Re: Race of the Vassals

I agree with most of what's been said about the dynamics of the "Wall St.
Journal 8".  It is likely that the right-wing governments ruling
countries with strong anti-war majorities will likely regret what they
did (Italy and Spain).  I  would add though,that the US is exploiting
divisions within Europe rather than just twisting arms.  France and
Germany have just reached an agreement on restructuring the EU presidency,
so I imagine that many of the other members are quite upset at the decline
of their own power vis-a-vis the Big 2 that the change will entail.  As
for Poland, Hungary and the Czech republic, solid majorities in those
countries believe that Bush-like policies under Reagan are the cause of
their liberation from the Evil Empire.  Denmark, if memory serves, is
ruled by conservatives and is soft on the Euro.

We also ought to remember that 10 of 15 EU members did not sign the
letter, and that those that did still insist on any war being approved by
the UN.

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 Threehegemons@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 1/30/2003 4:22:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, boles@svsu.edu 
>writes:
>
> > This latest NYT article explains, in the words of Elmar Brok of
> > Germany's Christian Democrats, that "The race of the
> > vassals has begun."
>
> I was quite amused by this phrase.  The only historically resonant phrase the 
>US president can use is 'Wanted: Dead or Alive" but, obviously, Europeans have 
>more to work with.  Clearly the pledge of eight is a setback for the concept 
>of a united Europe.  But how does Europe presently break down?
>
> France, going back to DeGaulle, has always been unhappy about US hegemony, so 
>I don't think its seen as that big a deal that its grumbling.
>
> Britain has sought to retain geopolitical importance by acting as a bridge 
>between the US and the continent--lately, in practice, this has meant acting 
>like the 51st state (even Canada has more guts).  This may result in a major 
>crisis for the Labor party.
>
> Spain and Italy are ruled by right-wingers apparently seeking to strengthen 
>their credibility with the US president.  Both, however, are likely to suffer 
>some domestic fallout for their fealty (Italian polls show that roughly 75% of 
>the nation is against a war...As Berlusconi reportedly told the Stampa daily 
>newspaper: "It would have been better if our American friends had not drawn us 
>into this dance."  (from the Guardian)) .  They face energetic, large social 
>movements who see the issue of US power as indivisible from all other issues 
>of global justice.
>
> Hungary, Poland, Portugal and  the Czech Republic are all small enough to be 
>subjected to diplomatic arm twisting.
>
> Denmark, I don't get.
>
> That finally leaves Germany, which has historically been the lynchpin of US 
>hegemony on the continent.  So long as Germany doesn't cave, the US has a 
>serious problem--an economically powerful pole to rally around as qualms 
>deepen.
>
> Steven Sherman
>
>

-- 
Boris Stremlin
bstremli@binghamton.edu