Page 50 - Cormorant 2019

PAGE 48
Regional Security Exercise 2
Management of Defence Module: United States Lt Col Xavier Rival, French Air Force
FROM A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE, we are used to thinking that we pretty well understand Americans and the United States. We
are surrounded by references to American culture and the American dream: sports, movies, TV series, and... fast food. As
arguably the most influential world power, there is not a single day that the United States is not front and centre on the international stage. This can lead those who follow the upheavals of current events to a form of acquaintance with the American way of dealing with the world. During a full week, RSE2 questioned our certainties and hubris with which we sometimes underplay American history when compared to our relatively
longer history. Three stages were chosen in three major cities which were more complex and convoluted than they appear – Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York.
Washington DC is clearly the political heart of the United States. RSE2 gave us the opportunity to
visit symbolic and cultural locations as well as
the United States’ centres of power. The tour of Mount Vernon allowed us to walk in the footsteps and take in the views of America’s founding father – George Washington. The numerous memorials and museums located around the National Mall showcased the complexity of the American history,