Our world leaders seem to

Our world leaders seem to be showing a distinct lack of leadership lately, eh? Europe’s leaders are bound and determined to ensure their own irrelevance on the world stage. Their eagerness to puff up reports of Iraq’s transparent stalling tactics as hopeful developments just baffles me. My only explanation is that they are pandering to anti-American elements at home by giving Saddam a handjob, a truly sickening thought.

Whatever the reason, I think their soft-peddling , in the short term, greatly diminishes their influence over how things proceed with Iraq. If they took a hard line, a line consistent with their earlier, unanimous apporoval of the UN resolution demanding the resumption of inspections, then they might be in a position to argue that inspections should continue. They should be holding Iraq’s balls to the fire, instead, they sound a hopeful tone over reports of the same old Iraqi bullshit. They have proven that they lack the courage of their own convictions, leaving the US and Britan no choice but to go it more or less alone.

For good or ill, going it alone probably means going to war, especially since the UNs wishy-washyness is going to embolden Saddam Hussien further. Which, of course, brings us to George W. Bush’s own questionable leadership on the world stage, or it would, if I had the energy to write about it.

Let it suffice to say, I, like much of the rest of the world, don’t trust him.

Together, they are making the world a more dangerous place.