The End of the West

[DuctapeFatwa]

...the US has made it abundantly clear that it no longer needs Europe, except as cheerleader and supporter. Michael Ignatieff, in his new book Empire Lite, tells the story of how the Europeans (with the partial exception of Britain) are not allowed anywhere near the key strategic operations in Afghanistan or elsewhere: they are confined to the menial role of policemen. The old symbiotic alliance has been replaced by a profoundly unequal relationship. The US no longer needs Europe except insofar as it can provide diplomatic legitimacy, peace-keeping capacity and money for its imperial ambitions.

Such an unequal relationship calls into question the very term "west". There remain many senses in which the idea still has powerful meaning: a shared history, a shared sense of values, a Christian culture, a racial affinity based on whiteness. But in the contemporary sense wrought by the cold war, the notion of the west is being eroded at a speed few would have thought possible even two years ago.

And with the rise of American unilateralism, Europe - at least the Franco-German part of it - will surely be propelled in the direction of acquiring a serious independent military capability....commentators and politicians like to boast that Britain is the fourth strongest economic power, as if this offers some kind of solace for our greatly reduced status in the world. Not for long it won't. In a year or two, Britain will be overtaken by China, as will Germany shortly afterwards and, a little way down the road, Japan....

http://mathaba.net/x.htm?http://mathaba.net/0_index.shtml?x=28813

[SlavesandBulldozers]

1. doomsday prophetics

not all that realistic, unless Bush is re-elected.

[Must_B_Free]

2. Have no fear

for there will be a world economic global depression and the ocean will rise and destroy all costal cities before that happens.