The articles entitled “America in History: Realists Don’t Buy the Wilson Line” by William Pfaff and “A Century of Building Blocks for the New Europe” by Fritz Stern both discussed Europe’s past history and how it shapes the region and its opinions about the rest of the world today. I especially liked the article by Pfaff and thought it was much easier to comprehend than Stern’s work. Pfaff discussed American hegemony, as well as Europe’s reaction to America’s status and foreign policy. The core of the hegemony argument is the role democracy should play in America’s foreign policy. Should we promote democracy foreign countries that are not yet democratic? While America’s foreign policy can be justified because its hegemonic status is “benevolent,” democracy is established differently in individual countries, where there are various value and institutional systems. Pfaff states that the hegemony argument is between conservatives who are wary of America’s multiculturalism and those who believe in promoting our multiculturalism. Pfaff’s article brings up points about the hegemony debate that questions our status and responsibilities as a world power.
Stern’s article discussed the idea of a “new Europe,” a region that can rebuilt itself after a long history of war and conflict only when the importance of history is recognized. One interesting point of the article was the fact that in the past, several countries attempted to hide and control the intelligence of their people by revealing only “twisted visions” of their country’s history. Stern argues that a new Europe’s history must be told in truth to be successfully created. People need “to live in the truth,” and this can only be done when the value of a nation’s history is realized. The past continuously affects the future, and is an essential part of a country’s nation-building and future planning. Stern argues that it is the responsibility of new Europe’s leaders to ensure that its people live knowing the truth of their country’s past.