I’m with Eric. I didn’t get the “bemoan” reference to Sullivan. Can you provide a direct link? It is too painful to wade through Sulli’s posts to decipher the reference. I find his blog unreadable since the moment he decided – consciously or otherwise – that gay marriage was more important than national security.

Additionally, the sheer size and effectiveness of the American power smacks the Gaullist idea of a European Counterpower on the head. Look at EU Referendum post,

This is an example of real power, and the value one of the richest nations on earth can bring to humanitarian relief. The ships alone cost $1371 million and the helicopters cost at least another $200 million, financial muscle which dwarfs the efforts of all the other donor countries.

Thus, as the days and weeks pass, and the alphabet soup of agencies continue blathering about how much they have contributed, it will be important to remember the role played by those two little letters ñ US – and the utter uselessness of those other two – EU – or any other two you can think of.

In other words, envy, brought to the surface by a reality check.

1. a group of French firefighters cooling their heels at an airport in Indonesia since they “couldn’t get anywhere because the roads were blocked”, while another group of firefighters, from Australia, were shown actively helping at a disaster location a. with medical aid, b. with clearing roads and c. with burying the dead

2. The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle trying to get somewhere (not a small feat, considering the propeller problems), while the American aircraft carrier’s busy dispensing real help.

I won’t say “to their credit” since there’s still an undertow of envy, but compared to the miserable coverage from the BBC TV news, and particularly, from the French press, France2 has done a remarkable job.

See link: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110488353780417028,00.html?mod=home%5Fpage%5Fone%5Fus

It is laughably obvious that the European model for unity, inclusive, multi-lingual decision-making may survive but can not compete. Le Monde’s snide cheap shots are laughable as well.

Belgravia Dispatch does a bang up job of rebuttal.

Our media is hopelessly left and grossly distorts or misreports mainstream public opinion in this country; one can only imagine the state of dissonance that exists between Le Monde and the like with the populations they are supposed to serve.

I cherish running into foreigners here in Utah; ski season or summertime, there’s always a grundle of them tooling around the different parts of the state and it’s always a pleasure to get opinion from people and not media.

Marianne is turning into a spiteful, self-centered old bitch in her old age.

Time and again people all over the world [and that includes Europe] have looked up in the hope and not the dread of seeing an American plane or helicopter.