Olen wrote:The UN and France for two, failed us, and there were others also.
The UN, a creation of the United States and Britain (among others) was doing what it was supposed to by putting inspectors in Iraq. The Bush administration, perhaps fearing that there reasons for invading would be proven fallacious, pressed up the schedule for invasion.
France: Ahh yes, the old, "Those filty froggies are too cowardly...they run away from war," argument. Hmmm...lets consider the last 2,000 years of French history. What has it mostly been party to? (wait for it)...WAR! Perhaps the reason "old Europe" didn't wish to engage in another useless war was because they know much better than the Americans the cost of war. Completely laying aside the proportion of French youth that was sacrificed in the 1914-18 and 1938-45 wars, and the fact that both France and Germany have recent memories of being completely devastated by war, I can't imagine why they would not want to participate, can you? It couldn't be that they realize (as too many Americans don't) that war isn't fun, glorious, or beautiful? It couldn't be that They can see all too well the path that the US is headed down...one of imperialism and the oppression of conquered peoples , could it? Hmmm... probably not. After all, a country with but 500 years of recorded history, just over 200 of it as a nation couldn't possibly have anything to learn from others, now could it?