Martin Jacques has the facts right, but the interpretation all wrong. Europe is its own worst enemy, with its sophisticated snobbery over its blase immorality undermining its own moral fiber; its anti-Christian/religious haughtiness turning its citizens into beasts; its socialistic anti-freedom mentality causing it to sink into a third rate economic entity.

And besides, Chirac did not "demonstrate courage" when he "stood up" to America. He showed the moral cowardice of greed, preferring the brute Saddam over Dubya, because he [Chirac] wanted the illegal money from the "oil for food" program to keep flowing into the French digestive system. The French profess sophistication to the point of ennui, but money always trumps truffles. They deserve it of course, because they are, well, French.

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | The end of the west: "Europe is no longer the centre of the world - the future belongs to the might of Asia "