The twentieth century and so far the beginning of the twenty first century has been one of tepid European internationalism. The immediate aftermath of World War Two does provide some justification for the withdrawal of Europe from the international arena for a time, after all it was that cantankerous peninsula that brought us two world wars and fascism/Nazism. Furthermore, the European purse strings were short to say the least, as well as being completely controlled by Uncle Sam. After those nations that were embroilers of conflict finished their time-out only two began to flex their muscles; France and Britain. Of course, neither was altruistic when they decided to embark on their adventure in Suez. The slap by Eisenhower for their misdeeds made France and Britain, which essentially were the only two European states that were willing to exert muscle, retreat from the Middle East and the later process of decolonization made them further contract from the international stage. While it is fair to say that this is a bit of a caricature it does hold a kernel of truth, a very important truth. Europe was not, and largely is still not, willing to work within its sphere of influence. The Yugoslav S crisis is a prime example and so are other myriad issues in the area. This Cold War passivity has become a European culture. They are more than willing to criticize and condemn US actions but when push comes to shove they're hiding under the bed (read UN).
The recent unrest in the Middle East, revolutionary unrest in some instances although the process seems to have ground to a halt in Egypt, highlights a return of history. The intervention in Libya was pursued vehemently by England and France (the US provided support and capability but was not the primary actor), the two traditional European interlopers into this neck of the world. The rest of Europe were mostly spectators (of course they were involved but not nearly to the extent that they could have been or should have been). This time around, however, the motives urging France and Britain on are slightly more pristine, although of course not completely oil and history still have a large role to play in explaining their gung-ho attitude towards intervention. The Libyan intervention seems to point to European's bearing their share of the international burden as an exception, rather than the new norm.
Now, to the main point of this polemic (I'll call it what it is); why should Europe play a bigger role in international affairs? First and foremost is energy politics and security. Not to sugar-coat it, Europe needs oil and the Middle East, North Africa to a lesser extent has it but they are the conduit, specifically Egypt, has it. While the Euro-zone may tout itself as 'green,' only Germany has any real bragging rights, the rest don't have the will or capital to inject into alternative energy sources. After all, how will countries like Greece, Poland, Slovakia, and Bulgaria manage the transition? This means that they have a tangible interest in the region and should bear some of the responsibility for achieving their own interests. Second, they've been getting a free ride for way too long. Europe is made up of some of the world's richest countries and it's high-time that the Wehrmacht (or the Bundeswehr depending on which term you find more enjoyable) get back into action, just for responsible reasons this time around. Third, France and Britain aside, the rest of Europe has not made large ripples in the international pond but will go all-out in criticizing the way the US throws its stones. This is an exercise in hypocrisy because, unlike China, they support many of the goals that the US wants to achieve but do not play a large role in actually making those goals possible.
Europe needs to get off its moral high-horse and do something. For them to be taken seriously as an international force they first need to be an international force, not just a fancy bank (which is not doing so hot) and now is the time to do it with Iran being a bit of a loose cannon (both literal and metaphorical) in international waters. The US cannot continue being the crusader of western values (whether those values are good or bad are besides the point) and the cut in the defence budget is proving this point. The epoch of spheres of influence is back and Europe should flex its muscles in the Africa because that will be a blind spot in the new, leaner, US security and strategic arrangement. If Europe doesn't step up to the plate and become a slugger in the international arena it should refrain from crying out with moral judgements.
