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I had dinner tonight with the master of our college - who happens to have been the most senior civil servant in the cabinet office under Thatcher, Major and Blair (and earlier PMs, IIRC) and the author of the Butler Report on the evidence for going to war in Iraq - after a talk he gave on Europe's role as a counterpoint to the US. His general opinion seemed to be that:
The demise of Russia as a major threat means the US has much less need of Europe, strategically;
the US being strong enough to go it alone results in any co-operation, like NATO or the UNSC, being somewhat lopsided, with the balance of power residing in Washinton;
this leads to the US preferring unilateral action, with the only consequences being those that affect the US (voting) public, whereas Europe tends to prefer multi-lateral action;
importantly, however, they both need each other. The main reason being that due to their collonial past, European forces are not credible peacekeepers in Africa, whereas due to recent events, US peacekeepers will be unlikely to be credible in the Middle-East.
His generally issue is with the EU being too wrapped up in its own domestic issues - immigration, subsidies, and suchlike - and Europe being stubborn and trying to throw its weight around (especially the French) when we don't really have the weight to throw. However he also points to the US being unwilling to listen to world opinion, seeming oblivious to the issues the rest of us care about. Partly, as one American in the audience observed, because US citizens are oblivious to it, as they just don't here it, with US news stations having pulled most European-based correspondents due to cost. He cited one question he asked Condolezza Rice as an example:
"Were you ever in doubt on the legality of military action in Iraq?"
"No, congress approved it"
With no consideration on anything other than US law.
How true is this, do you think? If Europe started co-operating with the US, more as a guiding partner than a counterpoint, and if the US people started to hear more about world opinion, would we have a more cohesive "western" policy, to address the common concerns of terrorism and any emerging threats? Could and should the EU be a counterpoint to the US? I can't help but think we have the same aims, and that a united front against terrorism and emerging threats would be much more effective, if only we could agree on the best way to reach those aims.
The demise of Russia as a major threat means the US has much less need of Europe, strategically;
the US being strong enough to go it alone results in any co-operation, like NATO or the UNSC, being somewhat lopsided, with the balance of power residing in Washinton;
this leads to the US preferring unilateral action, with the only consequences being those that affect the US (voting) public, whereas Europe tends to prefer multi-lateral action;
importantly, however, they both need each other. The main reason being that due to their collonial past, European forces are not credible peacekeepers in Africa, whereas due to recent events, US peacekeepers will be unlikely to be credible in the Middle-East.
His generally issue is with the EU being too wrapped up in its own domestic issues - immigration, subsidies, and suchlike - and Europe being stubborn and trying to throw its weight around (especially the French) when we don't really have the weight to throw. However he also points to the US being unwilling to listen to world opinion, seeming oblivious to the issues the rest of us care about. Partly, as one American in the audience observed, because US citizens are oblivious to it, as they just don't here it, with US news stations having pulled most European-based correspondents due to cost. He cited one question he asked Condolezza Rice as an example:
"Were you ever in doubt on the legality of military action in Iraq?"
"No, congress approved it"
With no consideration on anything other than US law.
How true is this, do you think? If Europe started co-operating with the US, more as a guiding partner than a counterpoint, and if the US people started to hear more about world opinion, would we have a more cohesive "western" policy, to address the common concerns of terrorism and any emerging threats? Could and should the EU be a counterpoint to the US? I can't help but think we have the same aims, and that a united front against terrorism and emerging threats would be much more effective, if only we could agree on the best way to reach those aims.
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