Stardate 20030625.1801

(On Screen via long range sensors): Romano Prodi comments on translatlantic relations:

"Many people have said that Europe is too old. Maybe, but the old age helps us to understand our strength and our weakness, and the reality of the world," Mr Prodi said.

Addressing Mr Bush directly in the East Room of the White House, Mr Prodi made a plea for greater transatlantic unity: "If we stay alone, President, Europe is too old, and the United States too young, to bring peace in this world."

We keep running into this: the European perception of the US as a rambunctious teenager, large and strong but immature and foolish. Where in hell did that idea come from, anyway?

The US has had the same essential government for more than 200 years. No member of the EU has had their current government for anything like as long. In fact, if one judges on that basis, the US is actually one of the very oldest nations in the world.

Prodi is delivering the same message, for the umpteenth time: You Americans are foolish and stupid; you need us Europeans to tell you what to do.

In any case, right at the moment the last thing we want to do is to bring "peace to the world". What we're trying to do is to bring reform to the world, which means that for the next few years we're doing our damndest to stir up change and unrest. It's not that we like unrest, it's just that the status quo sucks.

Prodi is delivering the same message, for the umpteenth time. He's using different words, but the song is the same. It's old whine in new bottles.