Gavin

Imagine if Europe, in the days after 9/11, had cleared its throat and announced: We have struck a tremendous deal with Osama bin Laden. We have lifted the sanctions on his organization, so he is now free to trade on the open market and bankroll his war against the United States. Bush must step down. The man has no cards. Has he even looked at his hand? But no. Europe did nothing of the sort. Europe did not sit down with a mass murderer and come home gushing about what a strong and reasonable fellow he turned out to be. Europe laced up its boots, flew to Afghanistan, stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans and hunted that bearded wretch through every godforsaken mountain in the country, because that is what you do when a friend gets hit, and handing the attacker a shopping list while telling the victim to surrender is what you do when you have lost your mind.