There are many signs of decreasing American influence in the world: the Paris Climate deal, Sanctions on Russia, and the situation in North Korea, where American and European policies are different. Not only they are different, but America and Europe find themselves in opposite camps.
By Dr. Sawraj Singh
Recent developments show that Europe is increasingly taking independent stands from America. Europe is emerging as a power center in world politics. This widening Trans-Atlantic gap is taking the world toward multipolarity. This phenomenon is a big step for reducing America from a global power to a regional power. The era of American hegemony is ending, and the process of America’s rise from a marginalized power to a regional power to a superpower, and finally to a hyper-power, has started to reverse, and America seems to have reverted back to more like a regional power.
There are many signs of decreasing American influence in the world: the Paris Climate deal, Sanctions on Russia, and the situation in North Korea, where American and European policies are different. Not only they are different, but America and Europe find themselves in opposite camps.
Europe is united in its opposition to America coming out of the treaty. In the G-20 summit in Germany, this looked more of a 19 against 1 summit. All of the other countries were united against the American stand. The Germans showed their frustration with America by marginalizing America. For example, in the group photo of the leaders attending the summit, Trump was pushed away from the center, while the Chinese and the Russian leaders were moved closer to the center.
On the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia for its policies such as in Crimea and Ukraine, the Europeans, particularly the Germans, strongly disagree with America. They want their energy supplies to be secure. They feel that compared to the volatile Middle East, Russian supplies are far more secure. Moreover, they feel that America is trying to impose its oil (made from shale) on them. However, American oil will be far more expensive than Russian oil. So far, the sanctions seem to have hurt them more than they have hurt Russia.
On the situation in North Korea, Europeans feel that America did not act with restraint and prudence, whereas China showed a much more responsible and mature attitude. Russia completely supported the Chinese effort. Therefore, it can be called a China-Russia effort. Germany has openly come in favor of this effort. This is a very significant development and shows that Europe has started to take independent stands on very important global issues.
In my book Civilization in Crisis a Sikh Perspective, I wrote that the collapse of the Soviet Union was the biggest American blunder because it set in motion the forces which would ultimately end America’s status as a superpower. I wrote that it is the fear of the Soviet Union which is keeping Europe under American control. Once America takes that fear away, then Europe will not accept American domination, and it will emerge as an independent power center which can become America’s biggest rival.
America was a very insignificant player in world politics until the nineteenth century. After winning the war with Spain, America emerged as a regional power. After the First World War, America became an important world power, and after the Second World War, America became the dominant western power in the world.
However, America’s rise as a dominant power was always resented by Europe. After the First World War, Bertrand Russell, the famous British philosopher, warned the Europeans that one day, they would regret accepting America as their leader. After the Second World War, Charles de Gaulle, former President of France, strongly opposed America as a leader of Europe and promoted the concept that Europe was for the Europeans.
I went to Europe in 1972 for the first time. I could feel an anti-American sentiment, particularly in France. You could go to any bookstore in France and you would find more books on anti Americanism than any other topic. A friend of mine taught mathematics in many European universities, and he also found an anti-American feeling in many of them. Chelsea Clinton, President Clinton’s daughter, also experienced a strong anti-American feeling in the Oxford University in England.
Another factor which further widens the Trans Atlantic gap is the different experiences of Europe and America of the two World Wars. Both these wars were fought on European soil and Europe faced massive destruction. Americans mostly remember the two World Wars by the victory parades because America was spared the massive destruction brought by the wars. The Europeans are very afraid of a Third World War and under no circumstances want this war fought on European soil.
All these factors are helping in widening the Trans Atlantic gap. Emergence of Europe as an independent center of power helps to change the present unipolar world order to a multipolar world. A multipolar world is more compatible with the natural evolution of diverse cultures and civilizations. A world order based upon Pluralism and diversity can be more in harmony with nature and is more likely to be peaceful and prosperous.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
