Greece: Only Europe Can Bridge the Gap

Anna Diamantopoulou, Eleftherotypia (liberal), Athens, Sept. 16, 2001.

The tragic events of Sept. 11 sealed humanity’s history in such a way that from now on every reference to contemporary history will refer to “before” and “after.” The word “retaliation” seems to be gathering dangerous clouds over our planet.

The United States comes out of its isolationism and is in search of a global political alliance. The largest service that the Europeans can offer at this point to the United States and to themselves is to leave the Americans alone in this effort.

The attack on New York and Washington, clearly a terrorist attack, or an act of war, or even both, did confirm that all contemporary societies and all contemporary cities are threatened.

The blind clash that leads to “human bombs,” in conjunction with the contemporary lifestyles, portrays the size of the dangers ahead. Under these circumstances, the weapons are not contemporary technology, intelligence services, a police state, or defense advancement; they are democracy, education, and the interaction of the two civilizations. They are the bridging of the gap, and not the pseudo-economic approach between developed countries and those of the Third World. The organized and stern reaction to terrorism should not lead to any compromises for democracy.

Europe’s historical inheritance, its economic power, and its geopolitical position render it as the single safe broker of peace. If it does not succeed in bridging this global gap, no one else is capable of doing so, and a new form of Cold War will come to the planet.