if you are conservative, liberal, socialist, libertarian, communist, everybody in the west, we all agree on that, we must destroy this monstrous perversion of religion that causes people to blow up innocent children in the name of religion. Europe and America should grow up and stop fighting like children, there is a real enemy to unite against.

"America Against the World

The precipitous rise in anti-Americanism is startling. To understand why the world has turned against the United States, the Pew Research Center, under the leadership of Andrew Kohut, has undertaken an unprecedented survey of world opinion–more than 91,000 respondents in fifty nations. In America Against the World, Kohut and Bruce Stokes unveil the sobering and surprising findings.

America’s image is at a low ebb: where once it was considered the champion of democracy, America is now seen as a self-absorbed, militant hyperpower. More than 70 percent of non-Americans say that the world would be improved if America faced a rival military power, and about half the citizens of Lebanon, Jordan, and Morocco think that suicide attacks on Americans in Iraq are justified. . . ."

Trust me dude, we don’t all agree with that.

Sounds too much like Hitler to me. Sorry, but it does. :astonished:

Euro-American relations are like eating hot dogs: you can only take so much before you have to puke. :smiley: Besides, I could care less about what other countries think of the US as long as we keeps on doing what is right instead of what is politacally expedient at the moment. :raspberry:

Frankly, how could it be any other way ?

The majority of Euros still think the Iraq war was a mistake (Prodi’s words).

The situation is still a mess there (despite what some think here). But it is not Europe’s interest to live with a very unstable Iraq.

So after the disagreement whether to go or not to go, now comes the time to be united again and to try to come out of this situation the best the western world can.

The Euro-America’s relations has to keep updating and renewing in order to keep the belief system and the good ole’ boys in charge. Sad yet true.

And how exactly would you like the Islam to be destroyed? Kill every Muslim?