Sarkozy Deserts Bush, Europe Drifting From America

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When Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of France, it appeared that for the first time a French President was going to play a second fiddle to President Bush. He gave the impression that he was also a staunch rightist who was bent upon reversing the liberal and leftist traditions of France and tows the neo conservative and reactionary policies of President Bush. However, the recent developments in Europe and the Middle East show that Sarkozy has parted company with Bush.

Sarkozy played a very different role in the Russia – Georgia conflict as opposed to the Bush administration that has taken a strong anti Russian stand. Sarkozy has taken a neutral stand in the conflict and has strongly opposed the American policy of provoking confrontation with Russia. Sarkozy does not want to antagonize Russia and wants to continue cooperation with Russia. As the chair of the 27 nation European Union, Sarkozy effectively resisted the American pressure to impose sanctions on Russia. He was able to get a compromise from Russia and Georgia regarding the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Georgia. Russia will withdraw its troops from Georgia except Ossetia and Abkhezia and in return, Georgia will not try to retake Ossetia or Abkhezia .

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What made Sarkozy change his policies? Europe is fundamentally different than the United States. America remains the only country in the world that is loyal to the pure and unadulterated consumerist capitalism. Europe has long back deserted the traditional capitalism and has adopted the concept of a social welfare state based upon what can be called utilitarian capitalism. This form of capitalism can also be called “Capitalism with a human face”.

The poor performance of the American consumerist capitalism as compared to the European utilitarian capitalism has convinced Europe that it is on the right track. Failure of the American policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran as well as the deepening economic crisis at home has convinced the Europeans that time has come to put a distance between America and Europe. The resurgence of Russia as a global power and the relative decline of the American power has also led the Europeans to review their relations with Russia and America and adopt a more balanced and independent stand in the conflict between the two countries.

http://www.indolink.com/displayArticleS.php?id=090908045536

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1. Merkel Says Russia Ties Stronger Than `Controversies' (Update1)

Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany and Russia are bound by common ties stronger than any ``controversies'' that may divide them, a reference to Russia's military incursion into Georgia last month which she condemned.

Merkel, addressing an event in the eastern German city of Leipzig today marking 50 years of the natural gas company VNG Group, said that ``long-term gas contracts are based on mutual interests'' and not a one-sided relationship.

``Russia needs customers and we need deliveries, and that goes also for the European Union,'' Merkel said. ``I see many future opportunities. Of course we have controversies, yet we have shared interests, and we should cement these links and make them more binding.''

Merkel's comments reflect Germany's political and economic engagement with Russia that began in the 1960s and reached its zenith under her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder. The former chancellor is now co-head of a joint venture with Russian state- owned gas monopoly OAO Gazprom that's building a Baltic Sea gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=asM3txM2bnkQ&refer=germany

[cliss]

4. I'll translate:

German Chancellor Merkel: "Germany and Russia are bound by common ties much stronger than any Fool from the US namely Bush that clown he came up behind me and ..
never mind.
"We are bound by common ties stronger than controversies stirred up by Bush.
We need OIL and NATURAL GAS from Russia." It's a long cold winter coming up, and we need to stay warm.

"Regardless of what that fool in the White House may think"

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5. Gemany has already done "war with Russia" a couple times now.

They just got re-united after the last one not that long ago. I have been wondering the last month or so whether the US occupation of Germany might start coming into question. What is NATO for, anyway?

[montanacowboy]

2. And they are looking at Sarah Strangelove

and the doddering old fool McPow, and if you think they are running away from us now..just wait, forbid these nutcakes steal the election

We will be a pariah nation, shunned by all the world except for Israel

[Doctor_J]

3. Good. We will need all the help we can get to remove the neocon cancer

from the US. I welcome help from any who would offer it.

[Tutonic]

6. Merkel will drop the other shoe shortly. McCain/Palin are doomed

to the hinterlands.