Europe Roiling!!!! Seriously!!!

Here’s a magic trick in the making! A key element of the conservative case against Obama on missile defense is that cutting the program will undercut our allies, and that it represents a “betrayal” of the brave Poles and Czechs who are willing to stand up against the Russian bear and accept large sums of our money. See this article on how the decision has “roiled” Europe, and this article on how Europeans are “angry”. The former article is particularly noteworthy, in that it includes quotes from the following persons:

• President Barack Obama
• Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout
• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski
• Former Polish President Lech Walesa
• Arizona Sen. John McCain
• Former Assistant US Secretary of Defense Mary Beth Long
• NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen
• An Anonymous Israeli official
• Russia’s ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin
• Member of the Russian Duma Konstantin Kosachev

Ok, so four of those aren’t European. Let’s cut them out, leaving:

• Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout
• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski
• Former Polish President Lech Walesa
• NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen
• Russia’s ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin
• Member of the Russian Duma Konstantin Kosachev

Ok, and let’s pretend that Russians aren’t European:

• Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout
• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski
• Former Polish President Lech Walesa
• NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Ok, so Rasmussen actually had really nice things to say about the decision, so let’s cut him:

• Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout
• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski
• Former Polish President Lech Walesa

Kohout is quoted as follows: “‘Canceling the radar by no means jeopardizes the security of the Czech Republic as the country is safely entrenched in NATO.'” Hurm. That actually doesn’t sound like “roiling” to me, and it’s not surprising given that 70% of Czechs oppose the shield. Let’s cut him out.

• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski
• Former Polish President Lech Walesa

Sikorski is interpreted thusly: “Radoslaw Sikorski, said he had secured assurances from Washington that the U.S. would honor a commitment to deploy Patriot missiles in Poland, made as part of the deal to host the shield.” Huh. Again, a notable lack of roiling. Let’s cut him.

• Former Polish President Lech Walesa

Walesa is quoted saying: “‘It’s not that we need the shield, but it’s about the way we’re treated here.'”

OOOOOOKKKKKKKAAAAAYYYYY…… So, in an article about the “roiling” that has been inflicted by Obama upon Europe, exactly one European is quoted as expressing unhappiness, and that European specifically notes that the shield was unnecessary.

I’m not sure that the United States is ever going to recover from a diplomatic disaster of this magnitude….