Basic HTML Version
Five Visions
ofEurope
by
John Ross Schroeder
Many are the ways of looking at Europe. See how
three major powers and the Vatican view the European
scene. And what about that most important fifth vision?
On board the
Koningin
Beatrix
en route from
The Hague to London.
H
ow
different Europe
looks depending on
where your two feet
are planted. To the United
States, Europe looks one way,
to the Soviet Union quite an–
other. Not surprising, since
America is an ocean away
and Russia is attached to the
European continent.
How Europe views itself is
somewhat different from the
conflicting visions of the two su–
perpowers. For Europe looks
east at the Soviet Union and
west to the U.S.A.
But political geography is not
the only factor. The Vatican views
Europe in terms of religious geog–
raphy. The Pope is from Poland.
Naturally the Eastern bloc of Eu–
ropean nations is indelibly im–
printed in his mind.
Why
Conflicting Views?
Why these differences in outlook?
Anthony Sampson's analytical
column in
Newsweek
puts these
geographical differences in per-
2
spective. He wrote: "Despite the
ease of jet travel, or perhaps be–
cause of it, politicians find it hard
to realize how different the world
looks from different ends. Eu–
ropeans can never understand why
Americans feel so worried about
Nicaragua, while Americans can–
not understand why Europeans are
so touchy about Libya.
"The answer, perhaps, is that
Nicaragua is as clase to Miami as
Libya is to Rome"
(Newsweek,
May 26, 1986).
Though leaders fly about the
globe, most humans are normally
earthbound. It is hardly surprising,
then, that various national and cul–
tural populations view Europe dif–
ferently.
It is so important that we under–
stand these vital differences in out–
look. Whose vision is really cor–
rect?
A Concerned Amerlca
Increasingly, America envtstons
Europe both as an economic threat
and a dependent military partner.
For many months now serious
newspapers have run stories about
a potential trade war between the
United States and the European
Economic Community.
Said a communiqué from Lux–
embourg: "A trade war between
the Common Market and the
United States moved closer yester–
day when EEC foreign ministers
decided to respond tit for tat to
proposed restrictions on Commu–
nity exports ... "
(Daily
Telegraph,
June 18, 1986).
Militarily the United States has
grown weary of footing mucb of
the bill for European defense.
There seems to be little European
cooperation with the United States.
Witness reaction to the Libyan
bombing.
Anthony Sampson, himself a
Briton and an enthusiastic advocate
of European political union, sums
up U.S. feelings: " ... European
disunity is naturally exasperating
to the Americans.
If
Europe
doesn't like Washington's policy,
why doesn't it offer an alternative?
Isn't it time, after 40 years, that
the Europeans faced up to their
own defense problems? ..." (op.
cit.).
Never underestimate isolation–
ism in the United States. President
George Washington warned Amer–
icans about entangling alliances
with European powers. President
Washington's words sank deep into
the American psyche. Only reluc–
tantly did America enter the two
majar European wars of this cen–
tury. In both cases Uncle Sam pro-
The
PLAIN TRUTH