SZERKESZTŐI ÜZENET: van egy blogom a koczianpeter.blogactiv.eu-n is, akit érdekel, nézze meg. Itt a legfrissebb poszt arról, hogy az Obama iránti európai szeretet gátolja az európai közös külpolitika kialakulását
The likely winner of the US election Barack Obama will not inspire a common European foreign policy or much thinking abut it.
Some experts has much affection for Barack Obama than John McCain. Their love is unsubstantiated and fits well into the European non- existent foreign policy.
Europeans like Obama because he is reluctant to continue the war in Iraq and he promised, although vaguely, to withdraw the US forces.
But the problem lies deeper. Europeans did not like the Iraq war, did not like Bush and did not like Christian fervour spreading the message of US democracy.
Today no one is ready to admitb, but there was a good side-effect of the Bush presidency. It put a stress on the meaning and on the substance of the European common foreign policy. Europe was forced to think about the world and more importantly about the world order, which is a touchy issue for European politicians. They would prefer to drop this issue from their conversations.
Obama would be an isolationist. US domestic economic problems will strengthen him to focus on the economy. I am sure that he is personally opposed to any use of force. He is a peaceful man. Europe likes it. Make peace no war, that is the slogan that unites his camp in Europe.
The peace-loving mind is useful when it is not an idle mind. In foreign policy, Europe has no answer to the security issues of the world, its big countries are conducting their foreign policies alone and coordination is a hazy idea. Even Mr Solana, the chief foreign policy administrator’s role is dimished to a shadow ambassador-at large making his mission on his own. Europeans in their United Organization like isolationism because they are also isolationist when it comes to foreign policy. Obama fits this role so much.
But life is rolling over. On the high seas close to Somalia, coordinated military actions took place recently as many European country has made up its mind about pirates on one of the seven seas. Afghanistan is now just a military problem for Europe, but involvement will certainly increase the more complex view of bringing security to the region. In that case, problems will be much more similar to that of the US as the conclusion must be in the realm of different and efficient tools of military and civil activities. Iraq and Afghanistan are common int he dilemma they pose to the world about the vague differnce between making war or making peace in a war-torn zone.
These activites may transform Europe if idleness would not prove itself a longing feeling in European policy making circles.
What differentiate Europe and US is the extent of involvement in world affairs. Europe likes Obama, because it is not making the world, but watching it. But Europeans are fooling themselves. It is not the US interests that are changing but the ways the new President would approach them.
Of course, courses could change any time.
Think for just a minute about a next big attack on US property or citizen. Obama would be very different from Bush?
I am afraid that beyond the criticism of the neocon tide, Europe has not found good answers to the problems the neocons exposed. Loving Obama is just not the right answer. It is the easiest answer though.
The article that inspired my writing is found here:
http://www.euractiv.com/en/opinion/eu-russia-relations-expected-deteriorate-mccain-wins/article-176845
