ANALYSIS: An Even-Handed Look at American, European Relations

[DanS]

Replace it with 'super-power' if it makes you feel better.

It does make me feel better. But then there is no new reason to put such an emphasis on the US.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Your too easy. I'm going trolling elsewhere.

[Bereta_Eder]

Wise decision

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by DanS
But then there is no new reason to put such an emphasis on the US.

Would you agree or disagree that there is a more of a reason for foreigners to be interested in US politics than there is for Americans to be interested in a particular foreign country's politics?

[DinoDoc]

Why are there suddenly "Ads by Google" in people's posts?

[Dauphin]

Thank goodness it wasn't just me seeing them!

[GePap]

adds invasion!

[Bereta_Eder]

I don't see them.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Big Crunch
Thank goodness it wasn't just me seeing them!

I was afraid to say anything at first.

[DanS]

Would you agree or disagree that there is a more of a reason for foreigners to be interested in US politics than there is for Americans to be interested in a particular foreign country's politics?

It depends on which country you are talking about. I would certainly understand Canada, Mexico or China having a fetish with the US, because trade with the US makes up such a large portion of their economies while it isn't true the other way around.

[Bereta_Eder]

After I said I don't see them, now I see them too. MarkG works fast.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by DanS


It depends on which country you are talking about. I would certainly understand Canada, Mexico or China having a fetish with the US, because trade with the US makes up such a large portion of their economies while it isn't true the other way around.

Why limit such analyses of reasoning to how much trade a nation has with the US?

I would imagine most countries are effected, or could be effected, far more by the US than the US is by them.

[DanS]

Why limit such analyses of reasoning to how much trade a nation has with the US?

I didn't. I just gave three instances where economics would make a fetish with the US more understandable and less weird.

I would imagine most countries are effected, or could be effected, far more by the US than the US is by them.

If the overall impact is still minimal, I don't see how the fetish is justifiable.

[Bereta_Eder]

fetish with the US? nice word. completely gaga though

world has issues with the US because of deeds of the past (although I will acknowledge that in some respects we don't stop to acknowledge the benefits that it has brought too)

in today's world I think it's more of a case where you are in a bus and you have a crazy driver and you're positive the bus will crash so you want to get out but you cant. so you try to bang the driver in the head and replace him

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Good analogy.

So by banging him in the head you either a) knock him unconscious or b) divert his attention, thus ensuriung a crash.



(One last troll)

[ErikM]

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
That's all there is too US-Euro relations, really.
Nobody wants a benevolent dictator since there is no guarantee that he will stay benevolent.
Bush administration provided a nice example of the above sentiment.

[Pekka]

I think THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER IS!!!!!!!!!!!: We are good friends.

Anyone who tries to jeopardize the relations between us should be watched closely with extreme prejudice.

IF our relations gets cold, TERRORISTS WIN!

Hey, you can bring all the terrorism in the world to the table right now. Even if we would disagree on things, it's a small thing considering how important our friendship is. It's like becoming enemies with your best friend over some prostitute.

People get pissed off all the time, but we need to stay tight, that's it. REMEMBER who your friends are, and don't make mistakes who your REAL enemies are. Even if many European countries disagree with US foreign policies, so what, is it something worth losing the relations over? NO! It's nothing!
And if the US decides to take action somewhere, is it worth for us Euros to get cold on the US? NO!

Mark my words, we must remember the important things over the small things. We have only seen the beginning and if we end up losing relations, we'll see a whole lot more.

I can't even believe how stupid it is. Europe and US should just shake hands and kiss up, it's just ****ing stupid that's what it is. Get things in perspective here.

[Pekka]

Some long term thinking is appreciated. The future and ****.

[Pekka]

It's the most important thing, forget the terrorist scum this is what they want to happen.

And there is not one side to blame, it's both sides. Let's suck it up and go from here. Screw what everyone else thinks. If the situation gets freezing below zero cold, I'll move my ass to Antarctis because both Europe and US would suck so much hairy sweaty balls, it's all I believe in this whole world and to lose it over petty verbal swording? Forget it. I'm taking up addresses and coming to beat some sense to you guys, all of you, silent j and bob style.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Kontiki
I'm kind of surprised to see such a naive view from you, NYE. This isn't the 19th century - the US economy does not exist in a vaccuum and could not withstand withdrawing from the world. The US will always act in what it perceives to be its best interest, especially economically. Sure, the US could conceivably stop supporting Europe in matters such as the former Yugoslavia, but to suggest that they would ever just abandon Europe is ludicrous.

I was filing it under flights of fancy while I hit the submit button, but... the possibility exists that they will become unwilling to send troops outside of the hemisphere for any reason at all. If that happens there is then a large vacuum. Someone will fill that vacuum. Will they be better or worse than the Yanks?

[Ned]

Originally posted by Pekka
I think THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER IS!!!!!!!!!!!: We are good friends.

Anyone who tries to jeopardize the relations between us should be watched closely with extreme prejudice.

IF our relations gets cold, TERRORISTS WIN!

Hey, you can bring all the terrorism in the world to the table right now. Even if we would disagree on things, it's a small thing considering how important our friendship is. It's like becoming enemies with your best friend over some prostitute.

People get pissed off all the time, but we need to stay tight, that's it. REMEMBER who your friends are, and don't make mistakes who your REAL enemies are. Even if many European countries disagree with US foreign policies, so what, is it something worth losing the relations over? NO! It's nothing!
And if the US decides to take action somewhere, is it worth for us Euros to get cold on the US? NO!

Mark my words, we must remember the important things over the small things. We have only seen the beginning and if we end up losing relations, we'll see a whole lot more.

I can't even believe how stupid it is. Europe and US should just shake hands and kiss up, it's just ****ing stupid that's what it is. Get things in perspective here.

I second this. But every Euro but you seems to exhibit unending hostility to the United States. France, weilding its veto, goes out of its way to hamstring American foreign policy and to opening interfere in American elections.

Cooperation, if that is what Europe wants, is a two way street. The Europeans have to junk their Bush bashing and fashionable hatred of America. Such attitudes cause amazingly vitriolic reactions in many if not most Americans. You ask the average American his opinion about France, and he or she will say something really nasty.

[Arrian]

Sigh.

[Pekka]

Yeah well. I'm saying it's two way street too. Both are to blame for this all. And furthermore, I don't even see us having REAL problems. Only disagreement in some policies, big deal! It's important things, absolutely, but relations are wayyy more important, so instead of pointing fingers we should forget about it.

There is no 'what Europe wants'. There are many countries, all have different goals. We get whole lots of *****ing from the EU too being "difficult negotiating" the miltiary alliance in the future. Because we allegedly didn't let little things go but started arguing with the dots and words. That's pretty stupid don't you think? IF you're making alliance, you better get it right and not mess it up like 'just write something down'. Thus, we have not signed it because others didn't like it. IMO they can have their little puny alliances that falls apart the first time **** flies.

This is what I mean, don't believe these stupid people who try to convince you we are not your real friends. And we shouldn't believe anyone who says US is bigger threat than terrorists.

All these people, they want to separate us, for what? What good will come out of that? I just want to know what it is. I haven't come up with anything yet. But I can come up with thousand BAD things that comes out of it. It's just not near worth it, thinking value wise and in the relation level anyway. There is no dimension where this would be a good move and I can see only terrorists winning BIG in this dispute. THat's far more they asked for.

And Americans can bash me too, I don't care. Well I care but it won't change my mind of being friends now and in the future. It's far more important than me being insulted.

But as for som European countries expressing some warmed up feelings towards countries that are enemies or friends of enemies.. that's the last road to walk and they can all feel my wrath!

[Pekka]

We've been watching you from up here all these years and we'd like to say you are all stupid and if you guys want to go at it, we deserve to be demolished in it anyway.

We'll be the ultimate refs, brings us some nukes since you can't play nice. I claim the ultimate authority from this day forward.

[Pekka]

I mean people talk about dividing Spain and how that was a victory for the terrorists. At the same time we LET the terrorist influence our own relations and if there is even talks about deviding.. that's the ultimate jackpot they even didn't see coming and they'll be creaming their pants for the next millenium.

[Duvan]

Hey Pekka that is how I feel about it too in a way!
I mean US and Europe have always have their differences but on a whole we are pretty good friends.

I can´t really see that we could become better friends/allies with non-democratic countrys?
Just becuse we disagree about the Iraqi war it will not make us enemies.

BTW Its better to have US as the superpower then China I say

(bad spelling, I know)

[ErikM]

Originally posted by Pekka
All these people, they want to separate us, for what? What good will come out of that?

Balance of power.

[Pekka]

Duvan, exactly. And it worries me that there is active discussion about this. People make things bigger than life so easy. It's almost the same "Real Madrid won the championships" and then someone yells "LET'S NUKE THE WORLD". The reasons are just as good, the logic behind is just as good and reasonable people can't understand wtf do these people have in their drinking water.

People should be able to look few moves further than just the next step. I guess we're not able to do that. The ultimate bad cop good cop tactics seems to be extremely efficient, and we are TOO STUPID to see it. If we devide, if we really want that (or some people, I don't want it), yeah let's give the power from West away. Who will get it? China? That's nice. Let's diminish our own power, because some terrorists sent few letters.

I'm telling you guys, these days it seems to be very cheap to get power. We should not even have our own army, we can just send letters and talk bad behind others backs and make friends enemies and see them falling and just grab it. Cheap, easy and fun.

[Pekka]

ErikM, No. Europe is already powerful. Together with US we have a situation where we call the shots. And even with some disagreements on policies, hey that's the way it is now.

THe thing is, if we stop doing that there will be an opening to new power players, like China.

Frankly, I like the power and we should keep it.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Pure hypocrisy. No one wants to tell others how to live. The 'manifest destiny' is justification tool for neo-colonialism, created by the 'free market of ideas', and nothing else. Europe has given up on imperialism (mostly) in the 60s, and it's about time America does the same.

"Manifest destiny" was the justification for the westward expansion, Oncle Boris... I think we gave it up already