USS Clueless has some interesting thoughts on the differences between the US and Europe, and why the US seems to frequently be playing the “lone wolf” when it comes to international treaties and conventions.
Much of US skepticism about European policies and about solidarity comes from the fact that the Europeans don’t seem to understand how Americans feel about the Bill of Rights, and the treaties they keep trying to get us to sign just sort of ignore the fact that they would contravene various portions of the Bill of Rights or other constitutional rights that we have and hold very dear. To us those are prized possessions; to the Europeans they’re just obstacles to be surmounted. Or so it seems.
It’s an interesting analysis, and while I think that there are also times when it’s monied interests that get in the way of such things, I think there’s also a lot of truth on this point and in the others which Stephen brings up.