EU's Immoral Foreign Policy: Economic Self Interest at any Cost

Submitted by Shep Fargotstein (United States), Jan 15, 2003 at 00:39

EU's Immoral Foreign Policy: Economic Self Interest at any Cost

I applaud U.S. trade Representative Robert Zoellick's use of the term "immoral" to describe the EU's refusal to accept genetically modified (GM) food from the USA, and the pressure the EU has imposed on Zambian President Mwanawasa not to accept over 26,000 tons of GM aid. Mr. Zoellick said what a lot of other people only think: That the EU's charade of moral superiority is an attempt to disguise their underlying motive – EU economic self interest at any cost, no matter how immoral. In this case, the EU blackmailed Africa with the threat of withholding economic aid if they accepted GM food from the USA - under the unscientific pretense that GM food poses a health concern to African agriculture. In reality, the EU uses the pretense of "health concerns" to deny the American farmer access to EU markets – with the sole purpose of protecting EU farmers.

The same can be said for the EU's foreign policy as it relates to Iraq and the Israeli/Palestinian issue. It's all about oil and trade, not moral superiority. Various members of the EU have developed a global economic strategy out of political opportunism vis-à-vis the USA. Nuclear reactors for Iran or Iraq? No problem, the French and Germans are more than glad to supply the components. USA boycott of Cuba? No problem, the Europeans trampled each other in a rush to sign leases on valuable beachfront property, and develop the Cuban tourist industry in exchange for subsidized European goods and services.

European officials already are patting themselves on the back for the French Foreign Legion's "significant humanitarian contribution" to stability in the former African French colony of the Ivory Coast. In reality, the French are only protecting significant French assets (coca plantations) still lingering years after independence, and could care less about the lives and freedoms of Africans. If they really did care, then ask them why over 1 million Africans that will starve this year - because of the EU's immoral foreign policy of blackmail at any cost.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".