Welcome

Simon Serfaty

The Imperial Temptation Publication date : February 1, 2004

Once again, as in 1945 and in the period following the end of the Cold War, the United States must redefine the role it is to play in the world. Once again, the United States and Europe are at a dramatic stage in the history of their relations. And once again, Americans and Europeans are at loggerheads. And, yet again, the imperial temptation is awakening in the United States, arousing rejection and frustration.
But what is the new world order that we want for the future? That is the issue that must be addressed with urgency. Without U.S. power there will be no order. But the new order will have to include powerful friends and allies — particularly in Europe.
An expert on American as well as European foreign policy, Simon Serfaty places the current transatlantic debate in its long-term historic context and appeals for a balanced vision of the coming world order.


Simon Serfaty is senior professor of international politics at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.A. He is the Director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), one of the main think tanks in Washington, D.C. He previously taught at the University of California in Los Angeles and at Johns Hopkins University.