In defence of the USA: by Garbo
America: Land of the confused
America gets a bad press these days. It is often because of the politics of envy. They get criticism for getting involved in areas where the rest of the world feels they shouldn’t. Even people in the UK have an almost frenzied anti-American attitude because of issues like Iraq… completely ignoring the fact that we went in there too.
But then take the criticism that America has taken over the past few days for their response to Russia’s movements in to Georgia. Some said that America did not act quickly enough and that all the thanks Georgia gets for supporting the US in Iraq is a few shipments of aid. Sometimes America must be very confused by the rest of the world’s reaction to them.
America acts while Europe flounders
This is Georgia. Part of Europe. Europe is big enough, rich enough and strong enough to take the lead here, but so far it has done the sum total of nothing. OK, Sarkozy went to Georgia, but surely a trip to Russia would have made more sense? Brown and Miliband have been very quiet over the issue releasing a couple of statements that would have hardly made the walls of the Kremlin shake.
America is acting while the rest flounder. Yet the US is in a terrible position to be taking the lead on this one. Getting themselves involved creates tension between Russia and the West. It damages negotiations on Iran and the fight against terrorism. It risks escalating the war to another more dangerous level. Yet as usual Europe has left it to the US to get tough. The BBC reports that Mr Bush’s latest speech was the first piece of good news the Georgian government had received for days. Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Scandinavia and the rest of Europe should be ashamed.
Europe needs to grow up
Why should Europe expect the US to take all the tough decisions and then think they can sit back and award marks and provide criticism on how the US is doing? If Europe wants to be taken seriously as a world power then it needs to start acting like one. By this I do not mean throwing its weight around like Russia, but it means standing up to be counted and not rely on the US to do it’s dirty work and then think it has some higher learned authority to tell them where they went wrong and what a disgrace to mankind they are.
I’d take America over China and Russia any day
America is far from perfect in its foreign affairs. But at least they are the ones prepared to help not only themselves but their allies too. In a generation’s time when China and Russia are peaking in their powers I suspect we will long for the days when a democratic country that abides by the rule of law was prepared to make a stand - because it as sure as hell won’t be Europe doing it.
Article Series - Politics Decoded 2008-9 by Garbo
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- Politics Decoded Extra: MEPs
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Categories: All WW, Politics Decoded
I think you’ve failed to understand an important part of the social dynamic here. The difference between the US and old Europe in this situation is that the US administration is working from a worldview shaped by the modern era - progress is good, more advanced nations automatically know better than less advanced nations (often without even finding out about the situation on the ground), and therefore the US knows what is right and can tell other people what to do. (The link between modernity and colonialism should be obvious in this context).
The governments of old Europe have done the colonial thing and don’t want to go back there, leading to a disinclination to get involved. Maybe this is linked with a more post-modern worldview. I think you can argue that in some respects they actively don’t want to be taken seriously as a world power, and that this is a direct result of and reaction against their colonial role in the past.
Neither viewpoint seems to be entirely desirable - the modernity view leads to arrogance and lack of interest in the real social factors on the ground, the post-modernity view leads to a certain amount of head-burying. However, the reaction here is to criticise the actions of governments without understanding the cultures are worldviews from which they arise. This will only lead to the US and Europe talking past eachother and failing to communicate - something which I think has been going on for some time. The starting point for progres must be clear communication, which cannot happen unless some understanding of culture and worldview is established first.
I understand the history, but that still does not excuse the criticism that Europe is happy to pass on the US. The European nations are happy to let America do a job that they know they should be doing. Not because they do not agree with the US doing it, but because it means they can turn a blind eye.
Besides, why should America be expected to step in to all of Europe’s problems? Yes they should play a valuable role, but it is time Europe stopped being old Europe and moved in to 21st century. By ignoring out responsibilities we are making matters worse, not better. This war is far more likely to have resounding repercussions with US-only led involvement. Europe will pay for that too.
I am not suggesting military involvement, I am saying Europe should be leading a diplomatic solution and stop getting all self righteous about America. Without America and with Europe’s attitude Russia would be far more dominant in the region than at present.