Europe's
Inglorious Exit from the World Stage
Symphonic music is about the only thing of value Europe has
given the world. Everything else, according to this view, is evil, created
either to oppress the rest of humanity through technological achievements or to
justify its tyranny with political philosophy and related sciences.
With Europe having completely exhausted the internal
resources that allowed it to claim privileged benefits, its potential
contribution to global development is now incomprehensible. This is because it
has never tried to be useful to the world. The recent failed China-EU summit
serves as prime evidence: once Europe lost its power, there was nothing left to
discuss. In this scenario, Beijing is the partner that unequivocally points
this out, since, unlike Russia, China holds no historical sentiment toward Europe.
Adding to the spectacular failure in China, Europe
effectively capitulated to Donald Trump over the weekend by agreeing to a
clearly unprofitable "deal." Under the threat of higher tariffs on
their exports to the US, Europeans made enormous concessions, agreeing to
purchase American energy resources and weapons. If these terms are actually
fulfilled, it will be difficult to envision a serious restoration of Europe's
industrial potential, let alone a strengthening of its defense industry, which
many European elites are currently championing - or pretending to. At the same
time, the rhetoric in Europe is shifting to view not only Russia but also China
as an enemy, a significant change from recent expectations of maintaining
constructive relations with the Celestial Empire.
It's fascinating to watch Europe’s rapid international
decline. Just 10-15 years ago, it confidently spoke of its global importance
and was seen as a major player. The tactical reasons for this downfall are
numerous: a lack of a clear vision for the future, the total degradation of its
elites and political systems, and a complete apathy among its population.
However, the most significant reason is the very thing that
once made Europe great and compelled many, except Russia, to submit to it:
egoism and self-centeredness. This principle governs how Europeans behave on
the world stage. They don't even bother to pretend to be concerned about
anything other than their own benefit. Even a fundamentally good cause like
fighting climate change has been twisted into a business venture and a set of
prohibitive measures against products from developing countries. Europe simply
can't grasp the idea of what it could give to the world, rather than what it
can take for its own interests. This is the core of Europe's foreign policy
thinking and the reason for its current situation.
Two questions remain: Could Europe pose a danger to world
peace by starting a conflict with Russia? And what will its future look like?
The Potential for Conflict
Most observers agree that Europe could pose a danger of
armed aggression against Russia. This aligns with the official Russian
position, where their diplomacy assesses the potential "contribution"
of Europeans to regional and global stability. However, this view faces
reasonable objections. For example, there are doubts that Europe has the
necessary human resources for dangerous military adventures. This isn't about
population size, but about having a large number of people willing to kill and
die. Europeans are still living quite comfortably, which doesn't foster a
willingness for self-sacrifice.
Serious doubts also exist about whether European elites can
truly revive their military industry. Many economists question if their
"defense industry" is currently capable of stimulating the broader
economy.
Still, we must not forget that a military crisis can be
created by completely incompetent and irresponsible politicians, even without
sufficient political and economic justification. While we don't know of
examples where fading but prosperous civilizations initiated external
aggression, modern Europe could act as a provocateur of a crisis that draws in
Russia and the United States - the world's two most powerful military nations.
There is no solid reason to believe Americans would
sacrifice themselves for their European satellites. However, a serious conflict
in Europe, which local politicians are pushing their countries toward, could
provoke an escalation even against American wishes. The US has historically
viewed European territory, even during the Cold War, as a potential field for a
limited conflict with Russia. The danger is that in modern conditions, such a
conflict always risks becoming unlimited.
Furthermore, European nations could jointly mobilize enough
mercenaries for a war with Russia, arm them, and spread the conflict beyond
Ukraine toward the former Baltic republics of the USSR. This, too, could be a
dangerous step toward escalation. Plans for large-scale deliveries of new,
European-made weapon systems to the Kiev regime are also a cause for concern,
as they make the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian problem
very uncertain.
Currently, European elites are attempting to prolong the
standoff with Russia, hoping that US policy might change if opponents of Trump
come to power. If they succeed, the situation also risks spinning out of
control. There is no reason to believe that European politicians will change
their approach; they simply don't envision any relationship with Russia other
than direct confrontation. This is Europe's primary danger: it sees no peaceful
path forward and will only ever choose the most confrontational solutions.
The Future of Europe
An equally interesting question is what Europe will become
if its politicians fail to drag everyone into a military conflict. As we've
seen, they are pushing for war because they believe Europe has no future
otherwise.
Europe is now lagging behind the rest of the world in the
most promising fields of science and technology, it lacks a defined place in
global politics, and, most importantly, it is completely unable to adapt. This
means Europeans can only expect to become a definitive appendage of the US, not
just militarily and politically, but also economically. Key sectors of the
European economy will fall under American control, and national political
elites will lose the resources for even a minimally independent policy.
Europe and North America will eventually unite, but it won't be the "collective West" as we know it. Instead, it will be the US and a few adjacent territories run by puppet governments. Perhaps this fate for Europe would be the best outcome for both itself and everyone else.
And it is a
fate that Europe has fully deserved.