The two powerful subjects of international order differ by their views of the world and their missions. America's mission is based on superpower and sanctions and the establishment of democracy by hook or by crook, while Europe's mission is based on peaceful strategies of persuasion and encouragement, Finkielkraut said in his lecture, which was held at the Europe House in Zagreb.
According to the French philosopher, the historical antagonism between Europe and America has continued to the present but has a different form today. Europe resents the excessive use of force by America and considers its mission of spreading freedoms "naked force", which is why it equates Bin Laden's fundamentalism and Bush's "crusades", said Finkielkraut.
Modern anti-Americanism started gaining strength in Europe in the second half of the last century, triggered by the war in Vietnam. It gained unprecedented momentum after the September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent attack on Iraq, Finkielkraut said.
Opposition to the Iraq war has homogenised political leaders and public opinion in Europe, which has made it possible for French President Jacques Chirac, a rightist politician, to become spokesman for European nations and governments, including socialist governments which share the same position on the attack on Iraq, he said.
Recalling the recent ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Finkielkraut said that the Europe of today was based not only on the common historical heritage but on the message "no more war".
In his public statements in recent years Finkielkraut supported the aspirations of the Croatian people for their own state and efforts to put an end to the war in the former Yugoslavia.