Improving transatlantic relations in the aftermath of the Iraq war

Abstract

The Iraq war has strained the multilateral system, a system which was already being sorely tested. Globalization, the closer integration of the countries of the world, requires with it closer cooperation among the countries of the world. There are more interdependencies, and more need for collective action. A commitment to democracy means that decisions must be made in a multilateral way. Multilateralism, in turn, means that there has to be both a process of consensus building, and a willingness to accept decisions that differ from those one would have wanted. Europe, in trying to develop a polity involving many countries, has long come to terms with this reality. The United States has not, and with its overwhelming economic and political power, it has not even felt the need to do so. Yet many Americans are uncomfortable with this state of affairs. Ideals of democracy, social justice, and liberalism more generally (though not universally) are woven into the fabric of America’s own self-image and identity - a country which is a melting pot, which has welcomed others of all races and creeds to its shores, which fought, and continues to fight, the scourge of racial bigotry.