Update [2005-6-12 23:8:5 by BooMan]:OKAY FOLKS!! European Tribune IS OPEN FOR NEW MEMBERS, NEW DIARIES, AND LOTS OF NEW FUN. I HOPE YOU LIKE THE NEW COLORS AND SOME OF THE NEAT NEW FEATURES!! GOOD LUCK TO JEROME, SIROCCO, SOJ, AND DeANANDER!!
Update [2005-6-12 23:16:22 by Jerome a Paris]: Hah! Booman beat me to officially announce the opening of the site! See how impatient we are to invite you over… I have also posted an introduction diary over at dKos. May I kindly ask that you go over there and recommend it here to get the site some extra publicity? Thanks – and come visit European Tribune yourself!!!
I decided to create Booman Tribune long before I ever decided on a frog for a mascot. I never envisioned that we would all come to refer to this place as the ‘Frog Pond’. I’m not even sure who the first person was to use that term. (Mad mojo to whomever figures it out).
Before I had a mascot, I had a motto. It was: We Plan for Serendipity. That motto kind of got dropped in favor of We Wont Rest ‘Til They’re Frog-Marched Out. But I still believe in it. If we structure the site correctly, and create the right culture, fortuitous things will happen. And they have. Because now we are launching another sister site for those of us on the other side of the ‘Frog Pond’.
European Tribune is the brain child of Jerome a Paris and Keith Barratt. Keith is no longer with us on the project, but he did contribute quite a lot as we developed it. I’ll leave it to Jerome to introduce the site when the time comes to open the doors. But I want to talk a little about why the project intrigued me, and why I was eager to help build the site.
In a post Cold War world we suddenly entered into a new phase of American politics. Suddenly, it was possible for a man like Bill Clinton, who had never served in the military, to become President. Foreign affairs receded into the background of political debate.
The attacks of 9/11 ended that brief era. When I looked at the Democratic candidates for President in 2004, I saw a deficit of foreign policy experience. I went with Kerry and was encouraged and relieved when Clark got in the race. But I was discouraged by the lack of qualified alternatives.
I was even more discouraged by the lack of debate within the progressive community about what the alternatives to war with Iraq might be.
What should be done about the oppressive governments of our longtime allies: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan? Would it be safe to lift the sanctions on Saddam and how would we prevent him from re-arming? What responsibility does the UN Security Council have to prevent weapons proliferation? Can the world community insist on civilian control of the military before it permits a nation to develop certain weapons technologies?
These were the discussions that we needed to have in a post-9/11 world. And we needed to have these discussions with our allies in Europe, with Russia and China, with the whole world. And it wasn’t happening. It still isn’t.
It’s not enough to oppose the Manichean War on Terror. We need alternative ways to deal with ‘rogue regimes’ in possession of ‘the world’s most dangerous weapons’. It’s not enough to oppose imperialism in the energy producing regions of the world. We need to figure out how we are going to get enough alternative energy. These issues cry out for global conversations and global solutions.
So, I built this site with the ‘World Recommended Diary’ feature to help foster a global conversation. And I jumped at the chance to expand on my vision by helping Jerome to create his own vision. Together, I think we may make some progress and begin to develop an alternative foreign policy. And that can only benefit all of us.
If you’re a night owl, you just might be able to visit European Tribune before you go to sleep. Meanwhile, Jerome is going to bed and getting his rest. Tomorrow will be an exciting day.