Europe's Own Wartime Experience

There's been plenty of moaning and groaning over how some of our European friends have turned their backs on military action in Iraq. We've heard the usual lament, "If it wasn't for the U.S., the French would be speaking German today."

True, the U.S. paid a dear price for helping to free much of Europe from Hitler's rule. And we did, through NATO, create a standoff that helped to erode the old Soviet Union.

But consider more modern history. Like the last two years.

During a recent appearance on CNN, UPI's chief foreign correspondent said much of the reluctance by France, Germany and Belgium is found in Dubya's arrogant foreign policy. After 9/11, the U.S. had tremendous goodwill throughout the world, with the French newspaper Le Monde extolling how all Europeans were American after that dreadful event.

How could we as a nation turn that much goodwill around so quickly? The correspondent pointed to our unilaterally pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol, refusing to ratify a land mine treaty, scrapping the ABM treaty, and shunning the new International Court -- all efforts with tremendous international support. And at the same time, we expect everyone to fall into line and be our "yes men."

But there's another aspect that we haven't seen discussed much in the popular media. As horrific as 9/11 was, it pales by comparison to what all of Europe endured in two world wars -- conflicts that leveled cities, destroyed economies, and left countless millions dead, injured or missing.

May, just maybe, France, Germany and Belgium have fresh memories of the agony of war and the terrible toll it takes on humanity, that they would rather try every alternative possible before turning to war.

They have lived with full-scale war in their own lands. There are still plenty of people in Europe who remember all too well the last war -- and have seen how time, patience and exhibiting an example of a better way (politically and economically) can bring down an evil empire.

Perhaps it's because they have a different, more personal view of war than we do -- an experience that we should try to understand rather than brush aside.

© Copyright 2003 Keith Jameson. Last update: 2/13/2003; 2:21:07 PM.