Quote:
Originally posted by jaguar
I have been glad to witnees a few great development in the EU over recent years, the blocking of some GM crops, stronger privicy laws, Koyoto, etcetc while the US ahs sliped further backward....
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Europe's credibility has been far from responsible during the days of Clinton. Its just that Bush is so mediocre that Europe looks better.
While they complain (emotionally rather than logically) about GM foods, lets see:
1) Coke poisons kids in France and Belgium, blames separate European sources for the same poisoning from two different plants, and Europe says - OK, be nice.
2) Milosevik runs rampant murdering people in Slovenia, Coatia and Bosnia while Europe does absolutely nothing.
3) Netherland troops march thousands of refugees into the arms of Serbs, who in turn do exactly what everyone expected - slaughter them. Europe does nothing. Netherlands claims ignorance.
4) After a massive massacre in the streets of Sreven - whatever that town was - live before TV cameras - only then does Clinton decide that July that not one European rulers has any balls. He decides it is time for the US to take charge. Because of Clinton, the Brits (who were crying to do this years ago) and the French rapid reaction force move in to be the (I think this is an exact quote) "worst mother-fucker on the block". Only then did the Bosnia massacre and concentration camps end.
5) Again Clinton / US forsaw all other coming problems and put troops into Albania, Macedonia (despite a self serving, screw everyone else attitude from Greece), and coordinated with (forgot the name) province next to Kosovo. Ironically one of the few European nations with balls to support Clinton, besides Britian, was Turkey and Italy.
6) So incapable is the European military (that still practices cold war training) that the only support Germany could provide was motor transport and bridge building type military. Even Bulgaria and Rumania did more to stop the slaughter in Kosovo than Greece - and the other European NATO allies stayed silent as to their uncooperation - they would not even try to enforce an embargo.
7) Canada has so almost totaly exhausted their military in peacekeeping that most every soldier has already been on at least three separate peacekeeping missions. What has France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc done? Aussies should feel proud in that they may do more for international peace (per capita and per GDP) than France.
8) While demanding that the US stop being an unfair trader, Europe has some of the most government subsidized farming in world. In response, the US subsidizes America famers for exports - only to make European farming exports difficult. This was after Europe reneigned on a deal to drop all agri-subsidies. The trade war has hurt Australia, Argentina, etc. The trade war continued over restricting Central American bananas that are superior to European government approved 'tiny' bananas and banning any American crop that 'might' have GM. Of course hybrid farming is also GM, but that is not feared because the process existed prevously.
9) Europe has no food standard protection authorities. Hoof and Mouth disease was active in India, Korea, and most of the middle east for two years - and Europe did little to protect or even to immunize. Then when hoof and mouth was crossing from Britian into main Europe, they still refused to immunize - until eventually is was even appearing in Germany. As for Mad Cow, only the British government has any science knowledge of the disease since the Brits refused to share information with anyone else - including the US - and then declared the disease solved.
We must give Europe credit. They have a 50 years program necessary to merge so many nations into one. This is not an easy time for a united Europe to address a major crisis since they have so many of their own between so many primadonna leaders. Rather they are doing quite well as so many Europeans countries are actively looking out for and campaigning often in the interest of their neighbors. It is rather a sparkling example of how to cooperate when only 40 and 60 years ago, they were so viciously warring or threatening one another.
But Europe has not been a sparkling example of world leadership. Furthermore, I expect them to be brided into accepting the destruction of cold war disarmament treaties. Some say Germans and Brits are already conceding.