PARIS -- U.S. President George W. Bush's recent State of the Union speech referring to an " 'axis of evil' arming to threaten the peace of the world" appears to have polarized the feelings of doubt and reluctance many Europeans now harbor toward the sole superpower.
Their disappointment is easy to understand. The U.S. was very proud of the gestures of solidarity it received from most nations in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. In his first address to Congress after the attacks, Bush expressed warm thanks. But in the days that followed, he did not show any interest in the military contributions that these countries were offering -- other than Britain's -- and most of the time he did not solicit their advice before making important decisions.
Washington's go-it-alone attitude is exemplified by the status of NATO, which for decades had been the centerpiece of U.S. strategic thinking. Today the U.S. seems to care less and less about it.