Whatever happened to anti-Americanism in Europe? The war of words and the angry demonstrations that defined trans-Atlantic relations during the Bush administration seem to have subsided. Today, Europe is more focused on some of its own problems, notably the pending financial crisis that threatens to spread beyond Greece and Portugal. It is not easy to blame Europe's bad fiscal habits on the United States.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently visited Washington DC for a warm and cordial, but fully inconsequential visit: she received the Medal of Freedom (a nice gesture, to be sure), but no new policy initiative resulted from her stay. Washington is not asking much of Europe these days, so there's no particular reason for Europeans to resent the United States.
