Finn said:
Yeah. But if we look a little further back, we'll see something else.
The problem is that the 'further back' policies aren't exactly what's going to effect Europe
today, is it? Russia is
already interfering in elections and performing 'energy blackmail' on a regular basis. China has that whole 'Tibet' thing going on and is North Korea's major sponsor. I understand that the 'social elite' of Europe once again wants to reject the United States as a power.. like they do every few years until they want us for something again... but maybe the European powers really should check out who they're getting in bed with before catching things penicillin doesn't cure.
However, the only way of turning these fellas into something more reliable is to place some meager trust into their hands. Alienating them sure as hell ain't a good idea.
You don't need to alienate them, but you have to
not reward bad behavior, either. What happens when you give a bully your lunch money? He beats you up again...
Besides, I'm definitely not keen on the idea of someone having a monopoly in this "being a world power" business. But don't worry, I can completely understand why some of you might think otherwise.
No, I think the EU should step up, quit with the petty 'anti-Americanism' bull**** that they're doing and focus on building up Europe's interests rather than jockeying for 'biggest twit wannabe government of the year' all the time.
Simply put, most Americans do NOT want to deal with Europe, or the Middle East, or anywhere else... we're frankly sick of all of it, and we get nothing but grief for our efforts. Seriously, if the next guy after Putin turns into something like Lenin or Stalin, I actually don't think the US will
bother with aiding Europe anymore. Why should we, really, when it
appears that that's exactly what a lot of Europe (at least those on the west of the Eastern Bloc) really wants... either than or Islamic law. Take your pick, 'cause I'm pretty sure that we'll see one or the other within 20 years.
For your information, Vlad Putin was a low-level KGB operative who started his political career as a city official in St. Petersburg in the early nineties, after the fall of the USSR. Nice analogy, bad example.
You forget one key thing... to be a member of the KGB, you HAVE to be a Communist party official. Keep in mind that many of these positions were (or are?) usually appointments or 'jobs', basically, and don't require any political acumen... just fealty.