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December 14, 2003
There's Not Enough Room In This Town For Just One Of Us

The Europeans have just taken the first step toward a military and security strategy that does not depend on the United States.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, there emerged the possibility of an extended period of world peace and unchallenged American hegemony. The possibility of a new century of peace and prosperity under American leadership reached its height during the outpouring of world sympathy and anger after 9/11. The time for once was right to draw the world’s civilized and democratic nations together in a mutual project of progress on all the important fronts — military, economic, environmental.

As a matter of personality, Little George’s decision not to close ranks with eager allies after 9/11 was understandable, given the president’s impatience, inability to trust others, and need to appear tough. The rich, bitter irony here is that Little George’s choice of sticking his finger in our allies’ eyes instead of joining arms with them was no doubt sincerely intended to increase America’s safety, influence and power in both the short and long term.

Instead, W’s policy of unilateralism has reduced America’s short-term influence in the world’s capitols, while increasing the risk of terrorism against Americans at home and abroad. It has also set off a series of events that in the long term will result in the emergence of one or more new military power centers independent of the U.S., not to mention the further dissipation of American economic might. Let's be clear: W's policies have created the likelihood that other military powers will be forced to emerge, something that never would have needed to happen if W were tough enough, wise enough, and patient enough, to keep America at the head of the natural post-9/11 coalition.

W almost single-handedly created the need in the world for a counterweight to American military might.

Make no mistake, there is also a flip side to this irony: those who believe that American influence and world power are already too high will in the long term discover that Little George, the imperial president that today they love to hate is the one whom they will thank in the long term for cutting the U.S. down to size.

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Posted by Lead Balloons at December 14, 2003 12:51 AM
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Fantastic---could be the best news since the collapse of the Soviet Union; an earnest, effective EU military alliance offers a possibility of providing the most admirable condition devolving for the USA citizenry, over at least the past one hundred years of military entanglements. And could we be so lucky that after Tony Blair, British foreign policy would also move into real support of the EU military union, thus the UK express independence enough to abandon the teat of the "Special Relationship"?
Hoffmann

Posted by: on December 14, 2003 06:07 AM

Well, good fucking riddance to them. What a bunch of preening, posturing failures. Let them go because other than the UK, there is no USEFUL military in Europe. Oh sure, they have a jobs program called the Army, but they have no fighting capability, no willingness to actuall fight and they are stocked with 50's era equipment. I don't think they really want to actually defend themselves, heck they sat by and had ringdide seats for mass murder in Bosnia.

Wait for someone to say that a fully independent, and functional EU military will cost many hundreds of $billions, and we will see their TRUE intent. As always with the French, this is an empty gesture.

Pleasepleaseplease take the fucking UN with you.

Posted by: Jack M on December 14, 2003 09:09 AM

Jack,

You are missing an important point. The fact is that the US needs the rest of the world, and particularly the EU. For better or worse, all of our economies are locked together. If they get too pissed off and start cutting back on their huge purchases on US gov. debt, that will devastate our economy.

If you look at the numbers, more and more debt around the world is being denominated in Euros. If you are sitting on a huge trade deficit, then this is trouble on the horizon.

Posted by: Mike on December 14, 2003 09:52 AM

Putting aside the ever contentious issue of whether the U.N. is a useful organization or not, we are interconnected whether we like it or not. Talk about your "pitiful, helpless giant" if we don't understand that. There are limits to what you can accomplish at the point of a gun or the tip of a cruise missile. While we are the most powerful, we are not all powerful.

Will W represent the hubris before the fall, or will American move on to greater and more noble purposes under new leadership?

Posted by: Tom Street on December 14, 2003 01:21 PM

Well said, Tom S.

--LB

Posted by: Lead Balloons on December 14, 2003 03:25 PM
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