Der pazifische Präsident

In meiner neuesten Kolumne im Social Europe Journal geht es um eine neue Sichtweise auf die transatlantischen Beziehungen:

By his own definition, Barak Obama is the US’ first „Pacific“ President. Indeed, raised in Hawaii and Indonesia there are few “Atlantic” ties to be found in his biography. Obama’s remarks, delivered during a visit to Asia, may be only intended as a polite gesture; nevertheless they indicate a shift of attention away from Europe towards the east.

Americans of course have always looked at the world from the view of a great power and the relationship to Europe has never been exclusive. But during the Cold War the European allies were at the center of America’s political and military strategy to contain Soviet Communism. These days are over and there hasn’t been a President in the Oval Office as eager as Barack Obama to transform the security structures he inherited from the Cold War. Defense projects have been reevaluated, the State Department for the first time is undergoing a profound policy review process and the G20 has already substituted the G8 as the relevant format for decision-making among the big players...continue here