--- Richard Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Let's not forget that the EU itself is a triumph of > the collective > foreign policies of the European nations. Of course, > the US was vital > militarily because it helped protect Europe from the > might of the > Soviet Union, but it's almost entirely as a result > of the methods of > the western European nations that the end of the > Cold War sees a stable > European Union and not a handful of competitive > powers as has been > usual in modern history. I think the US should be > thankful that its > worst foreign policy problems are the relatively > trivial matters of > Iraq and North Korea rather than, say, a cold war > (or hot....) between > a France and Germany both with nuclear weapons. > > Given the various military or diplomatic crises that > plagued Europe > every few decades before WW2 (including such spasms > as WW1, the > Franco-Prussian war, the Napoleonic Wars, the > European wars of which > the American Revolution formed a small component, > the Seven Years > War...), this is no small achievement. That the EU > is about to > assimilate the various nations of eastern Europe and > is likely to also > admit the Balkan nations and perhaps even some > nations of North Africa > is even more remarkable. > > Rich
Yes, let's do give credit where it's due. What is the only significant difference in the strategic position of Western Europe before and after the Second World War that might have allowed the formation of the European Union? Well, that would be the presence of American forces as the single overwhelming power on the continent. The US has consistently (and mistakenly, in my opinion) encouraged the creation and expansion of the European Union. But the strategic stability of Western Europe is possible _only_ because American forces were sitting around being nice and friendly - and reminding everyone that there wasn't any point to intra-European conflict, because Dad was hanging around. So how about some credit where it's due, actually? That would be a nice, refreshing change from what we usually get from Europe. Gautam __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
