Attitudes in Europe.

Submitted by Graham Spence (United Kingdom), Jan 14, 2003 at 07:31

As a European, I can throw some light on the attitudes you highlighted in your article. Over the past 25 years (or more) there has been a convergence between attitudes and aims within the UK and the USA, to the point where we now feel that whereas America used to be a colony of Great Britain, we are now the 51st State, and your flag needs one more star. For most of us in the UK, this is not a problem. We share both a common language, & most of our attitudes and beliefs.

Most Brits know that if it America had not intervened, the whole of Europe would be speaking German right now, and as a result, we can even almost forgive you for words like "Snuck" as a past tense of sneak. When we see American TV shows, movies, products dominating the world, we do not have a problem; we are seeing our own culture returned to us, sometimes improved, sometimes damaged, which we then take, alter and pass back, whether that be Rock and Roll, sit-coms or literature. Catcher in the Rye, Catch 22, Hamlet and MacBeth are compulsory reading in schools on both sides of the Atlantic. Candide, Don Quixote, Faust, and the Cherry Orchard are not.

But as you move further East and South from the UK our shared culture becomes more diluted, and with that a resentment of Uncle Sam's size 10 boots. You are an amazing people who have achieved an incredible amount in such a short time, but at times it would appear that subtlety and tact are words that are lacking in the American dictionary. George W's classic "Crusade against terrorism" exemplified this point.

Over the past 50 years (since you saved our asses on WWII) we have seen the growth of the European Union, and its expansion East to now include much of the former USSR. China is moving towards our system, and are doing so at incredible speed and with incredible sense...they realise you can not have democracy without capitalism being firmly in place, so give them time, and they will also join the party. Within 10 years, Russia will be part of the EU. Within 20, so will China. We could be in a position within our lifetimes where there is a single trading area that stretches from the Pacific to the Pacific, the long way around. Within which war is as unthinkable as the idea of the UK invading France is now: although sometimes I must admit that particular idea still has a certain appeal...

We are on your side. That however does not mean that we think you are infallable, and whilst Mr Bush enjoys great support in the USA, we still remember how he came to power, so his claims to the moral high ground with respect to democracy hold about as much water as his Stetson. If you want this process to carry on, learn some tact and let us do what we have been doing for the past 25 years...and act as your foreign office. Remember, we have had to tolerate the French being French and the Germans being German for over a thousand years, and we know how to do it. But we do it better with your help, and you do it better with ours.

Regards
Graham Spence

PS We have forgiven you for not turning up in 1066. However, you more than made up for it in 1916 and 1942, even if you a bit were late But please don't try to make up for being late for the last two world wars by being really early for the next one.

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