Article I

Name: Gianna Rocca

Block 2
Date: 4/29/15
Article Title: Greece, Ukraine, and Europes Essential Crisis
Citation of the Article: Poulos, James. "Greece, Ukraine, and Europe's Existential
Crisis." Greece, Ukraine, and Europe's Existential Crisis. The Week Magazine, 28
Apr. 2015. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.
Summary (No less than 10 sentences for full credit)
In the article Greece, Ukraine, and Europes Essential Crisis author James Poulos
discusses Europes present day identity crisis. This crisis revolves around Europes
main concerns: protecting European unity and European peace as well as
maintaining the prolonged the idea of European democracy. These concerns are
due to the slow-motion destruction of Ukraine, and the much more rapid
realization of the Greek departure from the European Union (Grexit). Nevertheless,
they are the two latest and most puzzling crises that have aroused spasm and panic
for the continent. On one hand, the crisis of Greece is that European unity will be
revealed as a political idea after all, and no one is really prepared to deal with the
implications of that, of course. On the other hand, the Ukraine crisis reveals that,
with or without Greece, Europe is still a political idea at bottom, that is, an idea
that must be acted upon politically. Throughout the article, Poulos refers to
Napoleon's empire and what Napoleon would do to solve Europes current
calamity. Although, Poulos alludes to how the core of Europe have come a long
and sad way from Napoleon's day. This is because European unity is still a
political idea in search of a political master, and Europe's democracy is still more
of a puzzle than a solution for the question of its identity, according to the article.
Overall, Poulos believes Europe must accept that it has brought both crises

upon itself.
Reaction (Must include evidence of point of view and/or bias and/or understanding
of article; no less than 6 sentences for full credit)
In my eyes, finding the right solution for Europes current situation in is very
difficult. The author James Poulos states: it seems likely that the only way

for a united Europe to withstand its existential challenge is to maintain

conceptually defensible borders borders that exclude Greece and
Ukraine. I understand Pouloss thinking and accept that it makes valid sense

for Europe to exclude these countries due to how they are not/no longer
involved in the European Union; however, I am bias in favor of this idea.
This is because if Europe excludes Ukraine, Europe would be in effectively
handing Ukraine to Russia. And as a result from this, Europe will be handing
another burden to America. Of course as an American citizen I appreciate my
country and how it sets examples for others by helping and fighting for
those who are in need of American help. But I find it baffling that U.S. is
constantly getting involved in settlements that are unrelated to the country. If
the problem has not occurred on our soil, why cant America just remain
independent like the nation we are? Likewise, the financial and military
strength of the U.S. will once again be put to the test to underwrite the
existential sanity of the European people.