Excellent article by Gerard Baker on the ceaseless George Bush-bashing of Europe and what will happen when he isn't around to kick any longer. This same column could be used about the American left, as well, just change "Europeans" to "moonba"--er, "Democrats."
This escapism is not confined to President Bush’s critics in Europe, as the current battle over Iraq in Congress demonstrates. The Democrats have majorities in both houses. They could, if they wished, move to end the war in Iraq, which most of them — having once supported it — now oppose. They could vote to cut off funding for US troops and force the Pentagon to bring them home.
But they won’t do that. That would involve taking responsibility for a dangerous war. They would much rather, carp and cavil and pass “nonbinding” resolutions that express dissatisfaction with the war but leave the actual job of ending it to the Bush Administration.
This is why it may be a good thing if Americans were to elect a Democrat next year. Certainly, he or she could change the tone of US diplomacy by speaking more contritely about Iraq, by sounding more concerned about climate change, perhaps even by agreeing to hold talks talk with the Iranians to try to persuade them to drop their nuclear programme.
But it’s likely that sooner or later a Democrat would have to have his or her “Nixon Goes to China” moment. Just as Bill Clinton discovered in the 1990s, when the Europeans were happy to sit back and let Serbs slaughter Bosnian and Kosovan Muslims, a Democrat will find a distinct lack of enthusiasm for the task.
In the dread modern vernacular of management-speak, the Democrats need to take ownership of American leadership in a turbulent world. Though it can be fairly argued that President Bush’s incompetence has made things worse, the challenge of radical Islamism was not invented by the Bush Administration.
Even as some future Democratic president proclaims his commitment to renewing alliances, he is sure to be greeted with all kinds of explanations as to why the Europeans are just not quite ready to make that a joint ownership. When that moment comes, everyone will be urgently wishing they still had George Bush to blame.
I remember watching the Europeans dither over Bosnia, unwilling and/or incapable of actually addressing the problem. Lefties love Europe precisely because they do not deal with real world issues. Instead, Europe just wrings its collective hands at every world event, whether that event is Bosnia or Darfur or Iraq. Even when the terrorists are aiming their bombs at the Europeans, they find some way to say it must be America's fault and that America has to fix it.
It is sad to say the world deserves a Democratic president, but it is true. I'm not willing to abdicate being an adult and voting for one. I'll still vote for the adult party.
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