Re: [A-List] US imperialism: eastward bound

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Tariq writes:


Germany probably is being liberated 58 years after close of WW II.

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The mooted evacuation of US military bases in Germany is being employed as a
threatened economic sanction, and no doubt reflects some genuine hard
feelings among senior US politicos about the reckless ingratitude of those
who are being "protected" thanks to the generosity and care of Uncle Sam.
The fact is that the bases themselves would not close -- they would remain
"lily pads" to be used in the event of any mobilisation further afield,
whilst staying as permanent reminders of where the real power lies.
Nevertheless the emptying of the bases would, all economic costs aside, be a
gain in terms of German and thus European sovereignty.

It is possible that one of the sub-texts to the Chirac-Schröder accord is to
postpone the planned EU expansion. Why? Because there is no doubt that this
would suspend work on further EU integration at a time when the unity of the
EU and cohesion of its state apparatus is more necessary than ever, in order
to withstand the intense pressure emanating from the US. Aside from more
basic pecuniary issues concerning the likely costs of redistribution
following accession, a topic especially dear to French farmers and Spanish
politicians, the administrative mess resulting from the "big bang" expansion
would derail efforts to strengthen the centre of the EU. Not only that, but
since these entrants are all enthusiastically pro-US, bending over backwards
to join NATO and to cooperate in the "war on terrorism", the weight of
opinion inside the EU would tilt US-wards and thereby supposedly strengthen
British influence and weaken France and Germany. Remember that Wolfowitz has
been touring Eastern Europe recently promising EU membership to anyone who
supports the US, Turkey included.

However, if strengthened British influence is to be feared by anyone, it
should be understood why that should be so. Blair heads the most pro-Europe
government since Edward Heath left office in 1974. If Blair goes chances are
a similarly pro-European person will replace him -- I reckon Peter Hain. And
if it's not Hain, it could well be ... Robin Cook. No, I'm not kidding -- if
Brown went for it Cook would likely oppose, and get a lot of kudos for
having stuck his neck out over House of Lords reform. But that's another
story. The point is that the weight of bourgeois opinion inside Britain is
tilting towards Europe, and has been throughout the Thatcher period. It was
the reason for her disposal in 1990, and was the reason why Major clung on
for dear life until finally collapsing in 1997. What keeps Britain stuck to
its "special relationship" is the result of the structures put in place by
the Nixon and Ford and Carter administrations in the 1970s, during which
time Britain was brought firmly to heel via the IMF and various other
instruments of US imperialism (e.g. military bases, cruise missiles, etc.).
So Blair et al have to manage a situation in which their desired path
Europeward is now blocked by the very power that for so long had been trying
to engineer it, but which now reckons, rightly, that the EU is a strategic
rival as opposed to a strategic partner/satrap. Satrap status can be
restored once a flood of enthusiastic pro-US regimes enter the EU next year,
headed up by Poland, handling US affairs at its embassy in Baghdad by the
way.

So it's really US influence that Chirac and Schröder are trying to limit,
and one happy, supposedly unintended consequence of the current link up with
Russia may be to alienate further the former Soviet bloc countries which are
eagerly welcoming US "assistance" into their bosom on account of their deep
historical fear of Russian expansionism. That the EU should be so cosied up
to Putin, in addition to all the arguments about agriculture and the general
public opposition to EU membership within future entrant states, might make
it electorally astute of, say, the Polish government, to withdraw
voluntarily from EU membership, a decision that would also prove very
popular in certain offices in Berlin, Paris and Brussels -- and London.

This may look a bit far-fetched -- but it has enough plausibility to keep me
pondering at least, and who would have thought that Chirac and especially
Schröder would have had the balls to stand up as they have, and for so long?
French capitulation is still a big possibility -- the aircraft carrier is on
its way after all. But there is a little local difficulty in the Ivory Coast
which threatens to become rather bigger, perhaps conveniently for the French
sub-imperialists. But the focus of the European left's collective energy
ought to be upon strengthening, as much as possible, the resolve of Schröder
in the face of what must be incredible pressure, domestic and international,
to acquiesce and roll over like a "good German" (e.g. Helmut Kohl, or indeed
Edmund Stoiber, who exchanged hearty warm handshakes with Donald Rumsfeld at
the weekend). The future of Europe depends on it.

Michael Keaney