Wilsonianism With an Anti-European Face

Giuliani's corker last night was just lousy with European-kicking moments. A few examples:

* The three surviving terrorists were arrested and then within just three months the terrorists who slaughtered the Israeli athletes were released by the German government. Set free. Action like this became the rule, not the exception.

* In 1985, terrorists attacked the Achille Lauro and they murdered an American citizen who was in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer. They marked him for murder solely because he was Jewish. Some of those terrorist were released and some of the remaining terrorists, they were allowed to escape by the Italian government because of fear of reprisals from the terrorists. So terrorists learned they could intimidate the world community and too often the response, particularly in Europe, would be accommodation, appeasement and compromise.

* Before Sept. 11, we were living with an unrealistic view of our world much like observing Europe appease Hitler

* Remember just a few months ago John Kerry kind of leaked out that claim that certain foreign leaders who opposed our removal of Saddam Hussein prefer him. Well to me that raises the risk that he might well accommodate his position to their viewpoint.

Coupled with his idealistic-sounding interventionism ("have faith in the power of freedom," "give it some hope and it will overwhelm dictators and even defeat terrorists"), it reaffirms my suspicion that neo-conservatism is Wilsonianism with a "fuck France" T-shirt. And it's amusing to see how persistent a campaign meme -- on both sides -- my nationality-in-law has become.

Anyway, you probably didn't see it, but yesterday's most robust Surrender-Monkey moment came from some Texan named Ted Poe:

Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.

Now is not the time to be a FRENCH REPUBLICAN.