Well be there for you
Rich Tucker
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/richtucker/printrt20050415.shtml
Rich Tucker
April 15, 2005
Situation comedies once helped NBC build a successful Thursday night lineup. But on a recent Thursday, the peacock network couldnt hold a comedic candle to a documentary on the Discovery Channel. At times, Does Europe Hate Us? Thomas L. Friedman Reporting is fall-on-the-floor funny. And thats frightening.
The program opens up with the Pulitzer prize-winning reporter (hes won three, the announcer informs us) walking the streets of gay Paris. Everywhere he turns, American icons -- The Gap, Disney Store, Pizza Hut, etc, surround him.
Who would have thought that at the beginning of the 21st Century, Europe and America would be so much at odds? Friedman muses. After all, for much of the 20th Century, we were the best of friends. The reason is simple, of course. They needed us then, and they dont believe they need us now.
Friedman mentions out that our 60-year alliance with Europe was based on a shared commitment to preserving democracy and containing the Soviet Union. Well, the Soviet Union is gone, but the United States remains committed to preserving democracy and containing evil.
Weve even started planting seeds of freedom in the rocky soil of the Middle East. This year alone: Iraqis and Palestinians voted, Lebanese rallied to demand that Syria end its decades-long military occupation, Egypts president announced hed allow some democracy, and even Saudis went to the polls for limited elections.
All these things happened because of our influence and because of our willingness to use our military. But its that very willingness -- the same willingness that frightened the Soviets throughout the Cold War -- that has caused a divide with our allies.
Most Europeans feel that Americas single-minded exercise of military power is part of the problem, not the solution, Friedman says, while images of riotous European peace protesters fill the screen. The only use of firepower these protesters condone is when its used to burn the American flag.
Most western Europeans seem to agree. We believe that the use of force can arouse rancor and hatred, fuel a clash of identities, of cultures -- something that our generation has, precisely, a prime responsibility to avoid, then French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin told the U.N. Security Council in 2003.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/richtucker/printrt20050415.shtml