Critical Summary: Towards a United States of Europe - Essay Example

The speech, ‘Towards a united s of Europe’ by Jurgen Habermas, renowned German philosopher, can actually be interpreted as serious concern for the survival and effectiveness of Europe as a global power with significant role. He had delivered the speech when he was conferred with the Bruno Kreisky Prize on March 2006. He declares that while media, in all formats, exerts powerful influence, the advent of technology, especially, internet has changed the entire equation. Communication has become much easier and the media monopoly has become fragmented.

Internet has given public a very strong tool to voice its opinions but the crucial role of media in projecting and promoting serious intellectual opinion on highly relevant and pertinent issues need to be reassessed. The speech is especially significant because the post cold war scenario drastically altered the equations of the powerful countries. The post cold war era saw the gradual decline of USSR or Russia as a superpower, leaving America with the status of the most powerful nation of the world and who has started misusing its emerging status as single superpower.

The dominant role of American forces in NATO, United Nations and other world organizations has considerably reduced the role of Europe in the world politics. The recent years have also seen that Europe has failed to effectively combat the adverse impact of globalization on the local population that is hit hard by the growing immigrant population. The problems of immigrants and growing unemployment in the United Kingdom, France, Germany etc. has reasserted the need for Europe to promote a joint front with common goals.

Indeed, there is urgent need to refocus on the integration of European countries to counter the growing influence of American hegemony and the emerging new economies like India, China and Japan. Lastly, the post Iraq war has dramatically brought forth the ideological differences between the America and the Europe. A stronger Europe would therefore, not only promote a balance of power but it would also counter America as the most dominant unit of the core periphery as it controls the major part of world economy through strong market forces that are spread wide.

While, one can agree that the increasing tendency of America to adapt aggressive stance against other nations, weaker than itself and its bullying techniques need to be countered through alternative resources, Europe must reassert itself as significant power through referendum and common goals. The changing dynamics of world politics and the rapid globalization process has made it imperative that instead of segregating values and focusing on individual interests, Europe must join hands in evolving global values and collective goals that go beyond regional interests.

The emerging new economies must be seen as allies and not as foe so that new technology facilitates trade and capital accumulation through more secular distribution of power structure. Powell says that it is ‘this form of connection that will determine our lives’ (1990). Indeed, United States of Europe must be visualized as amalgamation of peripheral, semi-peripheral and core units that can counter the dominant position America and foster better relationship with emerging new economies so that in the era of globalization and digital revolution, effective alliances can be forged to strengthen common business objectives.(536)ReferenceHabermas, Jurgen.

(March 10, 2006). Towards a United States of Europe. Available from: [Accessed 2 June, 2009].Powell, Walter W. (1990). Neither Market Nor Hierarchy. In Barry Staw and L.L.Cummings, Research in Organizational Behavior. Greenwish, Conn: JAI Press. V.12.