TFF Peace Pulse # 2 – We need an all-European debate about Europe’s future

There was a time, not long ago, when Europe, with its millennia-old history and centuries-old empires used to be preeminent in the world. The Second World War put an end to European empires, but throughout the Cold War Europe still played an important diplomatic and political role. Since the fall of the former Soviet Union and the dawn of the so-called Unipolar World, Europe as a whole is acting like a US colony, if not a vassal state. This is unfortunate for Europe but also for the United States and for the world. Of course, it is right that in the modern multipolar world no country or group of countries claim pre-eminence, but it is also important that no country or group of countries accept a self-imposed subservient role, being dominated by others. At a time when there is intense global competition and even conflict, especially at a time when the United States is run by an arrogant, militaristic and narcissistic regime, it is more important for other countries, such as China, Russia, India and especially Europe as a whole to play a constructive role and save the world from impending catastrophe and guide it towards a more peaceful, democratic, rational and cooperative world. With the EU’s population of 450 million and Europe’s population of nearly 750 million, with a GDP far exceeding that of the United States or China, and with a long tradition of democratic reforms, the Reformation, the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, Europe must play a more prominent role in ensuring peace and security throughout the world.