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Open Think Tank Articles
Parag Khanna & Alpo Rusi: Despite the Irish no vote, the EU’s destiny is to lead the world on security, trade and climate change. Increasingly, globalization requires structure and organization on the local level, and the EU, which benefits from high credibility, is setting standards for other regions around the world.
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D. Korski & R. Gowan: In Europe, a consensus is emerging that more should be done for Iraq. If Europeans satisfactorily align with US policies in the region and if the US makes the most of this opportunity, this could significantly revitalize transatlantic relations.
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Daniel Korski & Richard Gowan: Away from the limelight and with other world events getting the media’s attention, the situation in Kosovo has been getting worse and worse. And it all started so well with the EU managing to get a consensus for its ESDP mission and two-thirds of EU states backing the province’s independence.
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Hans-Ulrich Klose: Mistakes have been made on both the Russian and the Western sides. Russia should now be approached as an equal rather than looked down upon or scolded for non-democratic ways.
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Michèle Schmiegelow: Asia’s integration has advanced considerably. Europe could benefit from Asia’s strategic pragmatism.
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Memo 2: Members of the Atlantic Community commented and wrote articles on energy and development policy as well as G8 enlargement at the time of the G8 summit.
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Global Must Read Articles
Conflict in Georgia proved that Russia isn’t and doesn’t want to be a part of Europe. ++ Moscow rejects European commitment to nonviolent methods of conflict resolution and shows little appreciation for equality of nations, which is a fundamental principle on the Old Continent. ++ Kremlin trusts in the “hierarchy of raw power.” ++ This mindset is anachronistic for the 21st century and
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The Atlantic view that it’s necessary to protect the underdog from its powerful neighbour is isolated; most of the world is bemused at Western double standards and sees Russia as bullied by the West. ++ Events in Georgia show that the West lacks strategic thinking. ++ Instead of dealing with Russia, Western thinkers should decide what the greatest long-term challenge is – China or the
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Of all the post-Soviet states, Georgia has come furthest in the fight to strenghten democracy and independent foreign policy and that is precisely what Russia wants to thwart. ++ The fact that Russia was entrusted with the peacekeeping and mediating in Abkhazia and South Ossetia makes the violation of international norms even more appalling. ++ This war is not only about Georgia’s
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There are two rumors regarding the US elections: the first one says that if a candidate travels abroad he becomes inaccessible to “ordinary” Americans. ++ Considering the positive image which Americans have of Europeans, this assumption seems to be ill-informed. ++ The second one assumes that Americans want their president to maintain an arm’s distance relationship with our Allies and it can’t be
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Even if the Bush administration used to neglect it, 2009 can be the “hour of Europe.” ++ If Germany, Great Britain, and France would propose serious new contributions, the new administration would listen and offer the Europeans the “leadership” they so often say they desire. ++ Unfortunately, only few European statesmen look on changes in Washington as an opportunity to propose something new.
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Obama’s popularity last
Thursday showed the desire for a responsible global power and the unwavering belief that the US should be that power. ++ But the charisma of the presidential candidate should not blur our view of the other Obama: the Realpolitiker. ++ In his speech, he made clear that neither can the US be an arrogant superpower, nor can Europe neglect its military duties, e.g. in
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The German magazine Der Spiegel featured articles about Barack Obama with such satiric headlines as “The Messiah Factor” or “Germany Meets the Superstar.” ++ These examples show that Europeans are far less excited about Obama than Americans, even if they are also looking forward to the end of the Bush administration. ++ The mocking undertone that accompanies most descriptions of Obama in the
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“A US willingness to talk to Iran on the full range of issues dividing the two countries offers the best hope of rescuing a failed policy.” ++ If the US does not negotiate with Iran as proposed by Obama, they will be lacking options besides attacking Iran. ++ The Europeans, Russia, and China are already in dialogue with Teheran. ++ After coordinating with the Europeans, the US should start
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Obama enjoys astonishing and unprecedented support in Europe. ++ The anti-Americanism fueled by Bush may have subsided, but this international popularity is not necessarily beneficial for a candidate who primarily needs to convince the electorate at home. ++ Europeans would be wise to lower their expectations: “once a President Obama engages with America’s allies, he will also expect them to
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Some of the 350 US nuclear bombs in the EU are stored at host air bases. ++ A report concludes security standards were not met, and “support buildings, fencing, lighting and security systems” need improvement. ++ The storage of nukes in Europe has always been controversial, and sometimes kept secret - in Belgium for example. ++ The issue of security standards in Europe provided for renewed
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Concerning the Iranian enrichment program, international attention shouldn’t exclusively be on the receiving country. ++ Indian and European companies deliver nuclear supplies to Iran. ++ Tightening up control over European nuclear industries and doing so transparently, while enlisting the cooperation of Russia and China in this effort is necessary to stop Iranian nuclear weapon
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Europe needs Russia for its oil and natural gas and Russia needs Europe for revenue from these resources. ++ This reciprocal relationship explains Europe’s opposition to granting Ukraine and Georgia NATO membership. ++ The issue of energy security is one of the few issues where central and eastern European countries agree with the US and are in conflict with Germany and France.
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Still depending on US hard power, Europe has found a new role in the soft power balance to the US. ++ Europe can’t continue in this role with a new President Obama. ++ Obama’s US would gain international reputation and call in Europe for more hard power burden sharing. ++ But the US remains the indispensable nation so far. ++ Therefore Obama’s US is best for Europe because it will become a strong
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The US is historically isolationist at heart - this has only been interrupted by
events such as WWII and 9/11. ++ The toll of the war in Iraq is leading many Americans to again turn to isolationism. ++ No matter who becomes president, they will begin the withdrawal of America from the world, leaving Europe to fill its role and face the responsibility of containing radical Islam alone.
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Obama’s speech on race spoke to Europe and provided insights into the imperfections of US democracy. ++ Obama succeeded in addressing the problems of his nation, something which is rarely accomplished
in Europe. ++ The bureaucratic language which fills European politics fails to clearly discuss or solve societal issues as is made clear in Germany by the mental wall which is being built between
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Britain’s new US-style national security strategy (NSS) should provide for better risk assessment, more troops, and more funds. ++ Unfortunately, the NSS only makes casual reference to Europe and features a continuing belief in security autarky. ++ The NSS requires cooperation with EU members for manpower, resources, and especially to bolster Britain when addressing the Russian and Chinese
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Ted R. Bromund of Yale University explains that liberal US think tanks (and their budgets) are expanding rapidly and notes that the Brookings Institution “has grown by 50 percent over the past two years.” Conservative American think tanks are not fairing so well, but when compared to similar European institutions, all American think tanks regardless of political affiliation appear wealthy. This
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Europe has become heavily reliant on Russia to meet its energy needs. This trend undermines Europe’s self-confidence and jeopardizes its geopolitical position as well as that of the United States, says Ariel Cohen from the Heritage Foundation.
Russia’s agenda seeks to perpetuate dependence by consolidating Gazprom’s position at home and abroad. As foreign companies such as Shell and BP fail to
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As a community based on values, the West must strengthen its cohesiveness in order to grapple with the pace of globalization, and face a geopolitical axis actively shifting toward Asia, argues Stephen Szabo, executive director of the Transatlantic Academy, which is a partnership between the German Marshall Fund and the Bucerius Zeit Stiftung.
A division of the West could prove
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William H. Taft and Frances G. Burwell from the Atlantic Council advise the EU and US to coordinate their positions before the ICC review conference in 2009. The transatlantic partners must set an example for the rest of the world.
With the review conference on the International Criminal Court (ICC) coming up in 2009, a concerted transatlantic effort to build global consensus on international
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J. Paul Horne of the European Institute reports that, after decades of US financial dominance, economic developments in Asia have driven down American GDP’s percentage scale of the global market. He suggests that the US initiate reforms to protect against emerging market power in Asia as well as in the European Union.
Reports by McKinsey as well as
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