Anti-Europeanism In America

As the only European in the Unpaid Punditry Corps, I realise I am expected to have a well-researched and thought out opinion on the European Constitution and the French vote against it's ratification. The trouble is, I am out of the loop. Living in America, I am simply not immersed in the politics and issues enough to do them justice. I have as much chance as an American living in Paris would have on, say the fillibuster.

So instead, I will refer interested readers to the excellent blog Europhobia, which despite it's name is pro-European. You can read Nosemonkey's ruminations on the subject here and here.

However, I would like to say something about American attitudes to European unity, as that is something I can observe first hand.

I've found an often subtle but pretty near universal antipathy to European unity here in the States, in the media, in the blogosphere and in conversations with Texans over coffee. Tonight, for instance, the national NBC News twice in as many minutes told it's viewers that the Constitution would establish a "United States of Europe" which simply isn't true. It would move Europe a ways in that direction, sure, but there would still be a lot more wiggle room for nation states to act independently than the states of the USA for instance. (Heads up - why do you think they are called "states"? It's because historically they were intended as seperate nation-states "federated" under one flag, not just glorified counties.) Even the pro-Europeans aren't sure that a USE on the American model is what they want. Most would stop far short of that and incline instead towards a rather looser confederation. The American way of doing things isn't the only way, or neccessarily the correct way.

Still, the anti-European bias of the US media and populace makes for strange bedfellows, albeit in ignorance. The American right are applauding the French "non" vote, not even realising that they are applauding the hardcore socialist left in France against a right wing Government. In Britain, of course, it's the political right and the Little Englanders vainly holding on to dreams of Empire who are anti-Constitution. Why the difference? Well, mostly because the Constitution as proposed tries to please everyone and ends up pleasing no-one.

So why is there this anti-European bias? There are a variety of supposed reasons ranging from knee-jerk hated of the French for not supporting Bush's foreign adventure through to "but you will lose each nation's culture".

The first is sophistry pure and simple. The French have the refreshing quality of honesty in their "For France" ethic. While Britain or the USA will invade your country and tell you it's for your own good, the French will invade and tell you it's good for France. That's all they are ever interested in and they are honest about it, which is OK by me.

The second is arrant nonsense. The Scots have been part of the United Kingdon for about 300 years now and have a strong appreciation of their own culture yet. The French are no more different from the Germans as the Hawaiians are from Texans or New Englanders, I suspect, yet Americans don't try to bust up the Union on the strength of their own state's culture being lost.

No, the real reason, we may as well admit it, is that a more united Europe would be more of a threat to America's status as biggest kid on the block. That's all. It's OK to say it, you know. If the shoe was on the other foot the French would say it for us Europeans.