William Pfaff (UK Sunday Observer): Why Bush will fail in Europe

[Dudley_DUright]

President George W Bush arrives in Europe this week in the belief that the European Nato allies can be persuaded to 'turn away from the disagreements of the past' and open 'a new chapter' in transatlantic relations, as Condoleezza Rice, on her European trip, advised them to do. He is likely to go home without the concessions he wants.

He wants more help from the Europeans in Iraq, Afghanistan, and probably in other places yet to be announced; European backing for American policy on Iran (and Syria and Israel/Palestine); and no European arms sales to China. Those are Washington's priorities. There is a further list of secondary issues, commercial as well as political.

His trip will fail because he and his administration do not understand what really divides most continental European governments from the United States today. At the same time, Europeans are mostly unwilling to confront these issues, because of the trouble with Washington they imply. But, unacknowledged or not, they count.

First is the definition of the crisis. Few Europeans believe either in the global 'war on terror' or the 'war against tyranny', as Washington describes them.

more...

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5130903-102273,00.html

[tabasco]

1. Good article. The rest of the world is united against us.

After telling the world to kiss his ass for four years, Bush goes fence mending. Of course, he will fail miserably. The neocons will never be able to hide their true agenda of a US-dominated world order.

[whistle]

2. Main reason is Bush's arrogance and defiance

[yardwork]

3. There is another thread on this article in Editorials

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