CLASH OF TITANS: Reinforcing an alliance: Obama's speech against Russia

martedì 9 dicembre 2014

Reinforcing an alliance: Obama's speech against Russia

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

George Bernard Shaw

Speeches and conferences by International leaders are not always fundamental: they often are full of empty sentences that are said only to respect diplomatic courtesy. Nevertheless a speech during a formal event sometimes can be important in order to understand how an administration of a country wants to develop its strategy in a conflict with another nation.

An example about that is the speech of Barack Obama in front of European allies at Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels on March 26, 2014. After greetings and some ice-breaking gags, the United States president starts remembering the deep roots on which NATO was built: the will to protect democratic values, peace and prosperity around the globe after the disaster of the second World War. Moreover, thanks to NATO and the values of its members, it was possible to have a long era of economic growth and peace in Western Europe and to spread democracy to Eastern Europe after the fall of iron curtain in 1989.

Why is Obama remembering all these achievements to his allies? The answer arrives soon. According to Obama western democracies cannot take for granted what they have earned in the past, but they always have to be ready to face new menaces. In this case the new enemy is Russia that has redrawn European borders with force because it has annexed Crimea. Moreover Russia continues to interfere in the Ukrainian civil war putting in danger democracy in Eastern Europe and violating International law. Therefore NATO allies have to be united and determined to face this new challenge, but there is a big obstacle that is not explicit in the speech: the important economic ties between Russia and Europe and especially the Russian gas supply to Europe.

In the end the purpose of the US president is clear. He tries to reinforce the alliance because Western countries can win this clash with Russia only with a strong and united strategy. It seems that Obama has reached his goal, but how long will the western alliance resist the economic crisis and the lobbies that want to re-establish normal economic relations with Russia?

P.s. If you want to watch the entire speech or read the transcript, you can find everything here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/transcript-president-obama-gives-speech-addressing-europe-russia-on-march-26/2014/03/26/07ae80ae-b503-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html

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A brief introduction

The political-diplomatic clashes

Are International politics always headed for growing State power in a background of “all against all” war? We obviously hope that they are not. In fact in theory International politics and diplomacy can be done for peaceful purposes or in order to improve a State condition not at the expenses of another. Nevertheless alliances or a particular geopolitical strategy also are implemented in order to isolate or to take position against a State or a group of States. An historical example about that are the attempts of Germany to isolate France through a system of alliances at the end of XIX century. In addition Germany drew up an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882. In 1907 the answer to the will of power of Germany by France, UK and Russia was the creation of the Triple Entente that took position against the Triple Alliance.

The economic clashes

As mentioned, the clash between states can also be played on the level of economic relations. One of the leading interpreters of this policy is certainly Germany that has often led the fight on the level of economic relations: the historical periods in which it has been most evident were the '80s with the creation of the European Monetary System (E.M.S.) and in recent years with the rise of the single currency, the Euro. The E.M.S. was a monetary mechanism that forced states parties to align their currency exchange rates. It favored the German power because its currency was strong and penalized its exports in favor of states, such as Italy, which had a weak currency, and if needed, they could also devalue to encourage exports. This situation has generated strong international tensions between state parties and led to a rapid dismantling.

The cultural clashes

In a background of power politics, a state who wants to use its cultural authority has the goal to expand its sphere of influence to impose its hegemony to another civilization, not in a military but cultural way. The cultural clashes are therefore conflicts between states with different cultures and different civilizations.
The Cold War was a perfect example of this policy: the two blocks in opposition represented two very different civilizations, who preached the supremacy over the other. The creation of the Warsaw Pact and the NATO arose from the need to tie closely the states who were more similar to their own idea of civilization.