So the French put themselves first and voted no to the EU Constitution, paving the way for the Dutch and the Brits to do the same. This means a disunited old Europe. Tom Goeller sums up what this means to the U.S over at Tech Central Station:

For the US the consequences are clear. Washington will still have to deal with the European scorpions on an individual bilateral level. For the foreseeable future it will have neither a competitor in world affairs nor a strong ally that can substantially share the burden in fighting the threats to Western societies. While Europeans in general are facing the same challenges from Muslim fundamentalists as the US, the EU will not be able to act accordingly in her own defense. The Europeans will stay vulnerable without the US military umbrella. So, in the end, the French non means that the American taxpayer has to continue to pay for European security and defense. In this respect, the French have snubbed the Americans yet again.

Posted by Ryan S. on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at 5:41 PM | Permalink |