Reference News Network, December 9 report: The U.S. "National Interest" bi-monthly website published an article titled "Trump's National Security Strategy Targets Europe" on December 5. The author is Marek Magierowski, former deputy foreign minister of Poland. Excerpts from the full text are as follows:
In the recently released strategic document, the Trump administration believes that Europe is facing "civilization being erased."
The U.S. government believes that Europe is currently weak and powerless, with its economy and society in decline, failing to address the most pressing structural problems. Europe is experiencing a devastating failure in the war against illegal immigration and is also lagging behind the United States in the technology competition. Europe is unable to defend itself militarily, let alone defend Ukraine. Due to its inability to cope with unfavorable demographic trends, Europe is heading towards decline.
From the perspective of America's global interests, all these worrying phenomena have greatly reduced Europe's appeal to the United States. Europe has shifted from an indispensable ally to a dispensable weakling.
In the recent national security strategy released by the Trump administration, there is little room for doubt in the chapter dedicated to Europe: "U.S. officials have become accustomed to considering European issues from the perspective of insufficient military spending and economic stagnation. This is not without reason, but the real problem in Europe is more serious... This economic decline is masked by a real and more serious crisis of civilization being erased. The greater issues Europe faces include the activities of the EU and other transnational institutions undermining political freedom and sovereignty; immigration policies are changing the continent and causing conflicts; plummeting birth rates and the loss of national identity and confidence."
This grim picture is exaggerated. However, it is not entirely false. Europe is deeply entrenched in a series of crises and is being consumed by the fervor of political correctness. The contrast between Europe's pandering and its influence on the international stage is shocking. No wonder European leaders now play a marginal role in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.
In some areas, the ideological divide between the U.S. and Europe has become more pronounced. The president of the United States and his supporters portray today's America as a Christian savior, opposing wokeism and globalism. In this confrontation, American conservatives view Europe as an adversary rather than a partner. In the eyes of many radical Republicans, the only way to save Europe is through the rise of right-wing parties in France, Germany, and Spain.
Climate change has become another thorny issue. Several U.S. officials have recently questioned the authenticity or accuracy of scientific data on this issue. What most European policymakers see as an inevitable path to clean energy is strongly detested by their counterparts across the Atlantic.
Similarly, the U.S. attitude toward international law differs from that of Europe. Last month, when asked about the U.S. military operation against drug traffickers in the Caribbean, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said, "I think the EU has no right to decide what international law is, nor do they have the right to decide how the United States defends its national security."
Against this backdrop, the U.S. government is moving away from the United Nations, imposing harsh sanctions on judges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and turning a blind eye to the brutality of the Israeli army in Gaza. These actions reveal the truth. As Rubio implied, "defending national security" surpasses all legal concerns and can serve as a convenient argument under any circumstances.
Different attitudes toward the growing influence of artificial intelligence are another factor of divergence. For U.S. companies, this is an opportunity and a new field to surpass. By contrast, for European societies, it is a threat. Americans assert, "Perhaps we will lose some jobs, but we will create more." Europeans are less certain, saying, "Perhaps we will create some jobs, but we will lose many."
In short, this is the current U.S. government's view of Europe: weak, addicted to political correctness, ambiguous on key issues, and technologically backward. (Translated by Wang Haifang)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7581850178202747435/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author themselves.