President Bush’s new tactic of charming the Europeans into caring about themselves, Western Civilization, and only as an afterthought their “traditional ally” the United States isn’t working as reported by Defense News. As they have proven again and again since the end of the Cold War the French and their Sad Clown Posse are only really concerned with making money, being corrupt, working 35 hours a week (if they are French government employees), and automatically opposing anything the United States supports.

Ever since the threat of an invasion from the USSR was removed the Western European leaders have been acting like spoiled children, whenever they aren’t our pimping their latest technology to the “chic” dictator of the week. China of course has been under an arms embargo since that little bit of unpleasantness in Tian’anmen Square back in ‘89. The Chinese have put this behind them and have urged the rest of the world to do so as well. The French and Germans have lead the charge to end this embargo so they can make piles of Euros and they don’t see why the United States has a problem with this. Even Jack Straw of the UK supports ending the ban. Want a money quote, it’s written in French, but I’ll translate:

“The lifting of the embargo could be a better protection for us than maintaining it,” said Alliot-Marie, adding France had strict export regimes that would prevent most lethal technologies getting into China’s hands.

“China is rapidly developing its industry, and today our experts say that in five years China could make exactly the same arms that we have today. And they will do it if they cannot import,” she said.

“So maybe if we can sell them the arms, they will not make them. And in five years’ time, they will not have the technology to make them.”

Translation, here it is translated from weasel-words into English:

“We have a five year window before the Chinese are more technologically advanced than us from a militarily standpoint. This doesn’t concern us because we are French, any sign of masculinity on our part is only accidental. You must understand that the real reason for our concern is that we have only five years left to make money off of the Chinese and that is more important, than Taiwan, America or any other “free nation” that gets in our way. ”

Charming, non? The ban will end very soon. When virtually the entire EU, including our only muscular ally on that side of the Atlantic, is for ending the arms embargo then you know the only thing holding them back is the negotiations with China on just how much money they are going to get (which I can almost assure you begin some time ago).

Will we one day have to fight a war with China and watch American soldiers being killed by the enemy with European made weapons? Probably, but it’s not like this is a new development.