How The Guardian and Europe misunderstand America

Writing in today's Guardian Mark Lawson waxes about "Terrorist nostalgia" comparing bin Laden's last message with the PR campaigns of earlier terrorist organizations like the IRA.

There is one paragraph in the article that demonstrates to me a very fundamental misunderstanding of America by Mr. Lawson and probably by many Europeans. Here is the paragraph.

The message is also convincingly demonic towards America. A terrorist who was driven by political wiles rather than pure ideology would realize that the way to cause maximum trouble for George Bush right now would be to offer America freedom from attack in exchange for withdrawal from Iraq. Yet "Bin Laden" cannot contemplate this because the US is forever the Great Satan, whereas the fallen archangels of Europe have at least the possibility of redemption. "Bin Laden" is so deranged by hatred of the US that he makes a statement which would tend to consolidate Bush's position by showing the US to be at war with an implacable foe.

There is no doubt that Iraq is an explosive issue and ludicrous comparisons by some to Viet Nam fan the flames. But do a search on recent peace marches around the country and what do you find? Hardly anyone shows up at these things and the last one in Washington was shouted down by some Iraqis! Several bloggers in California went to one, I believe in LA, and found the "counter" peace march better attended. America has changed - 911 did that.

This one sentence

the way to cause maximum trouble for George Bush right now would be to offer America freedom from attack in exchange for withdrawal from Iraq

demonstrates Europe's lack of understanding about America. Mr. Lawson presumes that the offer from bin Laden would cause "maximum trouble for Bush" because it would be accepted by Bush's opponents. Mr. Lawson, The Guardian and any Europeans reading this, take note of this. President Bush's supporters and his opponents share at least one thing in common - they are all Americans; post 911 Americans. America is not Spain, Mr. Lawson. To even suggest that a large part of the American population would consider a peace offering from bin Laden is an insult to all Americans, especially the 3000 who died on 911. Mr. Lawson, you are either very callus or very ignorant or possibly both!

If bin Laden had made the offer to America it would have been met with the derision it deserves. If anything it would have strengthened Bush's position. You see, Mr. Lawson, unlike Spain and to some extent France and Germany, Americans know full well that, as you put it, we are "at war with an implacable foe"

Trying to tie Iraq with bin Laden will not work either, Mr. Lawson. No more so than other journalists trying to tie Iraq with Viet Nam. There is no connection between any of them. Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were at work long ago in Afghanistan; during the Clinton years. Just as with the Palestinian cause, bin Laden is trying to hijack the liberation of Iraq for his own ends. Those journalistic tricks don't work on Americans; we see right through the smokescreens.

Mr. Lawson you miss the main point of bin Laden's message. It is not a genuine offer and maybe you are too young to know that a previous monster tried the appeasement trick on Europeans (go ask your dad). The only purpose of bin Laden's latest message is to divide Europe from America; oldest military trick in the book, divide and conquer. Organizations like The Guardian and the BBC are doing a fine job of helping him.