Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain and Europe in a New Century
On February 2, 2006, the Institute for Human Sciences hosted a lecture by Christopher Patten, Chancellor of Oxford and Newcastle Universities. Patten’s book, Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain and Europe in a New Century, formed the basis of his remarks. In a speech peppered with anecdotes drawn from his distinguished political career, Chris Patten put the transatlantic relationship in a historical perspective and stressed the need for the US and Europe to work together to fend off the dark side of globalization and threats such as environmental degradation, deadly diseases and nuclear terrorism. He argued that Europe should be seen as a partner and not a rival to the US, and that Europe’s enlargement, far from threatening American foreign policy objectives, was its most important contribution to global stability.
