Waving Goodbye to Hegemony
Turn on the TV today, and you could be forgiven for thinking it's 1999. Democrats and Republicans are bickering about where and how to intervene, whether to do it alone or with allies and what kind of world America should lead. Democrats believe they can hit a reset button, and Republicans believe muscular moralism is the way to go. It's as if the first decade of the 21st century didn't happen -- and almost as if history itself doesn't happen. But the distribution of power in the world has fundamentally altered over the two presidential terms of George W. Bush, both because of his policies and, more significant, despite them...
There are a couple problems with Khanna's view of transatlantic relations: First, fumbling at nation building is just as much a European activity as it is an American one. Several European countries are involved in or are leading major nation building projects - in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, etc. If anything, a more powerful and centralized EU would benefit the United States because it could contribute more effectively to these operations. Instead, the US is working with a hodge-podge of allies, each with varying levels of commitment and each demanding their own say at the table. What a pain. Furthermore, Europe "locking peripheral countries into its orbit" does not hurt the United States. If anything, the higher human rights and rule of law standards required to join the EU makes these countries more stable, and therefore better strategic and economic partners for the United States. Overall, Khanna has described a zero-sum relationship between the United States and Europe that is overstated.
First, fumbling at nation building is just as much a European activity as it is an American one. Several European countries are involved in or are leading major nation building projects - in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, etc. If anything, a more powerful and centralized EU would benefit the United States because it could contribute more effectively to these operations. Instead, the US is working with a hodge-podge of allies, each with varying levels of commitment and each demanding their own say at the table. What a pain.
Furthermore, Europe "locking peripheral countries into its orbit" does not hurt the United States. If anything, the higher human rights and rule of law standards required to join the EU makes these countries more stable, and therefore better strategic and economic partners for the United States.
Overall, Khanna has described a zero-sum relationship between the United States and Europe that is overstated.
