“The United States must understand that playing sheriff in the world is now over!”, said Felipe Gonzalez, Spain's former prime minister, addressing the Congress of the European Socialist Party in Madrid on 2 December. Greeted by PES delegates like a pop star, he gave a long, improvised speech allowing himself to be carried away with enthusiastic body language against the devastation caused by “Hurricane Bush” - with the result that a microphone was swept away by his hand to shatter...