What the Americans Discovered in Romania

Published in Ziare.com
(Romania) on 22 May 2014
by Iulian Leca (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Andreea Muntean. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.
If you, too, are wondering what made the Americans drop by — the president in Poland and the vice president in Romania, perfectly timed with the EU Parliament election campaign — the answer is the crisis in Ukraine.

On the first day of his visit to Bucharest, Washington’s number two, Joe Biden, said that the United States has a “sacred obligation” to support both us and NATO. In conclusion, we can “count” on the Americans.

It looks like an offer we can’t refuse, in the midst of growing Russian uncertainty, even for those who, with their eyes closed, don’t see Putin as an enemy of Western civilization and the EU already frozen while figuring out what more effective sanctions to take against Russia. Biden’s decision to militarily strengthen Romanian territory can be interpreted as the Zero Hour of a new border between the East and the West.

Put bluntly, America’s decision to increase its presence in Poland and Romania means drawing a line between the “civilization” of the democratic West and the “savagery” of the East, a lawless and godless land. Hence the traditional American speech about the fight against corruption and strengthening the rule of law, a speech that in the last few months has been repeated over and over again and outlined as an priority, essential to moving forward. The only problem with such a speech is its translation into Romanian; everyone will end up understanding something different about how the great moral reform of society should happen.

It’s true, however, that on the first day of his visit, Biden didn't address the things we still need to do to evolve; instead he expressed his solidarity and gratitude for a dependable ally — a diplomacy that the great powers in Europe have either lost or are incapable of showing. The prospect of Romania, along with Poland, becoming a military base capable of withstanding threats coming from the East is already part of the “New Cold War,” a concept which has been spread in both Washington and Moscow and which represents the only way the world leaders seem capable of acting.

Still, what could the Americans have discovered in Romania that they consider it a “sacred obligation” to stand by us? It could be business opportunities, such as Chevron, or it could be the geostrategic interest in building a buffer zone that could withstand Putin’s assaults and prevent Ukraine’s disintegration from affecting the West too much.

Finally, because the political parties in Bucharest have no problem with their geopolitical orientation, their only issue with Biden visiting during mid-campaign is who will suck up to him the best to become “the chosen one.” Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has outdone himself with this opportunity, going live from Romanian TV straight to CNN just to say that when it comes to Putin, “We have to be cautious and expect the worst.”

In the meantime, it’s good the Americans came. They’re going to help us be better, so that apart from building military bases, they can drill a few shale gas exploration bores.


Daca te intrebi ce socoteli i-au facut pe americani sa descinda in Polonia - presedintele SUA - si in Romania - vicepresedintele SUA, sincronizandu-se intr-un moment care coincide si cu campania electorala pentru europarlamentarele din 25 mai, raspunsul trimite la punctul cel mai fierbinte de pe glob la aceasta ora - criza din Ucraina.

Numarul doi de la Washington, Joe Biden, a spus in prima zi a vizitei sale la Bucuresti ca Statele Unite au o obligatie "sacra" de a sta alaturi de noi si de NATO. Concluzia - putem sa ne "bazam" pe americani.

O oferta aproape de nerefuzat, in conditiile in care vantul care bate de la Moscova este tot mai puternic si mai imprevizibil, chiar si pentru cei care nu vad in Putin cu ochii inchisi un dusman al civilizatiei occidentale, iar Uniunea Europeana a inghetat deja meditand la nesfarsit ce sanctiuni mai eficiente ar putea sa ia impotriva Rusiei. Hotararea lui Biden de a intari din punct de vedere militar spatiul romanesc poate fi tradusa si ca momentul zero al nasterii unei noi granite intre Est si Vest.

Mai grosolan spus, nediplomatic si frust, prin decizia Statelor Unite de a-si intari prezenta pe teritoriile Poloniei si Romaniei se vizeaza trasarea unei linii de demarcatie intre "civilizatia" Vestului democratic si "barbaria" Estului fara lege si fara niciun Dumnezeu. De aici si discursul american traditional despre lupta impotriva coruptiei si intarirea "statului de drept", care in ultimele doua luni a fost repetat in bucla si ingrosat ca o prioritate fara de care nu se va putea merge inainte.

Singura problema cu un astfel de discurs este traducerea lui in limba romana, unde fiecare ajunge sa inteleaga altceva despre modul in care trebuie sa se petreaca marea reforma morala a societatii.

Ce-i drept, in prima zi a vizitei, Biden nu a vorbit despre lucrurile pe care noi le mai avem de facut pentru a evolua, ci si-a exprimat solidaritatea si recunostinta fata de un aliat de nadejde al SUA. O diplomatie pe care marile puteri ale Europei au pierdut-o sau pur si simplu nu mai sunt capabile sa o afiseze.

Perspectiva ca Romania sa ajunga, alaturi de Polonia, o baza militara care sa tina piept amenintarilor venite dinspre est se inscrie deja in logica "noului razboi rece", un concept vehiculat atat la Washington cat si la Moscova, singurul tip de gandire in care liderii lumii demonstreaza ca pot actiona.

Si, totusi, ce-au gasit americanii in Romania, astazi, de considera ca e o "obligatie sacra" sa stea alaturi de noi? Ar putea fi si oportunitatile de a face afaceri, vezi contractele Chevron, asa cum ar putea fi si interesele geostrategice de a construi o zona-tampon care sa reziste asalturilor Rusiei lui Putin si sa previna ca dezintegrarea Ucrainei sa afecteze prea mult Vestul.

Si pentru ca taberele politice de la Bucuresti nu au o problema de orientare geopolitica, singura problema care ramane cu vizita lui Biden in plina campanie va fi cine va reusi sa se lipeasca cel mai strans de oficialul american, astfel incat sa para ca el este "alesul".

Victor Ponta s-a intrecut pe sine cu aceasta ocazie, intrand in direct la CNN din studioul Antenei 3 pentru a spune ca de la Putin "trebuie sa fim precauti si sa ne asteptam la tot ce e mai rau".

Intre timp bine ca au venit americanii care ne vor ajuta sa devenim mai buni, pentru ca apoi sa construiasca, pe langa bazele militare, si cateva sonde pentru extractia gazelor de sist.
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