Eurovision

A colossal steaming pile from a London School of Economics wonk that is a must read if only to grasp how dim academics can be, and for the opportunity it provides to see the world through Eurogoggles.

The Guardian brings us "The Neo-Cons Have Finished What the Viet Cong Started." It's a revisionist history and a myopic view of current events from one Martin Jacques. He claims that the United States suffered a "spectacular military defeat" at the hands of the Viet Cong. "Apart from the fact that Cambodia and Laos became embroiled, the effects were essentially confined to Vietnam" and there were no ramifications beyond the intimidation of the United States' foreign policy.

Not to quibble, but Cambodia's "embroiled" moment was plenty all by itself, and Jacques fails to grasp that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the radicalization of Iran, fueled in no small part by the timid U.S. reaction to the hostage crisis, were the direct result of the U.S. abandonment of Vietnam, and the way it emboldened our enemies.

Because that's what it was. Not a spectacular military defeat. An abandonment. The Viet Cong had in fact suffered spectacular defeat after spectacular defeat. But when the United States was forced to withdraw by domestic pressure -- much like what is happening today -- and Congress cut off the funds to South Vietnam, the North Vietnamese Army won by default.

Much as Iran plans to win in the Middle East.

Which brings us to Iraq. Jacques correctly notes that in the wake of U.S. failure there, Iran will emerge as a power. He fails to notice any problem with that, only equating Iran's rise with a hypothetical but laughable notion of a rise in European Union power.

What is interesting here is the Euroview Jacques is treating us to: A U.S. failure in Iraq does not have dire consequences, but in fact is desireable in how it will give the neo-cons their comeuppance and force the United States into what Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer once accurately disparaged as "multilaterism of the lowest common denominator."

Unfortunately, Jacques is in the end correct, though not quite in the way he intends: The United States, post-abandonment of Iraq, will be rendered as toothless and worthless on the world stage as the multilaterist European Union.


An alternate Euroview from Barcelona: Iberian Notes casts a glance around.

And hast thou slain the Jabberwonk? Dr. Sanity wields her vorpal blade, one-two, one-two, and through and through.

Michael at Moderate Voice notes that not all Euros are Eurodolts.

Tim Blair on Tony Blair's lifting of Labour's Eurogoggles.