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Reader comment on item: [Appeasement and] Why Europe Balks

Submitted by Kafka1302 (Netherlands), Jan 28, 2003 at 08:20

This article is too much occupied with cold wars between moral and ideological systems and gives not enough attention to old fashioned power politics in the spirit of Thucydides. Instead of looking for "weakness" in the politics of nations I would rather look at economic and geopolitical interests. Hidden under moral and ideological noise there is the struggle for power.

France and Germany have done good business with the Middle East, including Iraq. In general the economic ties with the Middle East are larger for Europe than for the USA. France and Germany, when seen as independent players in the international arena, have an interest in less US control of the Middle East. A Middle East ruled by competing relatively independent dictators is, for France and Germany, to be prefered over a US-controled Middle East. The "alliance" of the US with France and Germany is forced upon them in 1944/1945, and has nothing to do with free choice.

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