As mentioned in previous articles, the Brexit kicked open the
door for France and Germany to pursue a degree of autonomy and begin to
establish themselves as the permanent leaders of the EU. Through various
mechanisms Europe has been largely controlled by the United States since the
end of World War II. The EU project while ostensibly designed to balance power
and common interests, it has instead consolidated them in the hands of the most
powerful factions. The British exit has further concentrated the power in Paris
and Berlin and now there is a strong push for the creation of a unified
European military command that would operate outside US control.
Washington is alarmed as this could potentially be the
beginning of the end for NATO. Trump's ascendancy has provided a further
opening for this agenda. Through fears both real and contrived Paris and Berlin
are using the opportunity to argue for this new paradigm. Packaged as a
compliment to NATO, it's a chance for Europe both to break free and provide
something of a back-up plan. No one is sure what Trump is going to do and if
NATO begins to decline they want the mechanism in place for a substitute. They
don't want to be stuck in crisis negotiations while faced with an international
incident. They're trying to be proactive
and strike while the iron is hot.
And yet at the same time, they are capitalising on this
unique set of circumstances... the immigration crisis, tensions with Russia, Trump
and Brexit.
This is the moment and the Atlanticists in Brussels and the
United States are alarmed. The institutions of the West are under great strain
and threat. Nationalism, Nativism and anti-globalism are tearing apart the
world order and the mechanisms created and controlled by Washington. There are
very powerful people who have a great deal at stake and are likely to move
boldly if not rashly... even if that means placing geopolitical stability in
jeopardy.
As daunting as a Clinton administration might have been, the
instability and unpredictability of Trump is perhaps worse. And yet just days
after the election it already would seem that he's prepared to hand his
administration over to Establishment figures and some of the same
Neo-Conservative cadre that has been dominating Washington since the Bush
years. While they faded (somewhat) into the background during the Obama years
their agenda more or less marched on. While Trump campaigned as something of an
isolationist there are hints that the Neoconservative agenda may in fact be
revitalised. This may prove ill for world peace but the NATO and Atlanticist
Establishment will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
For further reading:
Perhaps Trump is an accidental blessing in cracking American-led Atlanticism and inadvertently destroying the mechanisms of the American empire. We can but hope!
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