A Post-Election Analysis: The Direction of U.S. Foreign Policy

Transcript

PHILIP H. GORDON: So much for the reactions. What about the relationship and the implications of this? I think it goes without saying that this is not a good thing for the prospect of transatlantic reconciliation after the crisis that we've gone through over the past several years. I say that for several reasons. First, simply the reality that there's so much baggage there between the Bush administration and the Europeans. The past several years have been really filled with acrimony. President Bush, rightly or wrongly, is deeply unpopular in Europe. He's demonized in the press in many European countries. And that just simply is going to make it harder for Europeans to work with the administration.

I'm afraid that the European reaction to this—and partly, again, an example of over-interpretation—will be to conclude, okay, we get it, America really is different; Bob Kagan was right, Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus, they just confirmed that this week, and we'll draw the consequences from that. I'm afraid that that's going to be the inclination, rather than, as I think many in the Bush administration hope, that they'll conclude, okay, now we know what we're dealing with, let's get on with cooperation. I fear that the tendency will rather be to say to themselves America is different, we get it now.

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