Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus
A little academic, a little pedantic as my coworker says, but a well-written
nuanced view of the differences of opinion between the United States and
Europe. While it does have obvious anti-American bias at times, and reinforces
some of the simplistic sterotypes that are currenntly being used to argue
against the actions we take (or don't take) in the Middle East, it also
dispels some of the similarly simplistic notions we have of why Europe is
seemingly in opposition.





While the article has excellent analysis, I feel
that it is lacking in two areas.One is the problems that may arise
from the way that arguments are made by either side. Brashness and condecension
(I'll let you guess which is which) in the parties arguments result in a
loss of influence (look at me, I think that I'm smarter than people who have
inevitably been incredibly succesful and have studied their fields for years)
on the other party. Why couldn't Bush just say that there are some situations
which would allow us to not attack. He doesn't need to mean it. And the
French don't need to be so damn, French.(By the way, I was really impresed with what Dick Armey had to say.
I'm not sure if I agree with him, but I sure as hell am glad that some one
of his stature and affliitation is going on record with such a position.)



The horrors of two world wars after prolonged nationalism understandbly makes
Europe wary of unilaterlism. It should be careful of its condescension,
but it does have valid concerns as to the precendents that may soon be set.


Yet I still feel that their is a more simple reason that Europe and the States
are at odds. It is ingenious to claim that the threats of terrorism pose
as much of a threat to Europe as they do to the United States. While we
may actually be facing a clash of civilizations,
we, as Americans obviously have the bigger target on our chests. The fear
in the undercurrent here make us understandbly more willing to listen to
reasons to attak. At the same times most Europeans do not see a true threat
and therefore are more dismissive at the admittedly more morally demanding
position of launching a preemptive strike.

let there be light