Europe and why it doesn't care about America

**RogerBenno** · 19 Mar 05,, 11:47

The US and Europe are two very different societies. (With the exception of New York and Boston maybe - in my opinion I'm sure others could name other places in the US).

Comparing the two is a waste of time - Europe is simply too diverse, and the US is too big.

Personally, I think it is quite amusing seeing all the stuff that comes out from the US about Europe and it's problems. All of it comes from neocon sources (read the right wing of the Republican Party).

They are basically knocking Europe not because they care about Europe, but because of something else entirely. Their target is much closer to home, and it is the 'new deal' legislation in America, which they want to dismantle.

Why knock Europe? Because it is the living embodiment of the 'new deal' values - social security, provision for all, redistributive taxation and a society that takes care of the weakest members of society. Of course, whether these ideals are met in Europe we can all argue about forever. But the point is it is an alternative to what the neocons want, and they need to discredit it. They do this by feeding this nonsense into media networks such as Fox News in America, and it looks like a lot of people there are unquestioningly lapping it up.

So, as a European, I don't really care about all of this flaming coming from across the Atlantic - it doesn't affect me, and I don't want to live in a society like the US. I know that all of the invective aimed at us is really only the US feeding on itself, in its self destruction of its self.

Europe is not the disunited one - we don't really have a problem with ourselves, because we already have firm national identities. We simply don't really care much what is coming out of the next state - we know who we are and what we are about.

Contrast that with the US, that has split now along Civil War lines, if you look of the map of the last election. America is tearing itself apart, and the rich have taken control of the ship (they always had control in the 20th century, just not so overtly). When America is divided, they look abroad for scapegoats, whether they are 'appeasers' from 'Old Europe', or muslims or whoever looks slightly foreign or alien. The spirit of the original Puritans is alive and well in America - 400 years later - which I find amusing as that stuff was medieval.

It brings a wry smile to my face when Americans throw brickbats at Europe. You know for sure they are deeply uneasy at themselves, because they have a neighbour that by its very presence throws into doubt a lot of their assumptions on how a society should be. All they can do is impotently criticise Europe, because it represents an alternative that the rich who run America do not want.

All of this is a side issue of course to the real issues that face America for the 21st century, and those are really sitting in South and East Asia. If this administration in the White House really cared about America, it would be paying much closer attention to its relations with the emerging powers there. Instead, what America gets it lots of criticism of Europe becase certain people in the White House want to fix the American tax system so that their friends can become even richer than they already are.

Europeans aren't the worried ones, oh no - it's the American public.

**Julie** · 19 Mar 05,, 14:05

So we are the ones that are "worried," although YOU are the one that came all the way here to tell us that? Feel better now?

**Bluesman** · 19 Mar 05,, 14:39

'Nother friggin' moonbatty Euro-chimp. Great. Just what the WAB needed.

**Gio** · 19 Mar 05,, 14:56

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wait
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okay done

You write this in total ignorance as if Americans really give a **** about Europe, from this i imagine you're sitting there thinking, that we sit around the water cooler at work on our breaks going, "Yup, I hate Europe." When nothing could be further from the truth. We don't give a **** about you on the level you care about our affairs. Get bent, dude. It's you who have this obesssion with us. Us, for example, if Tony Blair loses, we wouldn't even blink. You, George W won re-election, you acted as if you were preparing for a soccer riot.

**Bill** · 19 Mar 05,, 15:03

Who's tony blair?

**Julie** · 19 Mar 05,, 15:14

Originally Posted by M21Sniper

Who's tony blair?

Just looked him on a BBC Biography.

He's Prime Minister representing the Labour Party that relies too much on spin.

He won the title after the death of John Smith, when his main potential rival Gordon Brown agreed not to stand in return for the chancellorship.

Got the position by default I guess.

Oh, here's a link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2164337.stm

**Bill** · 19 Mar 05,, 15:27

Wait a minute.

I thought that the UK was the 51st US state. Wouldn't that make this Blair character the governer of the most repressive state in the Union?

No?

LOL....

**ZFBoxcar** · 19 Mar 05,, 15:40

It's you who have this obesssion with us. Us, for example, if Tony Blair loses, we wouldn't even blink. You, George W won re-election, you acted as if you were preparing for a soccer riot.

For another example: We don't create long winded threads about how we don't care what Europe thinks. He creates a long winded thread about how Europe doesn't care what America thinks.

**Julie** · 19 Mar 05,, 15:56

Originally Posted by M21Sniper

Wait a minute.

I thought that the UK was the 51st US state. Wouldn't that make this Blair character the governer of the most repressive state in the Union?

No?

LOL....

A quote from Tony Blair: ""A Conservative government would put this all at risk."

Put "all what" at risk? Public services spending?

**~~jon_j_rambo~~** · 19 Mar 05,, 16:03

I could give a rat's ass what Europe thinks of the Legend.

**bonehead** · 19 Mar 05,, 22:40

In case you have not noticed, Tony Blair took a lot of heat, both personal and political, when he allied himself with Bush and sent troops in Iraq. While other countries have balked and /or pulled out, there are still british troops in Iraq. You really should find another target to pick on. There are several others.

**Julie** · 19 Mar 05,, 23:16

Originally Posted by bonehead

In case you have not noticed, Tony Blair took a lot of heat, both personal and political, when he allied himself with Bush and sent troops in Iraq. While other countries have balked and /or pulled out, there are still british troops in Iraq. You really should find another target to pick on. There are several others.

Read prior posts: WE WERE BEING SARCASTIC.

We are fully aware who Blair is, and his achievements. Matter of fact, I would go so far as to say Blair is about the only thing Europe has going for them at present.

Now I know why they call you "bonehead."

**Confed999** · 19 Mar 05,, 23:30

We are fighting for the inalienable right of human kind, black or white, Christian or not, left, right or merely indifferent, to be free. Free to raise a family in love and hope. Free to earn a living and be rewarded by your own efforts. Free not to bend your knee to any man in fear. Free to be you so long as being you does not impair the freedom of others. That's what we're fighting for. And that's a battle worth fighting. -PM Tony Blair

**Veni Vidi Vici** · 20 Mar 05,, 00:00

Well, I would like to respond but I will probobly sound redundent after what the others have said.

If you think that Americans care what Europe thinks then I would recomend a good doctor. Americans ignore Europe(UK excluded) totaly and yet you come up with this notion that we have some vested interest in Europe. Europe is ignored and is having a hissyfit about it.

And what is this about national unity in Europe? Europe is torn in so many directions....

Your economy is dying, socialism is failing, your "military" has no projection power, and your people are discontented with their lives. You are a continent of fallen Empires and past Superpowers that no one really cares about and are in a perpetual state of blubbering about it.

Get over it.