Inadvertently, the Bush administration may have done something rather useful as it blunders among the diplomatic and human debris of its ongoing Iraq fiasco. I say "inadvertently" because I am convinced that history will show that this gaggle of mediocrities and ideologues rarely if ever achieve the stated goal of their policies, up to and including military interventions in sovereign countries. But such blunders can produce unintended side effects, call them collateral benefits if you will.

Consider, for example, the blusterings of Donald Rumsfeld before the foray into Iraq. The Defence Secretary-once described to me by a Republican party insider as "not fit to drive the White House lawnmower"-used the term "old Europe" to deride those who opposed invading Iraq: France, Germany and so on. Others like Bulgaria and Spain, supporters of US policy each for their own rather selfish reasons, were "the new Europe". At the time, this touched off a wave of derision among that vast majority of European people in all countries who preferred to let the United Nations disarm Iraq peacefully, or at least to do so without killing thousands of people and wrecking billions of dollars worth of property and infrastructure.

Interestingly, not too many of those Euro citizens were offended by the comments of Herr Signor Monsieur Comte de la Rumsfeld. For one thing, they were pleased that he could pronounce the name of the continent in two syllables, unlike his boss, who kept telling us about some place called "Yerp". Self-confidence may be a largely American invention but the Europeans seem to be adapting many of the good things that come across the Atlantic, ignoring the bad.

Neo-liberal economic commentators, the kind that dominate the business media in Britain and America, are fond of telling us that Old Europe is about to collapse. Its post-war consensus that marries socially inclusive welfare policies with aggressive corporatism was failing, it was affirmed, staggering under low growth rates, budget deficits and lack of market confidence. Germany is generally touted as the leading offender here but many a neo-lib looks longingly at France, willing it frail with all his flinty little heart.

But the fact is that Europe-old and new-is doing rather well, thank you. Germany continues to produce goods that the world wants: its workers, bosses and ministers pull together. There are problems, there are things that need to change, there may even be (gasp) a little labour strife. But overall, Germany remains a wealthy and humane society. Ask it's citizens about their seven weeks annual holiday, and then ask all the tourist destinations that are awash in German Euros, even as Polyanna North Americans stay at home, quivering in a post-9-11, post-Iraq funk.

What about France then? Old Europe all the way, right? Well, if old Europe means the best health care system in the world, bar none, bring on the Zimmer Frame for les citoyennes Francaise. Waiting times for major surgery in France are lower than in any other important country in the world, and the French are far, far healthier than most of the rest of us, especially we waddling North Americans. Equality of access to care, but also equality of income, are great health levelers. Okay, there are growing social tensions among a radicalised North African Muslim population but what big, open society doesn't struggle with issues of identity and culture amid growing immigration?

And just in passing, ponder Denmark's colossal aid budget, Sweden's export driven socialism, Holland's endless stability and civilised social environment, Belgium's economic success despite bitter communal hatreds. I could even praise Spain for its booming regional economies and again, a health care system that American rightists would deride as "socialised medicine".

But unlike Rumsfeld, I don't regard thrusting out the tongue and going "nyahnyah, nyah-nyan-nyah" as a substitute for civilised discourse. You may have noticed that old Europe is being rather useful in the new Iraq, and you can bet it will continue to be so. A collateral benefit, I'm sure.