JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum America's Watershed Election.

John,

I always find it interesting when another country, especially one so very similar to the USA in nearly all ways, points to the USA as being responsible to set the standard and in truth, be held to a higher standard. Why is that John? In Poland, Canada is the gold standard for quality of life and glamour and importance.. did you know that? I didn't know that until I visited Auschwitz and found that not only in WWII but still to this day they consider Canada as setting the bar. I've never found that anywhere else though. (And more ironic is the fact that Poland is one of the USA's biggest international supporters...)

Everywhere else in Europe, whether it was former Soviet Eastern block nations or traditional democracy countries like France, the USA was definitely held responsible for all ills in the world. Not that they accused the USA of causing it (though occasionally they did) but rather they simply expected the USA to be responsible to fix it, as if we were the welfare state for the entire world. In Paris, I had a long discussion with a Moroccan born French citizen. He was a great guy, very smart and very informed on the world. He felt it was the USA who was to blame for African genocide because we didn't step in and stop it with military action. I explained to him we had no international support to do so and right now our lack of support going into Iraq is our biggest Achilles heel. He said it didn't matter.. they thought we should not have gone into Iraq.. but they expect us to go anywhere else where oppressive governments are killing their citizens and not letting them live free. Again, I reminded him that Saddam Hussein was killing his citizens and not allowing them to live free. Again, he said it didn't matter.. we were still wrong in that case and also wrong for not invading Somalia and other African nations committing genocide. So I asked him why the French didn't just go into Somalia and stop it. The French military could EASILY go in and take control in a short time. He said even though that is true, it's the responsibility of the USA to lead first and then ask for the help of France and others. And I found his attitude to be pretty consistent around Europe. They really DO expect the USA to be the world's police in nearly every matter EXCEPT the one we took in Iraq. And they hold us responsible for not stopping genocides even though they themselves choose not to stop it either.

Why is that?

Brian