Europe and Kerry

Perhaps the clearest part of Kerry's and the Democrats' argument against Bush and the Iraq war has been that Bush's "arrogance" or "incompetence" has led our European allies to abandon us, and has led to our isolation in the world. This is complete nonsense. The main issue of European opposition to the US was addressed by Robert Kagan in his 2002 essay Of Paradise and Power. Europe's hostility to the US did not begin with Bush, and it will not end with him. Tony Blankley quotes a Kissinger article from last week that basically brings up the issues that Kagan raises.

Thus he notes: "Differences between America and Europe are serious and substantive. But the reason the results of recent U.S.-European diplomatic encounters have proved so disappointing — despite serious efforts from both sides — is that the historical evolutions underway on the two sides of the Atlantic are different."

He goes on to argue that "the most important event in Europe is the progressive erosion of the nation-state," which is leading them to reject, as a matter of principle, the right of any nation to exercise national sovereignty, particularly when resorting to the use of military force.

Rather, as they spend most of their time on issues of European unification, "these non-state attitudes toward international relations are becoming deeply embedded in European public opinion." Mr. Kissinger doubts whether these building attitudes "can ever be again fully reconciled with the experience of a country driven by state concepts or with the notion of alliance as traditionally conceived." Meanwhile, "By contrast, America remains [with such other countries as Russia, China, Japan and India] a traditional nation-state, insistent on sovereign freedom of action."

So in effect, the only way that Europe will become less hostile to the US is if the US gives up some aspects of national sovereignty in favor of multi-national institutions.

Assuming Mr. Kerry is as smart, informed and nuanced of mind as he claims to be, he well understands this deeper reality.

He should level with the electorate and discuss just how much of our sovereignty and national interest he is prepared to barter away in the interest of regaining European friendship and cooperation. It has become a matter of principle with the Europeans that they will not diplomatically barter with us in the traditional sovereign manner. What they want is our acquiescence in the new international, de-sovereigned order they are trying to bring into being. Where does Mr. Kerry stand on this central international challenge?