Why America isn't Europe

Why America isn't Europe And never will be

Important Prologue • This lecture has nothing to do with “which is better, or worse.” • It is to examine the ways in which the two cultures are rather fundamentally different. • And to understand the way these differences manifest themselves in policy, both domestic and international.

Important Proviso On October 4, 2005, formal negotiations opened between the EU and Turkey, after 40 years. • Europe is a “work in progress,” and the pace of change is rapid—but to what end is uncertain, especially since the rejection of the draft constitution. Now, the EU has to focus on means, not ends. • It is virtually impossible to say, in conventional terms of sovereignty, what Europe is, and how the US relates to it. • Some, both inside and outside the USA, are arguing that the “War on Terror,” is making fundamental inroads into timeless American values of liberty—i.e. changing them. Not so. • Also, in discussing the comparison, we have to remember that the US is a country, even though much power is devolved to the individual states, and this balance changes from time to time. Europe, even though it has many of the central powers of a state is, legally, a collection of sovereign countries.

Why is this Europe/US question Important? • Because Europeans tend to measure the United States by the norms and values of European history and politics. The values may have been similar—the process was very different. • For instance, in the recent Iraq crisis there was a sharp division between the US and Europe. Europe wanted the UN to handle it; the US maintained the right of individual intervention • When the US does not behave as the Europeans believe it should, it is accused of “unilateralism”, “bullying” etc. What is it, exactly, about our Foreign Policy you do not understand?

The Basic Misunderstanding • For several reasons that we shall discuss, the United States is not some offspring or distant cousin of Europe • Furthermore, total immigration now is higher than it was at its ‘peak’ in the 1890’s and over ninety percent of this immigration comes from Latin America and Asia not Europe. So, the EU/US division is more likely to become accentuated.

Why America Isn’t Europe 1: Demographic History. • The population of the USA is self-selected. • Nobody asked to be born French, but most of the population decided to become American. • We call this “being an immigrant nation,” but we rarely think about what it means. • It means that very many people share a common set of values, because they chose them. • Commitment to individual liberty first and last, has always been the essence of America. This is why we never have extremist parties, and why it is hard for outsiders to tell the difference between US parties.

You see this today… • In the fact that many Americans fly the flag, which is something you do not see in Europe. Why? • Because it represents their personal choice, it identifies many different people as one, and it is symbolic of an idea.

Why America Isn’t Europe 1 • As a result, US Politics has almost never been built around conflicting ideologies, as they involve change in the role of the state, which is resisted by Americans. • Europe has been dominated by this: Fascism, Bolshevism, Anarchism and other great constructs of social engineering. In the US, the “government governs best, that governs least.” • The US, for instance, has never had any serious candidates of these ideological extremes for political office. • When attempts were made to change this, they were bitterly and strongly resisted. Victor L Berger

The Red Scare • In the period just after WW1, there was a fear of the spread of Communism and Anarchism, mostly connected in the US eyes, with Jewish Intellectuals (remember Marx, Engels, Trotsky, Zherzhinsky...) • And so they were sent to Russia, even those who were US citizens as fundamentally dangerous because they wanted to alter the role of the state—something sacred to the Constitution

Saco and Vanzetti This was a notorious case during the 1920s. They were charged with shooting two Brinks guards during a holdup in Braintree MA • The question of their guilt or innocence became almost secondary to two things: • They were from Southern Europe, and there was resentment of the Italians and other southern Europeans because of their extreme politics. This was Un-American • They were active anarchists and that threatened to bring a new dimension into US Politics.

And who is this? It is Senator McCarthy of Wisconsin Who, in the 1950s went on a witch-hunt for Communists in America. His House Un-American Activities Commission accused dozens of people, though no case was ever substantiated. But, it is the same story—a passionate desire to protect the American Democracy from the scourge of ideological politics. This time it was artists, writers, and other “liberals” who were targeted.

Why America Isn’t Europe 2“No Sense of Place” This Soviet Poster, for instance, is called “Love the Motherland.” When was the last time you heard the US called the Motherland? • Because the distinctive element in the history of the USA is the migrant, there is no sense, in the US, of “belonging to a piece of territory” • Think of France—they have evolved on the land called France, speak French, and have a strong sense of identity with a place. That is not true in the USA This is why "Homeland Security" sounds so totally alien in the US.

Why America Isn’t Europe 2 • Our patriotism is to an idea, and that idea is embodied in the Constitution of the United States, not in the soil of the United States. It is called LIBERTY. The essence of the US is the Constitution, and nothing must compromise that • We cannot claim to have evolved here as a nation—we came here. • There is no “National Language” as there is, for instance, in Bulgaria. • Consider the history of the American and French Revolutions. The American Revolution was dominated by practical men interested in philosophy: Washington was a surveyor and a soldier, Jefferson a farmer and so on. Their question was “How do we make this work?” It was a mass of contradictory theories of the state, and eventually degenerated into terror and chaos. It was dominated by thinkers, lawyers and intellectuals. The French Revolution failed because it replaced a absolute monarchy with an absolute Empire. It went from Louis XVI to Louis XVIII without the inconvenience of Louis XVII

Why America Isn’t Europe: 3“Getting it right from the beginning” • “We got it right from the beginning” Because the Constitution achieved so many advances in individual liberty, and there was little ‘history’ to deal with, the US was able to avoid the national and class wars of Europe. The ‘Civil War’ was the exception, and that was because the Constitution did not deal with that issue. • In 1789, the US adopted the Constitution of the United States which, at a stroke created a working popular democracy (as it was perceived then). • The US gave its time, on the other hand, to getting on with the job and releasing all the creative energies of the people who went there, and sometimes ruthlessly removing all obstacles in the path—especially the Native Americans. • This was the origin of the ‘Getting the Job Done’ obsession noted by Dickens, de Tocqueville and Alecko Konstantinov, and the ‘lack of respect of position.’

A Consequence of the Lack of Place • One of the great economic advantages of the lack of “roots” is the extreme mobility of the workforce. • This keeps unemployment very low (c. 5%) • It makes the US economy extremely flexible.

But They Missed One Crucial Thing • Slavery • Partly because they thought it was about to die out, and partly not to split north and south. It took the Civil War to correct this. This is what revitalized slavery.

Why Europe Isn’t America: 4A Common Distrust of Institutions • Most of the People going to America as immigrants were escaping some sort of institutional oppression • They were fleeing religious, political, class or economic oppression almost always supported by the power structure in their home countries—i.e. by theGovernment • So………………….

Why Europe Isn’t America 4 • The citizens of the new Republic were determined not to let those things be developed in their new country • US is, therefore, founded on checks and balances because of a healthy distrust of “Government,” “The Church”. Also everything was localized to the greatest-possible degree. There is, for instance, no equivalent of the European “Ministry of Education.” • Europeans, on the other hand, expect the Government to have a social role, (the Welfare State) and to pay the taxes that involves. This is a big difference

"Rights" When a European says, as no American would, “Education (or Health Care) (or in France, a job) is my right, what they mean is that the State should guarantee it to you—otherwise how can it be your right? America is the only developed country not to have a state-mandated national health-insurance system. Why? Because it would be handing to the “state” control over a very personal aspect of your life. Through taxes, you would pay for it whether you needed it or not. However, we do have 50,000,000 people in the USA who do not have any personal health insurance whatsoever. Is it their right to be outside the system?

Not This... Occupied the Energies of Americans This

Why America Isn’t Europe 4 • The people coming to America rejected some undesirable aspects of European society, and had no intention of rebuilding Europe. It was their only chance to “start again.” • Indeed, in 1776, the US actually did reject Europe, and defined itself for the next 100 years in terms of being different from Europe. American foreign policy has never favored Europe—unless it was expedient to do that.

Why America Isn’t Europe 4 Yes, it is true that many of the ideas and principles for the American Republic came from Europe, but the fact is that the Americans saw them as universal and implemented them in the creation of the first modern state based on the liberty of the individual.

Why America Isn’t Europe 4

Why America Isn’t Europe: 5The Country Invented Itself • America’s Population, at the time of the War of Independence, had a chance to define itself , which it did • Most countries never have a chance to do that without internal conflict with classes or groups that evolved over a long time (e.g. the Russian Revolution). The US started from a clean slate with, as it were, no burden of history. They got rid of it. • But, remember, the c18 model of democracy was rather different from what we have today.

Why America Isn’t Europe 5 • Which gives rise to the very tricky American characteristic of Exceptionalism • By which we mean that, as America was the first modern country based on the principles of individual liberty, there is a sense within the country that it invented Modern Democracy • Therefore, the US feels like it “owns” democracy and, is very rarely, a team player. Hence unilateralism and accusations of bullying etc. • It distrusts multilateral arrangements

However… • There is strong evidence that Europe does not regard American democracy as the model any longer, and, therefore, does not really accept America’s Exceptionalism • But, America is so rich and powerful, it does not really have to care what anyone else thinks • Over 80% of Americans think they have the right way, and should share it with the world.

Update • In December 2005 the Congress reined in the President • New Law banning torture anywhere • Revelation that President has been tapping telephones and emails • “Patriot Act” not renewed by The Congress because it was making “exceptional limits on liberty a normal situation. • Question of the US moving prisoners to Eastern Europe where they could be questioned “outside US jurisdiction.” • America reinstating the old values.

How does this play out now? • Americans Think the Europeans: • Fail to accept the reality that they no longer rule the world, and are too cheap to pay for their own defenses. • Prevent swift, and decisive action to bring the bad guys to justice • Talk a lot but don’t walk the walk • However, this does not apply to Eastern Europeans, like the Poles, who love Americans and must be good • Also the British, who have probably caused the USA more trouble than anyone, have somehow convinced them that there exists a special relationship. True, the two have been at war several times. But we are friends now • Europeans think Americans are: • Lacking finesse and sophistication, having no real roots, or a real history • They are “Johnny come Lately” types who somehow won the lottery and used the money to buy big guns. They are unpredictable, self-centered and potentially dangerous • They have no long-term loyalties or commitments and are creating havoc in a world that needs harmony and multilateral solutions. • Otherwise they are ok, but loud.

The Modern Image of the US: 1945-1990 1949 • The States of Europe ended WW 2 bankrupt and in ruins • The US controlled over 60% of manufacturing trade, and a big surplus • But: the overwhelming problem after the defeat of Fascist Germany, was the spread of Communism, and it was this that formed the relationship with West Europe.

Europe and the US: The Impact of the “Cold War” in Confusing the Issue • Most people over 30 today have grown up in a very unusual era of European-US relations. • Now that that era is over, older patterns are re-establishing themselves. So it may not be that America is changing, but that the world is changing. • Will the “War on Terror” replace the Cold War in uniting the US and Europe in a new “common purpose?”

The Main Factor • Europe and the USA were united by a common enemy, not by a common identity

What is changing? • The Transatlantic Alliance is destined to go away now that the Cold War is over • The current President is not Europe-oriented at all, and has caused considerable dissension in the EU. He has often “sidelined” it, e.g. Afghanistan and Iraq. • The US looks to Europe to come in and tidy up after it has taken the initiative. Europeans chafe at this role, but end up doing it because they are still a group of small to medium-sized states. Until the EU becomes a state itself, this is unlikely to change

Europeans dislike the dominance of US culture, lack of reciprocity. But, they can't stop watching US TV, Movies, MTV...

Money Obsessed French Images of the USA? The Texas Cowboy Where the Bad Guys Go?

Oh Oh This is Politics?

Totally, like, Paranoid

Gun Crazy and Violent.

Totally obsessed with Money and Possessions

Probably as dangerous as any terrorist

A Somewhat Limited Understanding of Culture. Noisy, Brash No Dress Sense

So What? So, we have the paradox that the LIBERTY and FLEXIBILITY allow innovation to flourish, with all its fads and fashions. However, the basic things DO NOT CHANGE and the essence of the USA is continuity. This makes the USA, if you understand it, very predictable because the values never change, the priorities never change, and what you see right now IS CLASSICALLY AMERICAN. The Cold War was an aberration. Understand this, and you understand everything. • In fact, what really distinguishes the United States from Europe is the incredible persistence and durability of the American system, and a very predictable conservatism • Their money never changed or lost its value, neither did their stamps; they have the same constitution, branches of government, system of elections, as they did in 1789

1923 and you can still spend it 1999-clearly the same

British Five Pound Note 1934. Try spending it. 1955. Nope. 1984? Sorry. Withdrawn Do you take dollars?

Conservatism

Plus… they are the last people to use pounds and ounces, Fahrenheit, inches, feet and yards, and pints, acres—on earth. Why change? • They retain capital punishment to the horror of Europe • They have absolutely no interest in soccer, which sets them apart from the rest of the world. • Nothing will convince them to get rid of the $ bill. No-one else has a bill for such a small amount.

So They are NOT Europeans? • They are largely non-ideological—or at least they all subscribe to what looks like the same ideology • They put enormous value on the continuity of institutions and instruments. No other country comes close • And yet, their open, classless system, largely unrestrained by government allows for enormous energy, innovation and change. They would never allow the level of intrusion by government that Europeans demand

Or are they? • Is there any way for the US to solve its health-care crisis without making the state the key player? • There is no question about the US being able to solve its health-care problems; its difficulty is in finding an “American Solution.” • Can Europe afford the enormous social welfare programs and society ages? • Convergence?

Changing Patterns • As globalization proceeds the world is responding by economic and political regionalization—the EU, FTAA and changes in East Asia. • US and Europe are natural rivals in this emerging pattern, especially as the $ and the Euro become competitors.

Why America isn't Europe