[Euric]

By Parag Khanna

Friday, 2008-05-23

The relationship between the European Union and the United States is rapidly changing. In his book "The Second World — Empires and Influence in the New Global Order," Parag Khanna argues that the EU has surpassed the United States in the areas of humanitarian aid, economic revival, environmental standards and international stability.

What was one of the most surprising findings in the process of writing the book?

“The EU is now the most confident economic power in the world. With superior commercial and environmental standards, the European nations have assumed global leadership.
"That is only further borne out by the current U.S. credit crisis, which certainly also affects the Europeans — but points to significant weaknesses in the U.S. regulatory system.”

How do Europeans generally view the United States today?

“Many Europeans view America’s current way of life as deeply corrupt, built on borrowed money, risky and heartless in its lack of social protections — and ecologically catastrophic. Those are sentiments that won’t just vanish with a new administration coming to office in the Untied States.”

How did the Europeans pull off their own economic revival?

“EU expansion has become a virtuous circle of tapping new markets. That, in turn, has helped to decrease dependence on exports to the United States — a crucial step in building an independent superpower.

"The fresh blood of the EU’s new members has generated a competitive federalism that boosts the European economy as a whole.” For many Europeans, the U.S.-led war in Iraq validated their view that war is not an instrument of policy — rather, a sign of its failure.

What is particularly remarkable about the EU's approach to world affairs?

“In an intriguing way — and one that must be galling to many U.S. strategists — the EU is easily the most popular and successful empire in history.

"Why? Because it does not dominate, it disciplines. The incentives of Europeanization — subsidies from Brussels, unfettered mobility and the adoption of the Euro currency — are too great not to want.”

How did the EU go about strengthening its influence in other continents?
And how does that compare to the efforts of the United States?

“The EU is a far larger humanitarian aid donor than the United States. South America, East Asia and other regions actually prefer to emulate the 'European Dream' rather than the American variant.

"And let’s remember, the London-based Financial Times is the world’s most widely circulated newspaper — not The New York Times.” "

And the EU is metric. Anything Imperial touches is doomed to failure.

For more:
http://www.theglobalist.com/DBWeb/Story ... oryId=6886

[Plantagenet]

Europe is also well situated to deal with peak oil.

--they have a friendly energy rich neighbor to the east in Russia.
--they have friendly relationships with Iran, Libya, Sudan and other oil-rich countries.
--their high-tax rates on gasoline have already produced a culture that is much less dependent on the auto then the US.
--they have abundant nuclear power (up to 80% of all electric in France)
--they are a high technology society, and are world leaders in wind and solar and nuclear power.
--they already have an excellent electric train system
--they already have electric commuter light rail or subway systems in virtually all cities.
--they have some coal, oil, gas resources of their own.

And, they encourage topless sunbathing by their babes!

[Bman4k1]

There isn't an emphasis on suburbs either so with the excellent public transit and highly dense population people will be able to get around to places (stores, hospitals, places of commerce) much easier. Lets just face it, Europe has it good.

North American cities are going to be ghost towns.

[dukey]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'E')urope is also well situated to deal with peak oil.

--they have a friendly energy rich neighbor to the east in Russia.
--they have friendly relationships with Iran, Libya, Sudan and other oil-rich countries.
--their high-tax rates on gasoline have already produced a culture that is much less dependent on the auto then the US.
--they have abundant nuclear power (up to 80% of all electric in France)
--they are a high technology society, and are world leaders in wind and solar and nuclear power.
--they already have an excellent electric train system
--they already have electric commuter light rail or subway systems in virtually all cities.
--they have some coal, oil, gas resources of their own.

And, they encourage topless sunbathing by their babes!

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'E')urope is also well situated to deal with peak oil.--they have a friendly energy rich neighbor to the east in Russia.

[Plantagenet]

Finland and other European countries will also get gas from Russia. And yes.....even England will be supplied by Russian gas.

"The Western European part of the project includes two transmission pipelines in Germany. The southern pipeline (OPAL pipeline) will run from Greifswald to Olbernhau near German-Czech border. It will connect Nord Stream with JAGAL (connected to the Yamal-Europe pipeline), and STEGAL (connected to the Russian gas transport route via Czech and Slovak republics) pipelines. The western pipeline (NEL pipeline) will run from Greifswald to Achim, where it will be connected with the Rehden-Hamburg gas pipeline.[31] Together with the MIDAL pipeline it will create the Greifswald–Bunde connection. Further gas delivery to the UK will be made through the planned connection between Bunde and Den Helder, and from there through the offshore interconnector Balgzand–Bacton (BBL Pipeline). Gazprom has also bought an abandoned mine (Hinrichshagen Structure) in Waren, which is planned to convert into the largest underground gas storage in Europe with capacity of 5 bcm.[32][33]

[Cloud9]

Europe has been at it longer than we have. It is more compact. It is within walking distance of both Russia and China.

[jasonraymondson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cloud9', 'E')urope has been at it longer than we have. It is more compact. It is within walking distance of both Russia and China.

[yogiudo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Bman4k1', 'T')here isn't an emphasis on suburbs either so with the excellent public transit and highly dense population people will be able to get around to places (stores, hospitals, places of commerce) much easier. Lets just face it, Europe has it good.

North American cities are going to be ghost towns.

[kakkerlak]

I think Europe is going to be the next superpower, the number one player in economics and politics. The reasons named in the article show that Europe represents hope for a better future, at least in the sense that Europe is better prepared for Peak Oil then other empires.

Yes, i used the word empire to make it sound more dramatic.

My knowledge about economics is zero. However, it's impossible to even imagine an economical weak Europe. It wouldn't surprise me if Europe is even able to make profits from problems like peak oil (watch the Dutch).

European politics is certainly not the way it should be, but this can change at anytime. To put it this way; most Europeans don't have a clue on how European politics works. It's considered way too complicated and closed.

*cough* This does have advantages. Knowledge is power. *cough*

It's not unthinkable that Europe will have some sort of control over the Middle-East. This can be accomplished using many different ways, like; Europe could act as a "savior" or a "fix", using non-aggressive methods to buy, negoitiate and re-build after the USA has slowly lost influence.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t is often said in Washington that the United States and Europe make for a strong team because 'America breaks — and the EU fixes.'
...
This cliche has long grated on Europeans, who would rather spread their version of stability — rather than being called in as a clean-up crew after the United States has destabilized countries on its periphery, particularly in the Arab world. As far as I can see, transatlantic relations may be an arranged marriage, but the United States and EU will continue to act as if they are divorced.”

[Micki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'I think Europe is going to be the next superpower, the number one player in economics and politics. The reasons named in the article show that Europe represents hope for a better future, at least in the sense that Europe is better prepared for Peak Oil then other empires. ')
I have been playing a bit with this thought for a couple of years now. No proof just loose thoughts.
Old money in Europe abandoning USA. China strengthening but not wanting to totally ruin their export pushes up Euro and although strengthens Yuan keeps it relatively cheap to Euro.
ME/OPEC abandons US and trades in Euro.
Europe continues the consumer fest a bit longer before they crash and burn in a similar way to USA.

It is a scenario that I think is possible if US oil consumption falls dramatically and US$ drops significantly. That will allow Euro based countries to import energy and chinese made goods on the cheap.

[idomar]

For Europe to declare independence th UK needs to end it's 'special relationship' with the US. This will truly isolate the US and may force them to reconsider their foreign policy. The EU could then move forward in it's own policy terms and properly integrate the countries of europe. Harmonisation of services will ensure the EU will become the next superpower, but in a good way, a humanitarian way, not a military way

[Cloud9]

It is good to see that the imperial mind is still in play. I thought England was in Europe. I forgot that for some England was Europe.

[kakkerlak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('idomar', 'F')or Europe to declare independence the UK needs to end it's 'special relationship' with the US.

[Kingcoal]

The article sounds like "good cop, bad cop," with the EU being the good cop and the US being the bad one. I remember in the eighties when Helmut Kohl declared the US dead, no longer having dominance in the world. Those were some tough times; Germany surpassed the US in GDP for one or two years. The US was "seen" as stumbling and incompetent. In fact for the past thirty or so years, I've read that all US economic expansion is "fake," funded with borrowed money and collapse is imminent.

The US is a country, not a collection of countries - though some hardcore "States Rights" types might argue with that. Taken as a single country, the US stands up well against other countries, such as Germany or Japan. Germany and Japan are very densely populated countries, the US is not. Even California, the worlds fifth largest economy when taken alone, is overall, very sparsely populated. Europe's high degree of urbanization leads to different approaches to problems. I admire Germany and their efficiency. Hell, my ancestors were from that country. However, that doesn't mean I want to move there. I have a higher standard of living here than I could have in Germany making similar money. That's all I care and that's what most Americans look at. I don't find people to be particularly heartless and whatnot where I live. Sure, we don't have cradle to grave, "ward of the state" status that most Europeans have, but I for one don't care to have that. If that's uncivilized, then call me uncivilized.

Regarding foreign aid:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')ome interesting observations can be made about the amount of aid. For example:

* USA’s aid, in terms of percentage of their GNP has almost always been lower than any other industrialized nation in the world, though paradoxically since 2000, their dollar amount has been the highest. (Only since 2004 have they move up from last place, by just one or two places.)
* Since 1992, Japan had been the largest donor of aid, in terms of raw dollars. That was until 2001 when the United States reclaimed that position, a year that also saw Japan’s amount of aid drop by nearly 4 billion dollars (as tables and charts below will also show).

[Plantagenet]

Comparing countries based on foreign aid dollar amounts isn't very meaningful.

Japanese foreign aid, for instance, consists largely of money the Japanese government actually sends to Japanese construction companies.

Japan typically identifies an infrastructure need...a bridge, say, in Indonesia....Japan then gives a grant to a Japanese company to hire Japanese workers and ship Japanese equipment and construction materials to Indonesia. The money winds up being virtually all spent in Japan, but is counted as foreign aid.