March 17, 2004
Currying favor with foreigners
John Kerry seems to think it is a good thing to assert that foreign leaders want him to replace President Bush.
Which foreign leaders, Colin Powell asks (without receiving an answer). Wait, let us guess -- the Euroweenies! As led by France and Germany.
Well, Kerry's not saying, probably because this is either an Al Gore moment of sheer imagination on his part (in other words, it never happened), or the answer might be, the French and Germans.
This country learned from the time of its revolution to turn its back on Western European decadence and anti-democratic tendencies so as to make its own way. It is quite puerile for Kerry to curry favor with people now, as before, whose elites are openly at war with American values and simultaneously deeply envious of our strengths. Meanwhile, more ambitious rank-and-file Europeans, disgusted with their nanny states, are desperate like people the world over to live and work here. A million people a year (!) vote with their feet to emigrate to the United States.
Let me share one conclusion I drew from living in Europe for more than three years and traveling there over the course of 20 years: Nothing America does will ever, ever please them.
I've had French strangers excoriate me for Carter's failed hostage rescue mission in Iran. Brits furious that Reagan was siting cruise missiles at Greenham Common. Greeks upset about something with NATO. You could have Europe go right ahead and just elect the U.S. president, and the crescendo would continue unabated, because the criticism is kneejerk, cuts across party lines, and is immune to logic or reality.
My three years in Britain, I worked as a journalist, mainly with anti-Americans from the U.K. and other Commonwealth nations. We had some spirited debates. What struck me was while the educated elites had it in for the United States, the receptionists at the front of the office would ask how to get their kids a visa -- what could be a clearer testament to which is the land of opportunity?
Let John Kerry go run for president of Europe. Let Americans decide for themselves who has their best interests at heart.
