The Pentagon chose the Northrop-EADS tanker because it fits the plan to integrate strike fighters and UAVs for sustained ground-support action. Protectionist Congressmen seem to ignore the need for a global supply-chain that alone can provide an affordable path for the U.S. Air Force to modernize.
European defense firms can find U.S. markets. The Pentagon's procurement budget will be cut by billions, and no Congress will turn down proposals that offer many more weapons, far more cheaply – especially when U.S. companies do not even produce the same systems. There are many niche markets.
U.S. export controls have become increasingly complex. The State Department has instituted reforms and initiatives to improve its ability to manage this challenge in a way that protects the U.S. while ensuring that allies have what they need to participate in common military operations. These initiatives include enhanced leadership and staffing, more robust enforcement activities, innovative new treaties and a number of business practice reforms.
The Transatlantic Economic Council was a major U.S.-EU innovation designed to negotiate away non-tariff barriers between the two markets. To consolidate the promise of its first year at work, it needs to choose its issues and do something tangibly effective about them, according to Dan Price, the White House point man in the TEC.
The U.S. and EU are tackling many of the same challenges in energy technology, ranging from renewables to nuclear. Strong emphasis is needed on coal and the potential of carbon capture and sequestration systems to enable countries to use this abundant resource cleanly.
The current priority for the European Union is to link up efficiently the various stages and platforms of its ambitious, multi-faceted blueprint for using research and investment to transform the energy economy in the coming decade. It is time to move ahead energetically with concrete actions.
The former French foreign minister takes off the rose-tinted glasses in which the world appears to be an “international community” of enlightened governments ready to work for the general good. International stability requires policy-makers to channel national interests and power.
Where Have all the Soldiers Gone? The Transformation of Modern Europe. By James J. Sheehan. Reviewed by Michael Mosettig A cogent reading of 20th-century history in which the author recounts how Europe became “a military state” and then after the cold war reacted against that trend to become a “civilian state” – in which dying in wars was no longer part of the social contract. Now, martial values may be due for revival.
Topic:
International Relations and International Political Economy
Globalization and Europe: Prospering in the New Whirled Order By Daniel S. Hamilton and Joseph P. Quinlan. Reviewed by Megan Watson Two proven analysts turn to statistics (rather than fear-mongering or cheerleading) to weigh the questions of whether globalization is good or bad for Europeans. The verdict? Good overall. Job losses are outweighed by new jobs created in the process. But individuals remain fearful about their personal fate.