MILNET Opinion: The Uneasy Alliance

MILNET Opinion
The Uneasy Alliance

"France and Germany, eager to be regarded as world powers, would engineer the European Union, a huge Socialist bureaucracy only to see new, Eastern bloc nations join and shift the balance of power from their ambition to dominate it. The reason they gave for the creation of the EU was to provide a counterpoint to the economic and military strength of America."

- Short Memories & Bad Attitudes, Alan Caruba, Canadian Free Press, 3/22/2004 ¹

Watching Europe from afar has been a hobby for some of us at MILNET. We joined with many Americans in anger at France and Germany when they made nasty with us over Iraq. "How's that for appreciation" we mused when we thought back to our parents giving their lives to save Europe from Hitler.

After the revealations over the Oil for Food program, the anger rose once again. "Those Bastards!". And when the Spanish knuckled under to a terrorist attack on a train, we nodded in understanding, seething at the role we Americans were playing once again.

But time will heal all wounds. Or so it is said.

And of course we can't help but continually draw the parallels to World War II. Who learned the lessons of appeasement at the end of the 1930s decade? The British. We didn't catch them appeasing Al Qaeda or Saddam. Its nice to have nice friends, even if that friendship may cause Tony Blair to lose his election. It's almost funny in that respect. He is a mighty liberal in a country that vaccillates back and forth as we do. Who would of thought that a liberal would stand side by side with G.W. the religious conservative? Not hard to imagine really, given that some British still remember Chamberlain.

And you will hardly ever catch a Eastern European nation wither when faced with terrorists or a rather nasty dictator.

Who seems to repeat history time and time again? Most of the Western European nations. It's almost like a disease. And even faced with it again, and with the evidence right in front of them today, they fail to admit they've let it happen to them again.

Al Qaeda promises to be nice to France, Italy and Spain -- assuming of course that those nations don't deny what Al Qaeda wants. And for some time, the leaders smile thinking they have dodged a bullet. But then...ah hell, the little note comes along to say, "Sorry, we don't like your response." Now the leaders are just waiting for the cancelled check to appear on the books.

I'd hate to be France for instance. First they play nasty with their friends in the Western Hemisphere, then they get caught with their hands in the Oil for Food cookie jar. Next they decide to play Al Qaeda's game. Now, well, the piper is coming to collect his pay any day now, and yet another French executive branch will hit the unemployment line. Who pays for the piper and his followers? The French people of course. Big time.

So here's the scenario. The uneasy alliance between the French and their new friends in Al Qaeda is just about to end. Before the next election, right? That's called payback by Al Qaeda. Or maybe bin Laden's Lieutenants in Europe would rather make it even more painful, waiting for the appeasers to get reelected and then jab them in that long artery along the neck.

Of course, we could be wrong on this one. Maybe Al Qaeda will resist the visit for their payback. Maybe they will decide to show the world how appeasing them really is a good idea. Of course, the number of takers for their offer is so low, they may have already decided that the ruse didn't work. Time to cut their losses and show their potential recruits how stupid and weak the infidel Europeans really are.

Get ready, France. If you thought the communist inspired terrorists of the 70s were nasty, wait til you get your house calls from Al Qaeda, YOUR allies in the War on Terror. Ho! Am I glad I am in the Western Hemisphere. I certainly wouldn't want to be near Paris. Or any of the bigger cities in that rather large nation. Same goes for Spain. Talk about soft targets!

And Germany? Well, it's not clear about Germany. They may have simply raised the ire of Al Qaeda by their very effective anti-terror push within their borders since 9/11 -- rumor has it that they continue to sweep the major cities on a regular basis. They may get hit for doing the right thing in their own country. Maybe they should not have played appeaser after all, they might just be paying the piper anyway. That's too bad as well.

Of course here back at home we will probably make a deposit in Al Qaeda's bankroll of ugly propoganda. The appeasers here may put an anti-war nut in the oval office. God knows that will make everything so much better!

Further Reading:

Short Memories & Bad Attitudes, Alan Caruba, Canadian Free Press, 3/22/2004
Al Qaeda Wins Big in Spain, 1st Century Watch, 2004