Blumenthal: Lost in Europe (Bush* has reached dead end)

[kskiska]

President Bush has reached a dead end in his foreign policy, but he has failed to recognise his quandary


President Bush has reached a dead end in his foreign policy, but he has failed to recognise his quandary. His belief that the polite reception he received in Europe is a vindication of his previous adventures is a vestige of fantasy.

As the strains of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, the Pastoral, filled the Concert Noble in Brussels, Bush behaved as though the mood music itself was a dramatic new phase in the transatlantic relationship. He gives no indication that he grasps the exhaustion of his policy. His reductio ad absurdum was reached with his statement on Iran: "This notion that the US is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." Including, presumably, the "simply ridiculous".

Bush is scrambling to cobble together policies across the board. At the last minute he rescued his summit with Vladimir Putin, who refuses to soften his authoritarian measures, with a step toward safeguarding Russian plutonium that could be used for nuclear weapons production. This programme was negotiated by Bill Clinton and neglected by Bush until two weeks ago.

The European reception for Bush was not an embrace of his neoconservative world view, but an attempt to put it in the past. New Europe is trying to compartmentalise old Bush. To the extent that he promises to be different, the Europeans encourage him; to the extent that he is the same, they pretend it's not happening.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1424849,00.html

[RobertSeattle]

1. Just imagine

...Kerry taking the same tour - welcomed by huge crowds, happy governments.

[Lexingtonian]

2. I think Blumenthal whiffs on this one

This Europe trip was transparently about Bush fleeing forward (Iran) and trying to keep his foreign policy agenda from collapsing outright (Iraq, which is contingent on Blair's survival/compliance).

And all of the Big Boys evidently knew it. Which is why they were so very nice and almost compliant. You don't kick a drowning man- they rowed over and handed him a couple of straws to cling to.

[cliss]

3. As he met with leader after leader,

they saw Bush's idiocy in action. The corners of their mouths turned slightly upward. Bush always overdoes it. When the cameras appear, he arches his neck to make sure he's included in the photo, or he leans too close to his host; his eyes are open too wide, like a rabbit who's come too close to a camp site and got caught in a camera flash.

His European hosts are generous with him, though. They understand that years and years of alcohol and cocaine have taken their toll. Bush is not as sharp as he used to be. Nowadays, he talks more like Ozzy Ozbourne, and refers to "evil" and "evildoers", and "democracy" and "truth", more like comic book jargon.

They understand.

They also understand the reason for his coming to Europe. The Bush administration has reached a point of desperation, and they're trying to figure out what to do about it. They know they're going bankrupt in Iraq and Afghanistan. At some dire point, the Congress will not continue funding their madcap adventures, not because they don't want to, but because the money has run out.

The European leaders are biding their time.

It is greatly to their advantage to sit and wait, while we hemorrhage to death in Iraq. Oh, they'll throw us a bone or two, like Chirac is sending 1 policeman to Iraq to "show his support". That's like putting down 1 cent as a tip after dinner.

Right now, as we speak, they are discussing what will happen after the US topples. They stay in touch with each other and discuss these issues.

What will happen once we fold? No one knows for sure. That's why the corners of their mouths only turn slightly upward. They are trying to figure it out.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

4. like Chirac is sending 1 policeman to Iraq

I wonder what that poor schmuck did to piss somebody off.

[Dirk39]

5. There's more to it....

at least, it's the economy, stupid, among other issues.

"to the extent that he is the same, they pretend it's not happening"

Somehow I had the same impression, here in Germany. It seems to be that simply the world has changed and Europe's position in it - for the better or the worse. But Bush as Schröder are still using the same language.

But Germany, as an example, depends on the U.S. more than ever. We have the hightest unemployment rates since the years before Hitler. At the same time, we're the World's champion in Export. Our corporations make profits they could never dream about before, while our Domestic market is nearly collapsing. With lower wages, more and more unemployed people, there'e no demand.

While the USA has an incredible trade deficit, but is still consuming and consuming. Bush has managed the USA to have a Deficit quota of about 7%. When any member of the EU has a higher Deficit quota than 3% it gets punished (in theory).

We still need the bancrupt U.S.A. to buy our cars with stolen money and money that doesn't exist in the real world.

It's not just the economy stupid, it's about power and the military. Bush might be stupid, but not as stupid as many believe.

He has advisors, too.

Dirk

[northamericancitizen]

6. I agree that the bushcos* are not as stupid as they appear.

Obviously there is a lack of class but they know how to play "The Power Game."

And except for money the only other leading power sits with the armies and other killing devices.

lise

[Dirk39]

7. Might be a no win situation...

I'm not exactly an expert in economics, but to me it seems, as if Bush depends on Germany and other European nations, to continue what they are doing, while Europe depends on Bush to continue, what he is doing. But it just doesn't change anything at all, it's just delaying a kind of unavoidable collapse.

Dirk

[Hardrada]

8. So we are all flying around in zeppelins

Kept aloft by hydrogen. And my fellow Americans, for the most part, remain oblivious to the fact that anything could possibly be wrong.

[Dirk39]

9. Allow me to support your pessimism....

And most of my fellow DUers seem to still believe, Europe is the home of social justice, peace, diplomacy and a third way between capitalism and socialism. I wish, I could share these illusions. Noone in Europe does, and fewest in Countries, where former socialist or socialdemocratic parties are in power as in Germany or Spain.
The worse, average people, the working class, the unemployed and huge parts of the middle class are, the "stronger" Europe becomes.

Dirk

[Hardrada]

10. We simply do not get any accurate descriptions

of the current socioeconomic situation in Europe in our newspapers and popular magazines which are insular and full of meaningless distractions, of course, purposely so. I have to resort to relatively arcane publications such as Foreign Policy to the International Socialist Review etc. or the Guardian (UK) to get a more authentic perspective. I'm sure there are more.