The Next Superpower?: The Rise of Europe and Its Challenge to the United States

By Rockwell A. Schnabel and Francis X. Rocca

Book Overview

Americans have been recently lectured that "Americans are from Mars and Europeans are from Venus." But this slogan fails to account for the economic might of the European Union, which has elevated the EU--and its member countries--to near superpower status. What are the implications of this development for the United States? Ambassador Rockwell A. Schnabel and Francis X. Rocca take up this critical and complex question in a detailed, firsthand analysis of the EU institutions, their leadership, and the member countries. Although Europe today cannot challenge America in military terms, the 25-nation economic giant can influence world events to the benefit or detriment of the United States. This book will answer the timely and crucial question of how the "rise of Europe will affect U.S. prosperity and security for decades to come."

Ambassador Schnabel dispenses with diplomatic niceties. He is critical of both U.S. and European policies. Schnabel and Rocca give readers a compelling and provocative inside look at the people and issues that will decide whether the world's most consequential partnership flourishes or flounders. While alerting readers to the economic and geopolitical challenges posed by a stronger EU, the authors reject the complacency of those who see American "unipolarity" as a license to neglect our allies, or those who entertain the illusion that we can "divide and conquer" Europe. This book will make clear why the U.S. must work with the EU--or expect the EU to work against it.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0742545474
• ISBN13: 9780742545472
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Europe!!! The Next Superpower;Believe It

I just finished reading Amabassador Schnabel's excellent book and realize how little I understood or knew about the EU. Many of us have been a bit overwhelmed by all the China and India growth stories; as a result, I for one, have totally missed the boat on what's happening in Europe. If I had a choice of where to spend the next 20 years in business, I would clearly choose the European Union (even after reading The World is Flat while on a trip to India). Because the US and the EU have "common values" and huge economic power, we together have the opportunity to "shape the world" in the next two decades. After that, we will be forced to share this power with the emerging Asian giants. I have given the book to my college son to increase his awareness of the EU and its importance to the United States, up to now it's been all China. I think his views may change after reading this book, besides, Europe is a great place for kids his age!!!! Highly recommended reading and much easier to consume than certain other "World......" books.

An Insider's Guide to the Future of the EU

As a US student in global political affairs in Washington, DC, I have spent many hours debating what it means to be considered a "superpower," who rivals the US for the title, and who is essentially the next "superpower." Rockwell Schnabel and Francis X. Rocca's well-researched book sheds light on the existing power dynamics of modern Europe and the EU in global society and what implications this 25 member state holds for our future. With its ever-impressive economic strengths coupled with its cultural and institutional influences, they believe the European Union should be viewed as a force to be reckoned with, but more importantly as a strong ally. Rockwell Schnabel draws from his experiences as a native European citizen and former ambassador to the EU to highlight crucial choices the EU must make if it is to become geopolitically stronger and, in fact, be the next superpower. Long- term decisions regarding a free market economy and Europe's stance towards the US will not only have direct impacts on American businesses, but also on global security. Considering the rising power of nations like China and India, transatlantic cooperation provides an opportunity to unite to achieve our common goals. By pooling vast resources together, the US and EU can have real effects on world hunger, poverty, and disease. The Next Superpower? unites theoretical concepts with observations to provide insightful, yet critical analysis of global affairs from a US/EU perspective. It is a must read for every student of politics, economics, or business who cares about the future of the US, Europe, and the world.

Required reading for a rational view of modern Europe.

In 2001, $300 billion market-cap Connecticut-based General Electric was moving toward closing a $42 billion deal to acquire New Jersey-based Honeywell. The executives, directors, and shareholders of each company had tendered their approval, as had the regulatory authorities in the United States. But some 3,500 miles away, European bureaucrats sitting in Brussels had other ideas. The threat to the international aerospace industry, they said, was just too great to risk letting these U.S. based companies combine as they had already agreed. And that's where the deal stopped. Rockwell Schnabel-until a few months ago U.S. Ambassador to the European Union-essentially put U.S. business interests on notice that, like it or not, this is the new reality, and understanding the construct within which European commerce now takes place is critical to success in that very large market. The Next Superpower? is a brief yet highly insightful book that will serve as an indispensable primer to every American businessman trying to comprehend and penetrate the increasingly formidable market that is the European Union. In 188 pages, Schnabel, together with co-author Francis Rocca, takes the reader from the history and economic theories behind the formation of the EU, to what is essentially a How-To guide through its institutions, and those of its member states. Those looking for an ideologically-charged paper in the vein of either Robert Kagan ("Of Paradise and Power"), or, conversely, Joseph Nye ("The Paradox of American Power"), will be disappointed. While the Ambassador clearly has a firm grasp on these competing views, this is a book that is about the practical realities of getting things done. The comparison, for instance, of the opposing dirigiste tradition of socialist France and the (classical) liberalism of Adam Smith, while worthwhile topics unto themselves, are clearly addressed with the purpose of giving the businessman, politician, and diplomat an historical and cultural framework as they move down what is an irreversible path toward free markets and capitalism in its highest form. Schnabel, himself raised in the Netherlands-not exactly a hotbed of American-style conservatism-and clearly an admirer of much of the European tradition, has very much perfected the American way of doing business and getting things done. His career path apparently took him from young immigrant, to investment banker, to the Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations, to technology fund principal (starting in 1993...not bad timing) and back to public service as EU Ambassador. It would seem that the "revolving door" between public and private sector has, in this case anyway, served the U.S. very well indeed.