TransCity

On the occasion of the major gains by the far right nationalist Freedom Party in yesterday’s Dutch general elections, below are excerpts from an article, published in Time Magazine, written by Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. The full article (see link below) makes interesting reading.

“Europe just doesn’t get it. It does not get how irrelevant it is becoming to the rest of the world. And it does not get how relevant the rest of the world is becoming to its future. The world is changing rapidly. Europe continues to drift.”

“I am not exaggerating when I say Europe’s obsession with restructuring its internal arrangements is akin to rearranging the deck chairs of a sinking Titanic. The focus on internal challenges when the real threats are external.”

“Over the long run, geography — when combined with economic shifts of power — determines destiny. America’s interests in Asia are rising while its interests in Europe are declining. A growing Hispanic population will make Latin America more important. This is why the time has come for Europeans to think the unthinkable: the “natural” transatlantic partnership may someday come to an end.”

“The whole world wants to see a strong Europe. It can provide an alternative pole of growth, a model for abolishing wars between neighbors, cultural education and a moral voice for supporting initiatives like the Kyoto Protocol and the International Criminal Court. There are no shortages of opportunities for Europe to provide leadership. But, as Copenhagen demonstrated, it may no longer even be in the room when crucial decisions are being made.”

Click here to read the full article on the website of Time Magazine