Contempt

clipped from www.davidwarrenonline.com But deeper still, he found the European hypocrisy a greater obstacle even to its self-understanding than the American resentment of it. For here was an entire continent that had become, through terrible wars, morally confused and dysfunctional, even while it contained great numbers of vigorous, able and, indeed, very civilized people. Hutchison said things were getting worse, and might require a miracle to reverse; but that the cure "will not be found in the present attempt to hush up the unpleasant truth by diplomatic postures, after-dinner oratory and transatlantic cargoes of soft soap." These remain the cures proposed, and on view once again this last week at the G20 summit. The current popularity of President Barack Obama in Europe is another mask: Europeans adore him because they think he shares their "sophisticated" contempt for the American people.