Confrontation between EU and US Expects to Lead to Collision of Two Western Cultures

▽ European on the rise again = Professor Kubchap predicted, "Europe will emerge as an opposing force that the United States has to face in the future." For the grounds of his prediction, the professor points out the economic unification of EU, and its moves to create a unified political, diplomatic and military body such as the constitution of the EU and its army.

The size of EU`s economy reaches up to $80 trillion, almost matching the size of the US, which is $100 trillion. Recently Airbus has caught up with Boeing in terms of production volume of jetliners. Nokia, in addition, has maintained it position as the number one manufacturer of handsets in the world. Investors, who got lost their trust in US due to the terrorist acts and accounting scandals, has fled to Europe, and raised the value of euro, threatening the status of dollar as the international currency. To obtain technological independence from US, EU has built up its own satellite network "Gallileo."

On the contrary, the professor contends that the United States has ignored the advancement of the EU, and insisted on the unilateral approach, calling for the trans-Atlantic conflicts. US President George W. Bush unilaterally withdrew from the Kyoto protocol and the treat on the ABM. Furthermore, Bush has, without any prior consultation with its allies, designated some countries Axis of Evil, and is initiating a war against Iraq.

The professor mentioned some examples illuminating EU`s retaliation on US. For example, EU has opposed the Middle East policies of US, led the enforcement of the Kyoto protocol, and is willing to wage a trade war with US regarding the steel and produce industries.

He also foretells, “If both sides recognize the danger lying in their confrontation, they could succeed in existing together. If they fail to prepare for the post-ear of Pax Americana, it necessarily entails that two western cultures have to collide with each other.”

▽ Practical difficulties = But many people doubt, contrary to the expectations of Europe, that it would come out a superpower sufficient to check the US.

They point out the decision-making mechanism, which, in the middle of conflicting interests of EU member states, has rendered EU unable to meet the deadline almost on every major issue.

In the Oct. 12th copy, The Economist lamented, "Who would join EU, which has shown a slump economy, chaotic diplomacy, and snail`s pace of the reform?" It took as examples the complex foundations for stabilizing euro and ununified opinion of EU member countries. The member states have failed to show a unified position on major issues like the war on Iraq. The future of the unified market looks gloomier. For example, implementation of the EU`s policy to give subsidies to the farmers is being delayed due to the opposition of France.

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