Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[ta_bull_rider]

sarals said:

they believe our strength in foreign affairs should come not only from having a strong military, but from using diplomacy and working with our allies

then I said:

Again, I don't see how you can draw a conclusion that following our allies is the right thing to do.

Obviously this quote is taken in the context of the war in Iraq. You think we didn't do enough to get our allies involved, and we shouldn't have attacked. But the simple truth is, France/Germany would've never authorized war under the current conditions in Iraq. You put a strong emphasis on sticking with our allies, which to me means you put an emphasis on maintaing our relationships with our allies, and would follow them even if it jeopardizes our national security. Sure, I know you could come up with some hypothetical where you would break from our allies and go it alone. However, I think this was an extreme case that justified breaking from some of our allies. Keep in mind that many went with us, which means they too felt it was important enough to break ties.

IMO, France was more concerned with their power and might in the UN and increasing the influence of the EU. They were willing to risk global security for their own selfish gain.