Re: Europe's 3D vision (fwd)

In response to:
----------------------
Europe's 3D vision (fwd)
by Boris Stremlin 13 June 2003

[quote]
Habermas, Derrida (and Negri) as heralds of a new Europe as leader of the
counterhegemonic bloc (from Asiatimes).
--
Global Economy
A NEW WORLD ORDER

Part 2: Europe's 3D vision
By Pepe Escobar

Part 1: The South strikes back

SAO PAULO - A new idea of Europe is at the center of
frenetic realignments currently evolving on the world
stage. The European Union is fully engaged in the
complex process of forging itself as an alternative
political and social model for the rest of the world.
But the EU still grapples with the fact that from 193
nation-states in the world today, 125 were its former
colonies. And the EU still has not come up with a
meaningful project to offer to most of these former
colonies.
. . .snip>
[end quote]


COMMENT:

IMHO, Europe has a conflict of interest in this matter. If one views the
world as a system of global apartheid, then Western Europe's aspirations to
be nicer and more democratic than USA and a beacon of justice for the world
conflict with its material interests as a block of rich white countries. The
recently decided restructuring and re-focusing of NATO (rapid deployment
force to strike anywhere in the world with a mandate to fight poor-country
terrorism anywhere in the world) and its anti-South-of-the-world economic
protectionism suggest that Europe is playing the role of a vassal of
USA in the rich white core of global apartheid rather than supporting the
interests of the non-white majority of the world. Europe will likely apply
its democratic ideals within the enlarged European Union for the benefit of
Central and Eastern European countries, but not much further. Of course, I
wish that this skepticism will be falsified by reality. Fat chance, though,
if you look at the material interests.

Gert