February 11, 2002

Real Power always Finds a

Real Power always Finds a Way

Andrew Sullivan had a terrific column on Euro-resentment of American power in yesterday's Sunday Times:

If Europeans resent America's power, they need to ask themselves: would they like to confront global terrorism without it? Imagine al Qaeda intact today, entering into close contact with Iraq or Iran to get nuclear, biological or chemical weapons to detonate in the middle of London. Feel better about American hegemony now?

Then of course when it appears that the United States might actually take its allies' advice and retreat into ambivalence, there is a chorus of disapproval and widespread fears of a new 'isolationism.' America, when you look at it, is damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. Which is why Americans, at some point, just get on with it and ignore the chorus of whining from around the world.

That's the underlying reality, and we might as well acknowledge it. That's why the IOC gave in to American demands that its WTC flag be a part of the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City. That's why, in the end, the United States will eventually ignore allies who refuse to cooperate in the war against terrorism and terrorist states. Real power always finds a way. And the only corrective to American dominance is not an attempt to weaken America or poison the world by fomenting hatred of her. At the moment, when America is the firmest bulwark against a terrorist network that aims to destroy every free country, that would be a particularly foolish venture. No, the only corrective to American hegemony is for other countries to emulate the free markets, free thought and free institutions that undergird the United States and make American economic and military power possible. But that's so much harder than the panacea of envy, isn't it?


Exactly. In Britain, despite relatively feeble irruptions of anti-Americanism nay-saying from the left, occasionally from the right, and once or twice from Jack Straw, this is more or less clearly understood. The Euro-crats are another story, and this difference, it seems to me, lends force to the claim that Britain is not, and ought not to be, a part of Europe.

Sullivan is in London now, and today his blog includes some trenchant comments which ring true about the different tone over there:

there is a completely different feel here than the one in the United States. The deep cultural shift of September 11 hasn't impacted in anything like the same way. The culture still seems jammed with the idiocy of celebrity, sex-scandals, petty politics and irony, irony, irony. Tina, get back here. They'd still love you.

Posted by Dr. Frank at February 11, 2002 10:01 AM | TrackBack