If the Euros can't out power us softly or with hard power, these people uncomfortable with American power will settle for Europeans directing American soft and hard power. Their fallback position is to make America the ideal European Union that cannot be built. You see, Europeans want American leadership again. But funny enough, they want us to lead them to where they already want to go:
Of course, the America that the world wants back is not the one that preemptively invades potential enemies, bullies allies or disdains international law. The demand is for an America that rallies other nations prone to sitting on the fence while international crises are boiling out of control; for a superpower that comes up with innovative initiatives to tackle the great challenges of the day, such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and violent Islamist fundamentalism. The demand is for an America that enforces the rules that facilitate international commerce and works effectively to stabilize an accident-prone global economy. Naturally, the world also wants a superpower willing to foot the bill with a largess that no other nation can match.
Of course not? Can't have America being America. Pity that an America of that high-minded largess didn't exist in 1917, 1941, and the entire Cold War era to preserve Western civilization when Europeans were too bloodthirsty smashing Europe apart from within or too exhausted to defend it from external threats. Good grief. The absolute nerve of this position is enraging.
Preemptively invading potential enemies? The Afghanistan Campaign followed 9/11 and was blessed by NATO. In regard to Iraq, we were already at war with Iraq having violated the terms of the ceasefire. And the United Nations has repeatedly blessed our presence there. Who did we preemptively invade without any cause or recent history ? Cuba? Venezuela? Iran? North Korea? Syria? Sudan? China? Anybody??
We bully allies? Our allies leave Iraq when they want if they came to help at all, refuse to fight in Afghanistan, restrict themselves to nonmilitary help, and routinely scold us in public. We never insist on help, never retaliate, and instead express gratitude for help freely given. In what possible way do we bully allies? If they feel guilty and uncomfortable as we bear the burden of our common defense, that isn't our problem now is it?
And what international "law" do we violate? We abide by our treaty commitments and international agreements. We do not feel obligated to abide by treaties and agreements we have not ratified or signed. International law is not the same as domestic law. The world can insist that their agreements amongst themselves without our concurrence amounts to international "law" but that is hogwash.
So the world wants us to rally fence sitters to solve the crises of the day? That's what we've tried to do regarding nuclear proliferation, Islamo-fascism, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan. Where has that gotten us? We've led. Damn few enough have followed. And where we've talked, we've gotten a North Korea and Iran which pretend not to have nuclear ambitions and Euros pretend to believe them. Which leads to the next silly statement by Naim.
Naim says Europe wants "innovative initiatives to tackle the great challenges of the day." No, Europe doesn't want "innovative" solutions to any of the problems cited--Europe and the Europeans at heart want stale collectivized conventional wisdom solutions to these problems. They're just mad we don't go a long with their lame ideas.
As for bolstering commerce, what the heck do they think we do? And I'm not even talking about the stabilizing impact of our Navy. We allow the world to export to us with hardly a complaint while other countries protect themselves from our exports. Will China absorb the world's production? Will Germany? France? Hah!
And then there's this bit: "Naturally, the world also wants a superpower willing to foot the bill with a largess that no other nation can match. "
Naturally! Naturally? I nearly spewed my drink when I read that. I see, we should do what the Euros want and be friggin' grateful that we're allowed to pay for it. Oh thank you sirs, we are unworthy!
Like I said, the Euros know that Euros won't pay for that type of a superpower so they want America to be the EU that the EU can never be. As an American, I naturally tell the Euros at heart (and not all Europeans are Euros just as truly as America has Euros at heart) to take a long walk off a short pier.
What these Euros and Euros at heart want is a powerful America directed by the sophisticated policies of a Brussels elite. Tamed by nuance, we should do what Euros want in the world yet remain strong enough to be unleashed to save the Euros from their feeble state when real enemies threaten them.
Screw that idea. We're Americans, damn it. Should we ever cease to be Americans the world will be in deep trouble. These Euro-worshippers can shave extra close and kiss my largess, thank you very much.
