Transatlantic divisions persist; Europeans want EU to be superpower

[Kellanved]

WASHINGTON - Europeans want the European Union to become a superpower like the United States - but oppose more military spending - while Americans want a closer partnership with the continent, according to a survey published by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and other foundations.

The "Transatlantic Trends 2004" study also found a split among Americans about whether the United States should remain the only superpower.

The report, which was based on extensive polling of Europeans and Americans, was issued on the eve of the third anniversary of the 11 September 2001, terrorist attacks on the US which precipitated global unity in the fight against terrorism. That unity has dissipated as US President George Bush led the country into war in Iraq against opposition from Germany, France and Russia.

"After the intense debates and disagreements of the past three years, the transatlantic community is divided," the report concluded. Americans and Europeans "differ markedly on how best to deal" with commonly perceived threats.
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http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=11702&name=Transatlantic+divisions+persist%3B+Europeanswant+EU+to+be+superpower+

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Having another Superpower is a great idea. It keeps things...

in balance. But my European friends must understand that a strong military is a major part of a Superpower. You need the military to back up your position.

[aneerkoinos]

4. No, my American friend

It is you that need less military (remember hammer and nails...).

Besides, with world's greatest economy and quite enough military power in the member states EU is already a Superpower, but the kind of Superpower that is not interested in the infantile game of being king of the hill. Effeminate Superpower.

Stupic macho kinds of Superpowers ar SOOO last century, don't you know? ;)

[dolo amber]

10. Yeah!!

What he/she said!! :bounce:

[Just Me]

15. OH - HOW - I - LOVE - REAL - PROGRESSIVES!!!

Gawd, how I rebel against those who bring humanity down to its weakest common denominator.

[AP]

7. Not neccessarily. International law could take the place of the gun.

[Massacure]

13. The combined might of Europe has plenty of Oomph.

The U.S. military is incredibly wasteful.

[Joanne98]

2. They need a military. this is actually the PNAC plan

EU gets to keep it's welfare state if they don't build a military. the EU needs to get going on defense spending NOW......

[cprise]

3. Extensive military spending =

Extensive military spending means having a military/industrial complex that manipulates you in order to perpetuate itself.

Its interesting that the hard-Left and hard-Right are both against this kind of US-like superstate. This time its the "centrists" who want everyone armed to the teeth in a continental empire. (Good for the economy, ya know :eyes: ) These "centrists" are also in the minority right now, which makes them merely an empire-bent fringe group.

[Radius]

5. Is there a European

In here lecturing on superpowers and evil Americans. The source of megadeath in the last century came from Europe and their World Wars. They sat around with their hands in their pockets until Clinton stepped into Bosnia. Nothing against Europe but they will be forced to make some serious lifestyle changes if they intend to fund a military on par with the US or china.

If we remove our military from western Europe they will be forced to expand their military capability.

[cprise]

6. Why Europe did nothing

...because they knew the history of the region and (correctly) recognized a central government putting down a secessionist insurrection.

The Yugoslav intervention has not helped Europe in coping with militant secessionists.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. We should be listening to them - they grew OUT of that infantile stage

a long time ago.

[AP]

8. I think Republicans are really worried that Europe is going to produce

some very competitve businesses that grow out of a society which educates and builds up an economically powerful middle class, and that the US corporate powers which don't compete like that will be swallowed up by European corporations.

I strongly believe that part of the reason Bush is screwing up the ME is to cut off Europe from the oil it needs to develop its economy. A little economic chaos tends to result in people voting for fascists, and Bush is hoping that Europeans start electing nationalists, and wingers who will sabotage the more liberal EU project. And all this is an effort to protect the marketplaces of the world for American monopolizers and grifters, like GE and Halliburton.

[Massacure]

14. Screwing the Middle East hurts the U.S. more.

Europe is better insulated against oil shock because of their mass transit and because they have less gas guzzling SUVs. Europe also has easier access to Russia, who's crude is good for making diesel fuel.

[AP]

17. It's not just the cars. Oil is the fuel for all economic development.

If it costs more, development is more expensive (the oil companies gets a big percentage of the wealth created by economic activity, and there's less money to go around for more productive activities). Just because less oil is consumed by people driving around doesn't mean Europe doesn't need oil and isn't hurt by high oil prices and unstable sources.

As for the Russian fuel, you can see where that's going. They need a stable middle east too. Russia has a lot of people, and will need oil too. But the most interesting think about Russia is the whole thing with Lukos (sp?). They WERE a private company dominating the whole oil industry, and certainly would have done the bidding of the oil gods. Now they're going to be a state industry, and the oilygarchs all over the world seem to be a little tense about what that means for their hegemony.

Yeah, if Europe had a stable Russia which had good business and political relations with Europe, and if Russia has oil to spare from what will be its own rapid economic expansion over the next 75 years, then Europe will have dodged the bullet Bush has aimed at them. Let's see if that happens. Perhaps this "war throughout the caucuses" was a back-up plan to deny Europe that relationship and to distract Russia so that Russia can't develop.

Bottom line: Republicans want to do anything BUT compete with companies in the EU which create wealth through building up wealthy middle classes. That would be the end of the oligopoly in the US.

[allemand]

9. Interesting question: is the transatlantic community more divided

than the Europeans among themselves?

[aneerkoinos]

18. Yes

But granted, there are still few treacherous European governements around that don't represent the will of the people and act against it.

[xchrom]

12. personally, i think there's another golden age for europe

ahead.
they are very thoughtfully designing the full spectrum of the eu -- i'm impressed by the depth of the deliberations and the topics they discuss thoughtfully in brussels.
and i'm impressed by the extraordinary willingness by a very diverse population to live and let live.
this is going to a wonderful time for europe i think.

[freeminder]

16. Superpower? Yes please. Like the US? Not right now, thanks

being 50 km from Brussels, I strongly believe that the strong economic union the EU started out as has to be turned into a political union which can speak with one voice. And that voice needs to be backed up with military if need be, but I'm quite sure between us we've got enough military capability to do that. It's just that we are not always politically ready to use it. And I would sincerely hope we never become abusive of our military might.

At the moment, we lack political union. But the parliament and the Comission are gaining influence, already over 50% of state legislation is translated from Eu directives.

A social Europe is not a reality yet either, and it will be some time before we have states ready to defer to a central government in matters of national security for example. But I believe the project will succeed, boosted by a population that feels the need for unity more than ever in the face of a US government trying to divide us.

And the Euro is pulling down barriers everywhere.