I seem to remember a day with Europeans, collectively shared our pain and anguish over the horror of the attacks of 9-11. Those days appear to be officially over now, due to the revelations of the NSA overreach of treating the EU just like "the terrorists."
'If you can't beat em, spy the hell out em.' And Europeans are none too pleased about it.
NSA spying row: bugging friends is unacceptable, warn Germans
US attempts to downplay spying allegations as growing European anger threatens to derail transatlantic trade talks
by Ian Traynor in Brussels, guardian.co.uk, 1 July 2013
[...]
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and French president, François Hollande, described the disclosures of massive US spying and snooping in Europe as unacceptable, with the Germans suggesting there had to be mutual trust if the trade talks were to go ahead in Washington on Monday.
Merkel delivered her severest warning yet on the National Security Agency debacle. "We are no longer in the cold war," her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said. "If it is confirmed that diplomatic representations of the European Union and individual European countries have been spied upon, we will clearly say that bugging friends is unacceptable."
[...]
"We cannot accept this kind of behaviour between partners and allies," Hollande said. "We ask that this stop immediately."
[...]
They got a point, this is a helluva a way to treat your friends and allies.
First casualty to go, when you start reading "your friend's dairies" -- is Trust.
Nothing says "We trust you," like insisting on knowing your every thought and inclination, plan or economic strategy. In secret. Behind your back.
So much for trying to maintain that "Two-way street" that allies usually rely on.
No worries Europe, America can explain ... just give us another try:
[John] Kerry, the US secretary of state, delivered a low-key response to the growing European clamour for answers, saying the NSA activities were not unusual. "Every country in the world that is engaged in international affairs of national security undertakes lots of activities to protect its national security and all kinds of information contributes to that," he said. "All I know is that is not unusual for lots of nations."
[...]
Well, as far a lame excuses go, this one is "not that unusual."
If you lose their Trust, you lose their cooperation and interest. Stuff starts going down-hill in a big way, not long after that.
Just ask anyone who's gone through such a relationship "break-up." The fall out is not pretty.
Although usually, well deserved.