SLSL, 'UtR' Who won?
Mutualcode at aol.com
Mutualcode at aol.com
Sun Feb 23 21:51:01 CST 2003
In a message dated 2/23/2003 8:56:43 PM Eastern Standard Time,
paul.mackin at verizon.net writes:
> This would be the U.S. of the present, not of a hundred years ago I
> guess..
True.
>
> It's been a long time since European rivalry has focused on the
> territorial division of Africa. Now it's over who has more influence
> with the U.S. France thinks it can do better as a dutch uncle (not
> afraid to object to wrong U.S. moves) than as a sycophant as Britain
> tends to be seen as.. Whether its recent stance is working very well
> seems to be in some doubt but time will tell.
It's quite impressive how well the original EU countries are holding
together. I would guess that stable democracies in France and
Germany have something to do with that.
>
> An important rivalry between nations is in the world opinion war.
> African opinion and opinion in the Arab/Muslin world is where France is
> presently doing far than Britain
>
>
Blair is out on a limb. I think he's calculating that Britain's influence is
maximized by staying close to the U.S. Both France and Germany are
more dominant from a European perspective, but it's no shame to be
dwarfed by the U.S., since everyone else is, as well. The risk for Blair
is a military intervention that becomes messy. France and Germany
have insulated themselves from that risk.
Germany is the most unique voice this go-round. With no Soviet
threat, and bolstered politically by re-unification, it is freer to go
it's own way than it has been since WW II. So far, I am impressed
by the Germans. They have gained in stature. They are overcoming
their guilt, but not denying it.
respectfully
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