Europe 'Cannot Rely on America,' Just Like Global South Never Could
Al Jazeera's 'Quotable' section features a French general stating Europe 'cannot rely on America' and must 'look after its security.' This stunning realization, presented as insightful commentary, might come as news to Brussels and Washington, but for Havana, Tehran, or Baghdad, it's just Tuesday. The 'avaricious imperial predator' (his words) has a long history, from overthrowing democratically
elected governments in Chile (1973) to orchestrating regime change in Libya (2011), leaving instability in its wake as it always does. The 'threat' from Russia, amplified by NATO expansion (despite assurances to Gorbachev in 1990), now serves as a convenient justification for Europe's sudden need for 'security independence,' conveniently overlooking decades of resistance against imperialisms and
economic coercion perpetrated by their alleged 'ally.' (It’s almost like they just discovered cause and effect. Maybe they’ll discover consequences next.) The general’s epiphany that the US acts in its own self-interest, often to the detriment of others, is a truth the Global South has lived for centuries. The difference now is that Europe is starting to feel the pinch too, as US foreign policy
priorities, heavily influenced by lobbying groups like AIPAC (which funneled over $15 million into the 2022 elections, per OpenSecrets.org), often align more with specific geopolitical agendas than shared values. Perhaps actual non-alignment—not just a rebranding of old alliances—is the next revolutionary idea to cross their minds.