The week in quotes
In denial . . . – Taoiseach Brian Cowen's description of the mindset within Irish banking at the start of the crisis
I am always jealous about European trains. And I said to myself, why can't we have . . . why can't we have high-speed rail [in the United States]. – President Barack Obama chatting to young people in Strasbourg, France
You know. . . it used to be when I came to Europe that I could just wander down to a cafe and sit and have some wine and watch people go by, and, you know, go into a little shop, and watch the sun go down. And now I'm in hotel rooms all the time. And I have security around me all the time. – The president ponders how his life has changed
In America, there’s a failure to appreciate Europe’s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.
But in Europe there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual but can also be insidious. Instead of recognising the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what's bad. – O bama assesses the often fraught relationship between the US and Europe
There are certain values that bind us together and reveal our common humanity: the universal longing to live a life free from fear and free from want, a life marked by dignity and respect and simple justice. Our two republics were founded in service of these ideals. – But the president also identifies that the US and France share similar basic values