Wolfgang Ischinger: The transatlantic relationship will benefit from a kind of renaissance when the next US president is elected. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting for US demands, Europe should actively develop strategic initiatives and explain European priorities to the US.
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Western warships are unable to guarantee the safety of merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, due to their inability to effectively fight pirates and terrorists there. ++ This is especially noteworthy because the region is a conduit for EU oil supplies. ++ Moreover, UN experts say that there is a direct link between piracy and illegal arms sales, which ultimately benefit Islamic terrorists. ++ The
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A sharp consensus between Europe and the US emerged at the NATO summit that they can not deal with Russia as usual. ++ Regarding the question what to do instead, one answer could be: concentrate on Russian oligarchs. ++ They have close ties with Putin, but also operate globally and depend on Western capital markets, Western consumers and foreign bank accounts. ++ Beside measures such as denying
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If the world allows Russia to crush Georgia’s democracy and independence, it will give a green light to all authoritarian governments. ++ The historical echoes of Finland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia are deafening and only Western peacekeepers can end the war. ++ A modern version of the Berlin Airlift is needed to save the Georgian economy. ++ Georgia is only a threat to Russia because it
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After the collapse of the Soviet Union and victory of western liberalism, the world is experiencing a revival of authoritarianism, especially in petro-states in Latin America or the Middle East. ++ Furthermore, Russia has learned its lesson from history: instead of liberalization, Putin established a neo-authoritarian state with imperial ambitions as the latest Russian retaliation proves. ++
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The West not only dominates the issues of the day, it also neglects perspectives other than its own. ++ Human rights and Tibet are in the center of the Western media coverage of China, but not all countries share this critical view on People’s Republic. ++ In contrast to people in the Western countries, Chinese are very interested in foreign press and the way their country is portrayed abroad.
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Over the last few years, the annual G8 summits have attracted more attention than ever before in the history of this group of states originally known as the “Library Group.” The rise in power of Brazil, China or India sparks heated debates regarding the duties of the G8, whether it is equipped to accomplish them, and if not, which reforms are now necessary. Today’s global economic order confronts
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Climate change, resource shortages, and crippling, high food prices caused by the increased consumption of advanced and developing economies has unleashed a tide of resentment in poorer regions. ++ If Western culture and influence gets the blame for the health and capacity failures of the Third World, we could witness the rise of a “deadly anger now associated with Islamic
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