<Europeans believe they are moving beyond power into a self-contained world of laws and rules and transnational negotiation and cooperation. Europe itself has entered a post-historical paradise, the realization of Immanuel Kant's "perpetual peace."

The incredible chutzpah of this kind of thing staggers me. I'm reminded of the freeloading relative who lives in your house and spouts crap about capitalism and the love of money while he stuffs himself with your food.

As even this article admits, most Europeans are currently enjoying the luxury of freedom and peace largely purchased by an America "mired in history" where "security and the promotion of a liberal order still depend on the possession and use of military might."

If it wasn't for our nuclear arsenal, you would currently be living in the Soviet Republic of Belgium, or whatever the U.S.S.R. might have chosen to rename you as their tanks rolled into your cities. Or had we sat out WWII, you would have been carved up, none too gently, between Stalin and Hitler. Be interesting to speculate which one would have gotten you in the end.

Now France is talking trash again while America and her allies bring down other threats to world peace.

Oh, no thanks necessary. We're used to being spit on after saving someone's ass over and over again.

It's not a coincidence that America is finding more support from the Eastern Europeans. They have no illusions about what really makes a difference in this world.