Free World: America, Europe, and the Surprising Future of the West

This "Whither goes the West?" critique of emerging international relations is both thoughtful and literate, and raises in a careful way, many fundamental questions that, arguably, only a smoothly evolving and united European/American led future can answer. Should there be even the least disturbing of upheavals, discontinuities and disruptions, as surely there will be, both in the world and in the transatlantic relationship, then all bets for the author's "carefully balanced" and unusually rosy prognostications are off. To say that the challenges for the continued success of a "Western dominated World," will be daunting would be a monument to understatement. And despite the author's upbeat approach and attitude, both the underlying realties (the so called fundamentals) and the trajectory of history, not only seem to suggest that the world is changing in unpredictable ways, but also that it seems to be lurching in a more or less random walk towards a new "less knowable" catastrophic future. Terrorism is just one of many such unknowable un-predictabilities. The idea that there is a neatly arranged happy ending to our global dilemma belies what history has taught us and what we have seen our politics capable of achieving. And while it is true that we have won the Cold war, just barely averted a nuclear holocaust, and globalized the international economy, hollow proclamations of "freedom" will not quite be enough to turn the corner and save ourselves from an uninviting future. "Steadiness" and "smoothness" are not adjectives I would use to describe Western leadership in the aftermath of a turbulent and bloody last century, the most brutal and bloodiest of all history. The more apt adjective "shaky" comes to mind, and would, in any case be somewhat closer to the truth: For the world remains poor, uneducated, dramatically unequal, divided and restless, and while we in the West were busy "making the world safe for our version of democracy," the rest of the world has been "going to hell in a hand basket. Plus, all our success has despoiled the planet in ways that are perhaps beyond recovery. It would be foolish to pretend that there is no good news in all of this, but a sober disinterested mind might conclude equally that the imperatives controlling our narcissism, greed, racist and self-assigned importance, might be enough to tilt the balance against a more enlightened and survivable future. Four Stars.

The message of Timothy Garton Ashe's FREE WORLD is familiar to those who are informed, but it remains useful because unlike many other English-speaking writers of these times, Ashe is not engaged in polemics. Rather he seeks to find a constructive middle ground among and between the various factions in the West-Europe and America - which he describes as not unlike lemmings fighting on the edge of a cliff (Briton and France he likens to Mattheau and Lemmon in `Grumpy Old Men'). He suggests that America is divided against itself, and Europe is divided about America. Furthermore, Europe cannot succeed alone and America cannot succeed alone, and the Atlantic-based West probably has only about 20 more years of hegemony before another superstar arises that may not have the best interests of the West at heart-probably from the East-perhaps China, Japan India, or Islamic centered in Indonesia. Garton says the West needs to address issues of concern in four global areas: 1/ The Near East; 2/ The Far East; 3/ The South with its staggering poverty; 4/ The environmental health of the globe. These four areas are not mutually exclusive. Poverty and population growth which contribute to the degradation of the planet are still the major issues they have been for several decades. Rather than make the problem better the West has made the problem worse. Ashe reviews issues that plague the rest of the world, such as farm subsidies and import regulations in the West that harm rather than help. Free range, free trade, `free' is the operative word. The educated and informed may not find Ashe is saying anything new, but this book is a good summarization of where we in the West stand at this moment in time, and what our role has been and might be. If you want to become more informed, i.e. get a handle on current events without the polemics (the book does not "trash" Bush), FREE WORLD is excellent resource-and it reads well (I love his metaphors). Although many of us may want to drop out, every one of us has a stake in world affairs, if not for our own sake, for the sake of our children. This book raises consciousness of current affairs and how they revolve around decisions made in the West. You can contribute to the solution or be part of the problem--the choice is yours. No matter what part of the planet you call home, or what your politics might be, you will find this book informative--unless you know it all.

With years of European and American journalism as a foundation, Garton Ash seeks a means of preventing skirmishes from turning into clashes. The interests of Europe and America are the same, he contends. The primary one is "freedom". Where freedom can be enjoyed by a populace, other benefits assuredly follow. With freedom, however, comes responsibility. Part of that responsibility is the recognition that the remainder of the world does not enjoy those freedoms. To bring that Free World about, there must be compromises. In recognising where compromises must be made, policy makers must confront world realities, not simply follow entrenched dogmas. In this compelling study, he brings great insight into analysing the issues our societies face and offers provocative solutions for them. Garton Ash uses something as simple as how Europeans and Americans write dates. The infamous "9/11" [September 11] in the United States is a glorious "9/11" [09 November] in Europe. These are the pivotal dates in viewing the true onset of the 21st Century. For the United States, it is the collapse of the World Trade Centre under the hijackers' assault. For Europeans, the collapse of the Berlin Wall signalled the end of a divided continent. For the United States, "9/11" has divided a nation by an administration bent on revenge. In Europe "9/11" is an opportunity to consolidate and dispose of old rivalries. In making this comparison, however, the author is quick to point out that none of these images are as simple as they appear. Europe has a long way to go to shed local interests and jealousies. The United States is a single entity bearing immense military power which, as is now obvious, it feels it may use with impunity. European nations, even as a "Union", must not develop policy out of resentment for that power. The United States must realise that the world is a highly diverse place. Other norms, other interests, other feelings must be regarded seriously. Within a short time, Europe will count almost as many states as the continental USA. Within a few years, there will be forty nations participating in a European community. This amalgamation will include, as it already does, former Soviet Bloc nations. It will reach to the Near East [what Americans call the "Middle East"], which will likely be a stepping stone to the Far East. What all these assembling nations will have in common is a large measure of freedom. The economic and social benefits of joining this organisation will make absolutist governments untenable. "Human rights" and environmental protection are already a condition of EU membership. With the expansion of that standard, says Garton Ash, a positive framework will be in place for further beneficial policies. The looming question will be whether the United States will follow that lead. America's consumptive and expansionist power must be curbed from within. Will it be able to take that step? Garton Ash thinks that's a possi

If you have read T.R. Reid's recently published "The United States of Europe" (strongly recommended), you will know that the European Union is certainly evolving into a formidable power. Unfortunately the U.S. has not paid much heed, much to our detriment given the lack of support for recent U.S. actions in Iraq. Author Timothy Garton Ash, a fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford, has written a perceptive and ultimately reassuring book about the current rift between the United States and Europe. Citing the Iraqi conflict as a touchstone, he convincingly argues that the West has always been in turmoil and that the current struggles only show the resonance of the democratic process on a more global plain. First, he accounts for the more fundamental differences in lucid terms marked by the governing administrations. He observes Americans are more religious than Europeans, which seems apt given the recent election results. Americans are more distrustful of government and tolerate greater economic inequality in return for greater individual freedom. Americans place more emphasis on economic growth than on protection of the environment. Americans are more jealous of national sovereignty and have strong feelings on issues anathema to Europeans like the death penalty and gun ownership. From this Atlantic division, Ash recognizes sharper differences within the U.S. and Europe. Europeans are divided into "Euro-Atlanticists", who want political ties with the U.S. and worry about the sovereign tendencies of the European Union, and "Euro-Gaullists", who see the EU as an essential counterweight to the U.S. and support a consolidated welfare state. For their part, Americans are divided between what have come to be called red-state and blue-state voters. The blue side corresponds to the "Euro-Atlanticist" side, while the red side encompasses traditionally conservative issues such as gun ownership and resistant hostility toward international institutions like the EU. What results is an overlap in what the U.S. sees as the Democratic Party since Europe does not have a red-state equivalent resembling the republicans and the U.S. has no organized socialist party on movement with the two major parties. This overlap is where Ash sees the future of true partnership where he believes the U.S. can move toward greater multi-lateralism and Europe toward improved trans-Atlantic cooperation. Clearly there is a great amount of optimism in Ash's viewpoint. He wholeheartedly feels that what divides the West is less significant than what unites it, even though he acknowledges the erosion in shared causes and memories due to both the "Euro-Gaullist" mindset shaped by French President Jacques Chirac and the unilateralism forced by the Bush administration. It is really this divisiveness that makes it difficult to believe Ash's vision of trans-Atlantic unity will come to fruition any time soon. One fundamental difference is the war on terrorism. Americans view 9/11 as the beginn

Given the current world climate it is hard to find a balanced voice. Free World is that. Timothy Garton Ash has the experience needed to write such a work. His books on Europe in the late Eighties and Nineties are essential reading if you wish to understand the European epoch since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This time around he covers more ambitious territory: America vs. Europe and the place of Britain in this new post September 11th world. This is quite readable and more importantly quite wise. Ash shows clearly that propagandistic hysteria in the face of the present moment is probably the worst of all responses. He emphasizes what is crucially needed in this polarized world: Dialogue. His recommendations are keen and genuine. Buy several copies of this book and give them to friends of ANY political persuasion. Let's not talk about 'them' in superior tones. Let's realize that our differences will never disappear and talk nonetheless.