US and Europe: A Cautionary Tale

The Economist writes in the Atlantic gap that “the honeymoon between Europe and Barack Obama’s America is over”.

Europeans are concerned that the health-care debate will derail a cohesive US environmental initiative before Copenhagen. The formalization of the G20 as the new “governing body” on global issues implies a lessening of European clout, coming out of Pittsburgh.

On Obama’s side, the Economist suggests that for al his pious humility, Obama hasn’t gotten very much out of the Europeans.

In a world where everything is horsetraded politically, Obama’s mea culpas haven’t help him with Afghanistan. Until Pittsburgh, the US had no help on Iran, when the facts shook up everyone at the bargaining table.

“Getting real”, the Economist reminds us all that the high-ground Europeans did colonize the world not so long ago. Though so many of us (including me) admire Europe’s future focus on critical topics that will destroy the world sooner rather than later, my dear friends did help to create this mess.

America isn’t the only “bad guy” around — George W or no Cheney.

I must quote the Economist on how we Americans look to the rest of the world on health care, because it sums up 110% my own point of view: Finally, Americans may not realise how horrible their health-care debate looks to outsiders. It is not just that it is blocking other legislation. The partisan nature of today’s Congress looks mad to Europeans brought up to value consensus. Europeans also know that “European-style” health care does not include death panels prescribing euthanasia for grannies and are offended by the way such tosh is alleged in America.

Looking for a metaphor, both sides use the flashing-yellow light imagery in describing American/Euro relations at this moment. As an interesting sidebar, let’s watch what happens in Copenhagen today. Anne via The Economist The Atlantic gap