Democrat Editorial August 2002 (Number 64)
A rethink of the European Union relationship with USA
Many European Union leaders have become increasingly irritated by the Bush Administration and come to the conclusion they have reached a cross-roads about themselves and their relationship with the USA administration.
Contempt
United States open contempt of a weak European Union has generated calls tantamount to orders for more unity and independence. This includes the EU spending more money on its own military forces if Washington is going to take the EU seriously. Real interests are diverging forced on by the threat of war with Iraq. All this follows years of talk about tensions and resentments with a recognition that a qualitative change has taken place in the EU-US relationship.
An article by Robert Kagan in Policy Review, a US quarterly published by the conservative Hoover Institution, says there is a fundamental division over attitudes to power between Europe and the US. Pascal Lamy, the EU trade commissioner who has just visited Australia, thinks Kagan has it right: "Stop pretending that the United States and Europe share a common view of the world, recognise we have different world views and interests and then manage our relations." (Sydney Morning Herald)
Differences
There are fundamental differences over issues like the International Criminal Court, the Kyoto environmental treaty and crisis in the Middle East heightened by the threat to Iraq. Even strongly pro-American leaders like the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, now openly differ with Washington which would have been unthinkable five years ago or even just prior to 11 September, 2001.
The Middle East is of course largely about oil resources where currently the USA faces a serious shortfall in oil in the near future. There is no real evidence that Iraq has developed any weapons as alleged by the Bush government backed by Tony Blair. Old vested interests want to put the clock back. Originally, Britain dominated the Middle East in the days of the Shah and dominance of the Shell oil company. That all changed overnight with a revolution in Iran and Saddam Hussein turning against his US sponsors.
Today the USA wants the whole region destabilised by means of a huge military adventure which would wrought terrible human consequences and could lead to a colossal tragedy for the world. The USA has huge domestic economic and social problems with corporate led capitalism in deep crisis. A war would be the classic solution to these problems for big profit makers in the short run but not in the longer term for the peoples of America.
Call for more arms
As well as NATO secretary General Lord Robertson, some EU leaders also talk of increasing military spending. Their case is that Washington will take them more seriously when they have enough military power to back up EU foreign policies. These EU leaders want to take advantage of the increasing anti-US sentiment in all member states by calling for a more competitive relationship with the USA. As CAEF has pointed out many times by quoting former EU Commission President Jacques Delors, the EU needs a European Army to fight the resources wars of the 21st century. Such a course of action will only exacerbate the situation and will not improve matters.
Many European Union leaders have become increasingly irritated by the Bush Administration and come to the conclusion they have reached a cross-roads about themselves and their relationship with the USA administration.