Step Right Outside, the View is Fine

Take a trip out to the EU and take a look back inside at the United States. It is an interesting experience for a native-born U.S. citizen who has basically lived all her life in the U.S. the European Union is preparing to investigate the participation of certain member states in hosting torture sites for the United States. This is not comfortable stuff. The problem is that the EU is, quite reasonably, thinking ahead and planning to choose the U.S. government official to speak with with great care. They are cognizant that haughty denial by our government will damage their credibility. I, personally, would root for them to find a DeGaulle to face down our current administration with fierceness despite a lack of military might. But they very sensibly realize that they have to live with the U.S. as a trading partner afterward, and this could strain relations unless they manage to actually unseat the current administration with their accusations. Probably, the red state folks and maybe a good number of blue staters, too, would react to furriners pointing fingers with a "my country right or wrong" knee jerk. Too bad! They need a good hard spank.