As Bush jets off to Europe on what the worshipful Europundits label a "fence mending trip," the totally unworshipful Mark Steyn accurately summarizes the US attitude towards the continent we liberated 60 years ago: No giggling. 

Now this is really hard to do but as Archie Bunker said, "Stifle yourself."

Steyn also reveals another tidbit about our Atlantic allies from the CIA

a new CIA analysis has predicted the collapse of the EU within 15 years. It's a bit unsettling to find that the guys at Langley who've got absolutely everything wrong for decades suddenly agree with me. If this pans out as most CIA analysis does, Europe is on course to be the hyperpower of the 21st century.

An EU collapse?  Of course, of course; with all those nitpicking rules and regulations overriding any regional sensibilities, plus Europe's own deep structural problems, 15 years is optimistic.  But then morphing into a hyperpower?  Nah, the problems will remain.

But let's all be kind and try not to giggle.

Ethel C. Fenig  2 20 05