09.12.2004 - 16:20 CET | By Andrew Beatty

US President George W. Bush is set to visit Europe on 22 February, his first foreign trip of the new presidency, which begins in January.

Mr Bush’s visit is likely to be taken as a symbolic gesture aimed at underscoring the importance of transatlantic ties

It may also provide an opportunity for repairing relations after the Iraq war.

Many European countries opposed the war and George W. Bush is deeply unpopular throughout much of Europe.

A rash of trade disputes - most notably over government subsidies to European and US aerospace manufacturers Airbus and Boeing - have done nothing to heal the rifts which surfaced during the run up to the war in Iraq.

The announcement comes as Colin Powell visits Brussels today (9 December) for meetings with NATO and on Friday in The Hague for an EU-US ministerial meeting.

Mr Powell has pressed European countries to pledge more troops to help bolster security in Iraq.

He has also spoken of his administration's commitment to transatlantic ties.

"We are reaching out to Europe and we hope that Europe will reach out to us", he said on Wednesday.

(EUObserver)

So if we don't become the bestest of friends, it's their fault.

Best of friends? It will not happen. The younger soul age of Bush will not convince the more mature age of Europe. The differences in perspective and consciousness is too great. To them IMO, he's nothing but a child who needs development ... or maybe spankings.

They probably think exactly the same of the U.S. as a whole :D

We're like one of those fat kids who grew up a lot faster than his friends. We may or may not be a bully, but we definitely look like one (and have all the potential to be one) ...

So if we don't become the bestest of friends, it's their fault. </font>[/QUOTE]Illum, it's called a two way street, there is nothing in the statement about bestest of friends or fault if such doesn't happen. Careful you don't go borrowing trouble here ;)

Huh? From what I can tell there is no such animal in the collective sense, we each as individuals have our own soul, just because a society has been around for a while makes that society/country/conglomeration of countries no more intitiled to "rightness" then a society/country/conglomeration countries that happens to be the most powerful. Right is right, wrong is wrong, reguardless of "Soul age". Each of us can only do what we can do and be prepared to answer for those actions, that is the course of the mature, from what I can see President Bush does exactly that.

For me, that's why it's unfortunate, John. Bush will only do things the way his consciousness is developed. This goes the same for all, for better or worse. Humanity, as a collective consciousness, changes when each individual changes. Everyone of us is responsible for themselves. IMO you are right when you say "Each of us can only do what we can do" which can be unfortunate from another's perspective. In this case, the mass consciouness of Europe who in my mind has a more developed soul maturity. My apologies if you feel I downgraded Bush, but IMO and in my very core being, he's a younger soul that has a consciousness that doesn't quite yet understand or able to hook up to a larger consciousness. And from what I am seeing of this world, everybody including Bush are making their connections as best they can. Yes we are not perfect, but Bush (and me too) can & should do better.

Well, the Chinese have matured more than both the Europeans and Americans together, and i honestly can't say that they set a shining example for all of us.

Preach it Johnny, preach it ;) I would add Iraq is more mature then any other country or region on this planet, since they are where this rollercoaster ride we call civilization started, being the furtle(sp?) Cresent and all.

Jonas, from what I can tell we are Humans and not Goa'uld ;) so there is no such animal as a mature soul or any such for a society/country, since all are made up of individuals and we share through comunication, and not a genetic memory passed on to our offspring. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Not to mention that the nation-state is a social construct - and that a government a construct within a construct - one that is only representative of its people if the people are lucky.

I realize (I think) that Jonas is talking about a rough truism of a society's appreciation of history et al, but we should get to work on that physical shared consciousness hive mind thing! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Edit] My my, I never thought I'd join the dread Zhentarim!

[ 12-13-2004, 03:35 AM: Message edited by: Lucern ]