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Tuesday, March 18, 2003
posted by gbarto at 4:53 AM:
Den Beste puts the pieces of the puzzle together to show why the UN messing around was worth it. He's right.He is especially right in his diagnosis of the exposing of French pretentions to Empire as the most salutary benefit. Indeed, the NY Post "Axis of Weasel" front pager alone is worth every bit of fiddling around we have done: Mr. Chirac approached this crisis as being about America, not Iraq, and he made it about France, not Iraq. This is of incalculable value, for the ensuing debate has reminded an America that was very interested in world support that other countries exist as independent entities with their own understandings of their interests, not as impartial tribunals on "how we're doing" as a people. This will, I think, make the public far more clear-eyed than it would have been about other attempts by different interests to hijack the process underway and increase American resolve, rather than weaken it, when we find ourselves dismissed by those who always seem to have a kind word about how great we'd be if we were only more like them.
Still, the most significant benefit in this will accrue not to the United States, but to the nations of Europe, which have finally been given a forum in which to openly discuss the future the heads of the EU would plan for them behind closed doors. Eastern Europe has been warned about growing too entangled in a Franco-German Weltanschaung and the Franco-German "center" has found out that it will not resurrect an Empire on "traditional European values". Poland seems already to be thanking us for the exposition, along with several of the Baltics. Irony of irony, while destroying NATO and the UN, this may just prompt enough clear thinking for the EU to save itself yet. Good thing, too. We hillbillies over here always seem to wind up in one mess or another if them crazy Europeans don't resolve their misunderstandings well and early.
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