There are many things that could be said about the current state of transatlantic relations. While there are certainly many hot topics warranting dissection and analysis, I feel that the status quo at the moment can be summed up in one word: complacency. We have become somewhat smug when it comes to our transatlantic relationship. As an American who has studied and worked in European Policy for a number of years, I have experienced firsthand how we take our cooperation for granted on both sides of the Atlantic.
While finishing up a masters in European studies, I remember being told by an American diplomat that I had chosen to develop a speciality in a “non-problem area” for the US. I remember agreeing with him and subsequently descending into a state of panic after the conversation, worrying that I had set myself up to be an unemployable graduate. While the point certainly exists that our relationship, relatively speaking, runs smoothly on the international stage, I think this expert underplayed its significance and underestimated the importance of its maintenance. While our relationship is certainly special, it should neither be ignored or neglected.
The transatlantic relationship has been one of the strongest, most reliable relationships in the past century, however, we are quickly moving apart in our understanding of each other. I think we became so accustomed to being on the same side of things that we have gradually forgotten that we may hold very different views, and more importantly, that this is ok.
I’ve seen how deep the misconceptions go on both sides of the ocean. After living in Europe for over three years, I’m quite accustomed to dumb American jokes, which I must admit are not entirely inaccurate. After focusing European Policy for a few years now, I’m perhaps too surprised at some of the questions I’ve had to field when it comes to Americans asking me about the EU. I’ve been asked how many Americans hold seats representing the US in European Parliament, if Belgium and Ireland are in the same country, and how modern elections work in the “communist” counties of central Europe. However, this obliviousness can be argued to go both ways. Most of the time I find that Europeans are familiar with a few major US cities and the locations of only the more obvious states of Texas or California. One time I was asked by a European friend if all Americans were as pale as I am, as he assumed that all Americans shared similar genetic material, as European countries do.
I am a huge fan of the European project and believe that there is much for Americans to learn about what the EU has done to achieve stability and peace on the continent. In spite of the many crises that have challenged the cohesion of the European Union, from Greece, to Brexit, migration, and the threat of terrorism, the union has remained. Americans tend to underestimate the strength and potential the EU has. To correct this, greater efforts should be made to acquaint Americans with the European systems and, in turn, this education could allow the US to provide much needed support to the EU as it address challenges facing the region.
At this point, I could write multiple novels about cultural experiences I’ve had on both sides of the ocean. However, rather than getting offended, I try to see the strange questions and strong language as opportunities for exchange and learning. In these environments, we can share our individual understandings and learn how to value someone’s opinion, even if it may be different, acknowledging that this can only widen our horizons.
While shortcomings and inefficiencies certainly exist, there are also countless opportunities for the future of the transatlantic relationship. Our international pastime seems to have evolved into criticizing the methods of the other side rather than sharing experiences and collaborating on the best ways to move forward. Even though we were engaged in two world wars within the past century, we can now hardly picture life without a strong transatlantic bond. Taking into consideration our capacity to reconcile and move forward, we must realize that there is much we can offer the rest of the world. We should be sharing our experiences and working together to make the world a better place.
Hey Haven,
Thanks for sharing your article full of ideas and anecdotes!
I agree with your analysis of many points: That fact that we’re dozing off, got used to each other, accept the transatlantic partnership as it is without questioning and evolving it further. And surely, communication and cooperation are always a way to improve a relationship.
Do you, from your experience, have any concrete ideas as per how to increase interest and people-to-people contact over the Atlantic? I can imagine that a small conversation is not enough, and dissipating prejudices alone will not do the job.
Looking forward to your suggestions and greetings from the Indian Ocean
Jonathan
Dear Haven,
I think that in pointing out transatlantic complacency you raise an important issue. I’m sympathetic to that diagnosis but wonder how you would substantiate it. What is it in our transatlantic relationship that we have become complacent about and that deserves a revitalization?
My view, put in somewhat abstract terms, is that the Western liberal order as such is undergoing a moment of crisis. Freedom, tolerance, individualism, etc. are under duress in view of the various populisms and nationalist forces in the US and Europe. Liberals, to some extent, seem to struggle to grasp this backlash as they believed in the inevitability of these values. If that’s what you have in mind, I agree that we should not take our liberal order for granted.
Against that background, I’m slightly hesitant regarding your optimism that “there is much we can offer the rest of the world.” A transatlantic partnership that itself isn’t confident anymore about its liberal outlook seems to me in a tough position to sell it to others (China, Russia, Middle East, …) that haven’t shared it in the first place.
I’d be happy to hear your thoughts on it!
Best,
Lutz
Dear Haven, Dear Lutz,
just to support the complacency argument and the crisis diagnosis regarding “Western liberal order”, I would like to ask how you estimate the U.S. and Europe are seen by people not raised within this Western order. What are your experiences in personal encounters regarding criticism of the U.S. and Europe, especially when referring to history? In my understanding, we are not just complacent, but we negligently underestimate how strong (for legitimate as well as non-legitimate reasons) the refusal of “the West” actually is.
Dear Lukas-Simon,
this is a great question. Personally, I’ve experienced both enormous admiration for Western liberalism and skeptical reservation in view of what is perceived as ignorant interventionism. If we take serious that significant opposition against the West, I believe we are in need of devising strategies to cope with the pluralism of outlooks. My intuition is that we tend to think in terms of the binary notions “democratic”/”undemocratic” but lack concepts in order to differentiate between different forms of the latter. Developing such a typology could help us think of ways in which societies, though not necessarily democratic, still follow principles of good governance and some sort of political legitimacy atuned to local customs.
Do you share this view? What do you make of the “refusal” of the West?
Best,
Lutz
Haven,
Interesting insights given your personal experiences living in and interacting with Europeans for a significant portion of your life. Having worked in Belgium and the Netherlands for eighteen months and attended public German Grundschule and British primary school as a child, your amusing account of various assumptions from both sides resonated with me on a personal basis as well. Something along these lines that I ruminate often is the line between nationalism/ patriotisim; Where, in this ever-globalizing world, is the appropriate amount of national consciousness not too infiltrated with ethnocentricity? Furthermore, I believe that true equality and tolerance lies in embracing, not eradicating, apparent differences. I would love to hear your response about the role of a healthy national identity in this amidst advances in globalization, particularly pertaining to transatlantic relations.
Haven,
I really enjoyed reading your piece and learning about your experiences as an American living in Europe. I think you raise an important point that we need to “acquaint Americans with the European systems” – and vice versa. In my opinion, there is a lot of opportunity for cultural and soft power exchanges that provide short but useful glimpses into life on the other side of the Atlantic. As I was reading your article, I thought of another post on this forum, written by John-Markus. He highlighted soccer as a way to bridge the gap between Americans and Europeans. I think finding opportunities to host more of these types of exchanges – whether related to sports, music, or other forms of culture – can help students and citizens more broadly develop an interest in the transatlantic relationship. Once we catch their attention, I believe that additional engagement will follow.
Great article, Haven! Education is the cornerstone to a healthy and thriving society and your proposal to bridge the gap in understanding between both sides of the Atlantic would contribute to that.
I wonder if you had any thoughts about how to cultivate and facilitate that exchange? Do you think there needs to be greater emphasis on foreign exchange programs across disciplines on the university level or even before then in secondary education? Or perhaps, utilizing our technological advances (as number of internet users has increased tenfold in the last decade) as a platform for facilitating these exchanges (i.e. pen pal systems, free courses on systems, cultures, history, etc., educational travel packages as opposed to simply visiting a country as a tourist).
These are just some ideas that pop into my head, but I would be interested in your input on this.
Haven, Thank you for this submission. I can empathize with your feeling of worry by focusing on a “non-problem area” such as transatlantic relations – I’ve definitely lived through a similar moment. However, more so than in a long time, I feel the need to reevaluate the character and status of our partnership. Nationalist tendencies, populism, and, as you correctly pointed out, complacency, have slowed the dynamic dialogue and vibrant exchange between our countries, and I think this is exactly the platform and audience to raise a concern that might seem minor in the grand scheme of global war zones, but might have a major effect on all our lives moving forward.
Hey Haven,
Great article, I agree with you that transatlantic relations have become complacent, as our similar goals outweigh our differences. However, the fact that we have differences can prove to be provocative for both of our societies, and so tensions may arise. I moved to the United States seven years ago, and noticed my peers lacked fundamental knowledge in geography and world history. Therefore, I agree with you that education systems need to be reconstructed by becoming more inclusive of the misfortunes and triumphs of other societies. Do you believe that educating citizens about different cultures is the way to strengthen Transatlantic relations? I also liked that you focused on the bigger picture as highlighting the underlying issues is the only way to strengthen transatlantic relations.