[Jerrek]

Actually, one more opinion column. The media seems full of them today.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/995254.asp?cp1=1

What the anti-Bush protestors in London are complaining about is American power, and their sense of powerlessness

Nov. 18--Judging by the protests, you could be forgiven for thinking one of two things as George W. Bush arrives in London today. Either the British have lost all sense of hospitality, or the president is flying into enemy territory.

(snip)

The answers may have been obvious for half a century, but that doesnââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t yet make them easier to digest in London or elsewhere in Europe. What the protestors in London are complaining about is American power, and their sense of powerlessness. Other presidents enjoyed similarly powerful positions, but none rubbed it in the faces of the Europeans quite like George W. Bush.
In fact, compared to their European neighbors, the British protestors should count themselves lucky. Tony Blair has been wholly successful in carving out his niche as the most trusted, most influential ally of the Bush administration. In that sense, the British have far more power with the worldââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s only superpower than any other nation.
Before anyone emails me about how outrageous this isââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã‚ÂÂ�the very notion that the Europeans should be grateful for a sliver of influence in Washington!âââ€Å ¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â‚¬ÂÂÂ�letà ƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã ¢â€žÂ¢s be honest. Blairââ‚ƚ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢s assessment is fundamentally correct. The United States is powerful enough to do whatever it likes in foreign and defense policy. Itââ‚ ¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s far better for Britain and Europe if Blair can work with Bush along the way.

(snip)

It may be unfashionable, even uncomfortable, to stand in the crossfire between such polarized views. But as Tony Blair has proved, itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s the only position that makes any sense if you want to achieve anything as a world leader. This is, as the French would say, a unipolar world of American power. Itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s time Europe got over it. And itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s time Bush returned to the kind of foreign policy he said he wanted during the 2000 presidential campaign: strong, yet humble.

Pretty much.