It occurs to me that Old Europe doesn’t dislike what we’re doing in Iraq so much as the very fact that we can do it. It reminds them of their own impotence and irrelevance, and in many, a fear that they could be next. Thus, the quick and relatively easy victory makes them more, not less angry and frightened.

What they don’t understand is that while we could conquer (or at least destroy) any nation on the planet, we have no desire to do so. The nations in which we could accomplish what we just did are far fewer–an extreme dislike for their own government, and an inability to change it in any non-violent way, are essential preconditions.

Unfortunately, while such nations are fewer, there are still far too many. But at least there’s one less than there was a month ago.