|
|
|
|
The View from Europe
Bush in Europe: Reflection on the Aftermath
By Nicola Mitchell
Friday, July 29, 2001 - LONDON (APJP) -- I would like to start by offering my congratulations to the Bush Administration for convincing Dubya that there is a world outside America, but for future reference, I think it would be much wiser for them to stay at home.
Bush was only out of the country for 5 minutes, but in that short space of time he managed to cause riots across half of Europe and provoke the threat of nuclear war with the Russians.
I read that some US media said the Bush trip had been hailed as a success. What! Were we watching the same tour? He returns to the White House more hated then when he set off.
Some European reports suggested Bush had received special coaching to try and avoid causing any upset. It obviously had no effect as he managed to call the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar by the wrong name, obviously finding it easier to call him Prime Minister Anzar instead.
And despite all his best efforts to pretend to care about proposing alternatives to Kyoto before he embarked on his tour, Europeans were not fooled by his feeble attempts. As soon as he stepped onto European soil, hoards of protesters were ready to great the Toxic Texan, as he has been lovingly dubbed. Branding him a cowboy (a phrase he probably took as a compliment) Bush was booed from the sidelines as riots broke out across the continent.
But if he thought the protestors were a lot to cope with, he soon realised he’d rather be stuck with a group of them than sat around a table with a load of angry European leaders. He may have bluffed his way into the White House, but persuading Europe’s leaders to co-operate with his extremist policies was not going to be anywhere near as easy.
Finally, after days of gruelling talks, it was said the leaders would have to “agree to disagree” about Bush’s plans. However, the growing animosity felt towards Bush was obvious for all to see.
After surviving Europe by the skin of his teeth, it was onwards to the next battle in Russia. It is at this point I would like to point out something to Condeleeza Rice. I may not be an expert, but I’m sure that when you’re on a mission to ease fears about missile defence, it is not wise to tell the national press you will go ahead with the project, and I quote: “with or without Russia” while you are trying to convince them their viewpoint matters. I mean, what was the point of going there in the first place?
And so it was time for him to return to his homeland, leaving behind him a trail of destruction. Personally I would have hoped he had learned a lesson, but the announcement that he is to come to Britain to meet with Tony Blair in the not too distant future fills me with dread as to what chaos he will cause on his next travelling expedition.
Copyright © 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, American Politics Journal Publications, Inc.
