Where’s Europe?

Kenneth Weisbrode of European Voice describes Obama as America’s first Pacific president.  I think he has something there.  Despite major, consequential changes in Europe that have huge implications for the United States, Europe is totally ignored in Washington.  Nobody cares and it’s sad.  I’ve explored the possibility of hosting a symposium and/or a panel discussion on Europe on behalf of my company and it is clear to me that the demand for such events is minuscule.   This, at a time when the European Union has a new parliament, new commissioners and is about to elect it’s first “president.”

Still, Weisbrode does see a silver lining to our “Asia-centric” ways:

This does not mean we cannot all learn from one another’s example. Asia and Europe of course are very different places. Yet there is no fixed reason why the contending powers of Asia cannot bury the enmities of the past under layers of institutional co-operation, as did the nations of Europe in the latter half of the 20th century. Another world war is not necessary for this to happen. The reunification of Korea is just one potential spur for such co-operation, however difficult and remote it may seem at the present time. Other areas – from trade to disaster relief – call out for it and a degree of co-operation is developing.