
In a Newly Bipolar World, Europe Is Caught in the Middle - dakna
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/europe-caught-in-tensions-between-china-and-u-s-a-1273640.html
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empath75
It would be a hell of a lot less confusing if it were actually bipolar. With
the ongoing collapse of American hegemony, pretty much everyone is on their
own now.

~~~
antupis
American hegemony is pretty the same state that the British empire after Booer
wars. Empire is definitely the most powerful nation in the world but it is
fastly losing its momentum, it has some domestic policy problems and it is not
invisible anymore.

~~~
noir_lord
The US won't enter first amongst equals til it's GDP per capita equals that of
other developed western nations, their high GDP with a large population means
they already punch way above their weight economically and militarily.

The British Empire was different, we owned a lot of territory but we didn't
have a military build up like the US (adjusting for time period).

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mothsonasloth
Its interesting when you read any science fiction or watch movies and TV e.g.
Firefly, Blade Runner, Altered Carbon, Fifth Element etc.

In all of those there is this common theme of a major melding of Western and
Chinese culture.

Will life imitate art in this case?

~~~
alexgmcm
Perhaps. But in the 80's many thought that Japan would overtake the US so that
dominated sci-fi and popular fiction. (see the cyberpunk tropes of Zaibatsus
etc.)

Didn't turn out that way though.

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_hao
Where's Russia in this mix? Russia has been meddling with European affairs for
hundreds of years.

The world is definitely not bipolar, US's hegemony after the collapse of the
USSR is quickly disappearing. China is the latest player to enter the game,
but it's true that Europe is between the hammer and anvil and battered on all
sides by the US, Russia and China.

~~~
igravious
> Russia has been meddling with European affairs for hundreds of years.

This again?

That's akin to complaining that New York has been meddling in North American
affairs for hundreds of years. Please _please_ remember that Russia is a
transcontinental country, a _significant_ part of Russia _is_ distinctly
European.

“European Russia is the western part of the Russian Federation, which is part
of Eastern Europe. With a population of 110 million people, European Russia
has about 77% of Russia's population, but covers less than 25% of Russia's
territory. European Russia includes Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the two
largest cities in Russia.”†

The distance from Helsinki in Finland to St. Petersburg is a mere 400km! The
thing is, Russia is so large it is part of Europe but also borders China.

Think about Russian culture for a second: ballet, classical music, Russian
literature, a Latin-like alphabet (more recognisable than the Greek alphabet
when you think about it), architecture – all recognisably European. Does it
need to be pointed out that "Europe" has attacked Russia many times (the
Napoleonic wars, the Wehrmacht) and that Russia was on the Allied side of
WWII, the last hot war fought between great powers.

Russia has been demonised for too long for choosing the wrong ideology
(communism) and becoming the sole 20th century political/economic/nuclear
rival to the USA under the guise of the Soviet Union. I recommend the biopic
_Meeting Gorbachev_ by Werner Herzog for a perspective on the collapse of the
Soviet Union by the person at its helm at the time‡. If you still think "evil
empire" after watching it then I don't know what to say.

If by European you mean _Western_ European please use that qualification.

All of Europe including Russia (but also India and others) are watching with
trepidation as this geopolitical struggle between the US and China plays out.

†
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Russia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Russia)

‡
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_Gorbachev](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meeting_Gorbachev)

edit: add religion to the common heritage as well

~~~
_hao
I was born and raised in a country that was behind the Iron Curtain so please
don't lecture me on the history. Russia has a lot to answer for even if we
disregard communism entirely.

Russia culturally and historically IS part of Europe, but that's where the
similarities end. They're not part of European society and are most definitely
an enemy to it.

~~~
igravious
I'm very sorry for whatever you endured behind the Iron Curtain but I'm from
Europe too and you don't get draw arbitrary lines between peoples. You can't
really say that Russia is culturally and historically part of Europe but then
with the next breath deny that they are part of European society.

Russia is not an enemy of Europe, looks like Russia is returning to the
Council of Europe:
[https://www.ft.com/content/dee5c792-9731-11e9-8cfb-30c211dcd...](https://www.ft.com/content/dee5c792-9731-11e9-8cfb-30c211dcd229)
– It'd be a strange thing for a non-European country to be part of the Council
of Europe.

I am not saying that there isn't a deep mistrust there and undeniably there is
much friction and animosity. But Germany would hardly decide to construct an
essential energy pipeline with an enemy, would it? In your mind you see Russia
as an enemy of Europe but many people in Europe do not see Russia that way.
Which group is correct? Maybe life isn't black and white and the truth is
somewhere in the middle? There's a difference between being a geopolitical
rival and an outright enemy.

It troubles me deeply that there is so much hostile speech on HackerNews for
our brothers and sisters in Russia and China.

