A bold argument that tackles current trends, such as rising nationalism, arguing that they strengthen rather than undermine transatlantic ties.
Is the West finished as a political idea? In recent years, observers have begun pointing to signs that this transatlantic community is eroding. When the European Union expanded, the classic European nation state was in decline. Now, nationalism is on the rise. Furthermore, nations within the EU are less willing to cooperate with the US on policies that require sacrifice and risks, such as using military force alongside the US. Today, following the twin shocks of Brexit and Trump's election, the
concept of a unified Western transatlantic community seems to be a relic. But, in Pax Transatlantica, the international historian Jussi Hanhimaki explains why the West is far from over.
Hanhimaki argues that-despite Trump's inflammatory, dismissive rhetoric-NATO continues to provide robust security for its member states. NATO has survived by expanding its remit and scope, and it is viewed favorably by member states overall. Moreover, the transatlantic relationship boasts the richest and most closely connected transcontinental economy in the world. Despite the potential fallout from current trade wars-especially between the US and China-and the rise of economic
nationalism, the West still benefits from significant transatlantic trade and massive investment flows. Lastly, Hanhimaki traces the parallel evolution of domestic politics on both sides of the Atlantic, focusing on the rise of populism. He contends that populism is not causing a rift between the US and Europe.
Rather, the spread of populism evinces that their politics are in fact closely integrated.
Shifts and even crises abound in the history of the transatlantic relationship. Still, the West endures. Conflicts, rather than undermining the relationship, illustrate its resilience. Hanhimaki shows that the transatlantic relationship is playing out this cycle today. Not only will the "Pax Transatlantica" continue to exist, Hanhimaki concludes, it is likely to thrive in the future.
- ISBN10 0190922168
- ISBN13 9780190922160
- Publish Date 11 November 2021
- Publish Status Out of Stock
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 240
- Language English