Boris Zala is a philosopher, journalist, former chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Slovakia and a former Member of the European Parliament.
I have been watching political events in the world since that exciting year of Czech-Slovak spring 1968. Everything has happened in the world, and everything risky. The Vietnam War was a humanitarian disaster, but on both sides of the Iron Curtain we experienced it as a local measurement of the power between the world of imperialism and socialism seen from the one hand, and the world of freedom and dictatorship from the other side of the shore …
The occupation of our country by a half -million army of the Warsaw Pact on the other side of the Atlantic did not extend very much, but in Europe to the west of the Iron Curtain caused a shock. Nobody could exclude whether this, then the most powerful tank army of the world, would stop in Prague, Vienna or Madrid.
The “Westerners” were shaking their knees. And then, after the shocking attack on New York’s twins, the “Amic” launched a global struggle against Islamic terrorism, including the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, we didn’t care – because the terrorists could hit anywhere.
However, the war was in the Far East, and even though we were bravely involved in this fight, our soldiers were still well protected by the American logistics shield. And when Putin triggered a counter -Chain war, it was not up to date to fear, after all, after all, the Ukrainians successfully faced the Russians, and even drove them to the retreat and – the most important – Europe and America stood in one width, firmly hand in hand against Russian ancientmosphere.
Donald on the scene
And Donald Trump will appear again. In two months of his office, however, the world is upside down. Not in one or two places. In all places the planet. In order not to scare the reader, I have no apocalyptic ideas about the world. On the contrary, this turning of the world upside down is a direct and perhaps a desirable challenge to put it on much firmer feet than it has been on.
But I’m overtaking it. This Donald brought hostility, combat atmosphere and blackmail trading practices perhaps into all international relations: deleted the division of the world into allies, friends, opponents and enemies. In accordance with the worst logic of the first half of the 20th century, he made all the competitors: Whoever pushes the most of his strength will be the winner.
The world of rules, norms, laws – albeit poorly – was the way the world was slowly walking. At least declaratively.
Indeed, in the Soviet influence zone. It has committed itself to the Helsinki acts to fulfill international obligations whose core was the undeniable territorial integrity as it has stabilized after World War II, but also human rights, which, although not observed by Czechoslovakia, but their codification was a strong impulse for home fighting.
For example, he also gave birth to Charter 77, but it was also a core that gave the right and meaning of our gentle revolution … And again, despite the fact that in various events international standards were not respected (let us mention only the disintegration of Yugoslavia or the occupation of Iraq …)
America in the embrace of the far right
But our dear Donald and his fearful Republicans will not let their hands be tied to some standards. This is the mentality of weaknesses! Muscles need to be shown, it is necessary to fight for the “size of America”.
The Maga Maging (Make America Great Again) is a zone of all possible shades of the far right, racist, fascist movements of the nurtured conspiracy ideas, heavily powered by hundreds of various fanatical religious organizations. This would not be so strange about the American circumstances, but the real danger is that the Maga has completely seized the entire Republican party.
Thus, if many believe that Trump will not be in four years, they feed on false hopes. Maga’s candidate will be some of the Vance or Musk again – and believe me, in both cases it is an embodiment of aggressive racial superiority inside and American God -predetermined government over the world.
Well, the world is now moving away with Trump’s tariff avanturas, incalculable commercial wars; alliances with diverse dictators, outcasts and strange. Have you noticed how he quickly agreed with Salvador President Nayib Bukelem for the deportations of Venezuelans without any court decision to meg binders in Salvador?
Or with the war criminal Netanyahu on the displacement of the Palestinians and the transformation of Gaza into the Riviera and the tourist resort? And with what pleasure he is rumming with Putin, another war criminal – even tried to clean him up by abolishing the institute who gathered evidence of the kidnapping of Ukrainian children – and erasing this data as well as the promise that the return of children will not be the topic of a possible peace agreement …
So I could continue with dozens of other decisions of Trump’s cabinet, which, however, if you look at them in its entirety are no longer a policy of avanturism. No. It is the policy of the far right, with all the symptoms, methods and goals as we Europeans know from the period after the First World War, the time of the onset of fascist regimes.
Europe at the intersection
Europe has this experience deep under the skin, survived the lessons of fascist and far -right regimes into the most bradent consequences. It is Europe, embodied by the European Union, if it is associated with its surroundings, must build the dam of this wave of barbarity and darkness, but also show the world that there is a positive alternative. This is not a god given by the predestination, it is a memento of experience and the personal courage of every European to fight.
At the last summit of the EU leaders, everyone except Viktor Orban understood it. Including our four cardinal points, the Domoted Prime Minister. And note how Canada started to report to the EU. More than 60 percent of Canadians would support accession to the EU.
Or, as the Republic of South Africa, it linked to the EU and concluded a “strategic partnership” a few days ago – a month after Trump canceled all the developmental assistance of the country to Musk’s initiative. By the way, Elon grew up there and enjoyed all the benefits of apartheid …
Europe has a huge chance – to show its humanism, to restore its strength and can also save the “Amík” from the claws of the fascist dragon. Just as Americans did when Europe found itself in these claws.
