Posted on 12/03/2004 12:41:55 PM PST by jb6
Generals fight the last war, and so do those who make foreign policy.
American foreign policy is wedded to Western Europe by a half century of cold war and institutionalized in the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and various and sundry "Atlanticists." Yet, Europe has radically altered. No longer a quaint collection of historical enemies, Western Europe in its new guise as the European Community is a crypto-fascist state.
The new class of international bureaucrats and lawyers who govern the new European state through regulations are no more politically accountable than was Adolf Hitler, and they enjoy media just as fawning. Questioning the New Europe is a sign of moral turpitude. Such people deserve to be shot, as protesters recently were at a EU summit in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Originally, the European Union was called the European Economic Community. It was meant to be a free trade zone comprised of independent countries. The new name signifies the political transformation of the original idea into a superstate with ideological aims.
The ideology of the European Union is anti-American. It champions a "third way," a form of redistributive communism without the political terror and economic irrationality that characterized the former Soviet Union. Many EU leaders are lifelong apologists for the Soviet Union.
The EU's anti-Americanism burst out all over during President George W. Bush's recent visit. Bush's politeness got him nowhere. He was publicly insulted by the (conservative) president of France and ridiculed by the French press. The Swedish prime minister and president of the EU, Goran Persson, lauded the EU to Bush's face as a counterweight to "U.S. world domination."
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer are also outspoken in their dislike of American "barbarism." With England being led into the EU by Tony Blair, our Cold War allies have given way to a hostile superstate.
This hostility is finding expression in actions as well as words. During the last week of June, the World Trade Organization ruled for the EU against the United States in a case that will hurt Microsoft, General Electric and Boeing. Americans can expect more economic aggression from the EU as sovereignty flows from national capitals into the hands of EU rulers.
Recently, Europeans helped countries notorious for human-rights abuses to kick the United States off the UN Human Rights Commission. EU leaders will certainly use UN forums to campaign against the United States, thus altering the balance of power in that institution.
Faced with a hostile European superstate, it would make sense for the United States to break out of its foreign policy rut and forge an alliance with Russia. Economically and politically weak, Russia remains a formidable presence because of its enormous collection of nuclear megatonnage.
Moreover, its economic and political weakness means that Russia, unlike Europe, needs the United States. In place of hostile acts, such as expanding NATO to Russia's borders, the United States should take Russia under friendly tutelage. What worthier foreign policy goal than to help Russia succeed as a democratic capitalist country?
A successful American-Russian alliance would mute EU anti-Americanism and discourage the global regulation that is aimed at American economic success.
An American-Russian alliance would help to maintain peace in Europe. Sooner or later, a former sovereign nationality is going to rebel against EU dictatorship. It is only a matter of time before there is a European civil war over secession. An American-Russian alliance could contain, if not forestall, such a war.
A realignment of American foreign policy interests requires foresight, a rare quality in political life. Working against such an alignment, American liberals will side with the EU, and American conservatives will cling to Europe until they are stabbed in the back many times. Saving Europe from Soviet communism was American conservatism's noble effort, and it will seem unpatriotic to align with former foe against former friends.
But times have changed. What hasn't changed is the Biblical injunction that "where there is no vision, the people are lost."
©2001 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
There are several problems.
While Northern Europe is hopelessly hostile, Eastern and Southern Europe (with the temporary exception of Spain) have no use for Gaullist delusions of a united Europe.
As Putin has demonstrated, Russia flatly will not accept becoming an American client state. Perhaps after he loses Ukraine, though, he will accept that restoring Imperial Russia is not an option.
"An American-Russian alliance would help to maintain peace in Europe. Sooner or later, a former sovereign nationality is going to rebel against EU dictatorship. It is only a matter of time before there is a European civil war over secession. An American-Russian alliance could contain, if not forestall, such a war." Someone please explain to me why we should want to prevent a a former sovereign nationality from rebelling against EU dictatorship? Someone please explain to me why we should want to get in bed with Putin and the reconstituted KGB?
"An American-Russian alliance would help to maintain peace in Europe. Sooner or later, a former sovereign nationality is going to rebel against EU dictatorship. It is only a matter of time before there is a European civil war over secession. An American-Russian alliance could contain, if not forestall, such a war." Someone please explain to me why we should want to prevent a a former sovereign nationality from rebelling against EU dictatorship? Someone please explain to me why we should want to get in bed with Putin and the reconstituted KGB?
Spain and Portugal I think are lost for the long haul. Italy and Greece are questionable. Poland is in the process of kissing arse to the Franco-Germanics and so is Ukraine, Yashenko has promised to screw us on Iraq ASAP. Yeah, north europe is a write off. In my view, the only hope left is: Britian, Russia, Serbia and maybe Bulgaria. I'd like to think Greece but I doubt it.
Yes, precisely. What stake do we have in holding the EU together ? Of what concern to us is peace in Europe ?
Prosperity by a bureaucratic fiat never worked and never will. The European bureacrats want to create a system where the needs of the states trumps individual rights in order to safeguard them (what utter bull$hit!). America MUST stamp out any movement that may wish to emmulate europe's descent into banality and chaos. Freedom from the state is freedom from tyranny. The europeans sadly do not understand this concept. It is a pressure cooker and when the $hit hits the fan in europe (and it will since it is the inevitable contruct of liberalism unhinged!!) the fourth reich or a second Stalin will await to pick up the pieces.
This is the end result of Liberalism run amok. Robert Bork in "Slouching Towards Gomorrah" eloquently makes the case in favour of limiting liberalism and favouring individualism and limited gov't.
Sorry guys but the world will again need your help to save them from themselves in the near future.
I am by no means suggesting that I wish Europe ill. It does behoove us to pay attention to our own security and liberty first.
It's not just saving them from themselves, its saving us from them. If they ever break up Russia and absorb her too, then we'll really be SOL.
You have hit the nail on the head - I am unwilling to pay the cost in American blood to "save them from themselves."
Not sure how much worse we are now vs what we would be if they "absorbed Russia." Russia is not our friend, and has a nasty inferiority complex already. Might be that China would like to gobble up Siberia...
I was not being sarcastic. I am unwilling to insure peace in Europe at any cost in American blood.
The days when whoever dominated Europe dominated the world are over. Europe isn't that important anymore. So there is no strategic reason for America to be sucked into European conflicts.
But Russia is fiercly independent and wants to stay that way, a neat counter weight to EU expension and Chinese too.
Should a powerful EU succeed in dominating Russia, it could monopolize the international porn industry's primary source of gorgeous blondes who will do anything. American leadership of the adult film industry would be endangered. A case could be made that to protect American production in this vital industry an American/Russian entente would be crucial.
You lost me after "primary source of gorgeous blondes who will do anything." drool...drool
We will see if their economics allow them to remain independent. Their demographics are pretty lousy too. Average life expectancy has fallen, looks like they are heading for a net reduction in their population, too. Europe has the second problem, but is much more affluent relative to the Russians.
D@mn, I knew there was a downside to this!
Actually the Russian demographics have had a sharp turn around for the past 4 years, there is hope. The death age for men went from 55 to 59.5 and there are 100-200,000 more live births yearly. They're up to 1.4 from 1.1 on kids. Takes time. also, abortion is illegal after 12 weeks.
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