You asked for a definition of Atlanticist.

We understand that "Western" or "The West" has a certain meaning, even though the countries that can be defined as Western are scattered all over the globe and aren't really West of anything. I suppose the main reason to keep the term Western is because it defines countries and cultures that share the philosophical, artistic, and ethnic heritage of Western Europe.

Atlanticist would be defined the same way, the countries that share the heritage of the (North) Atlantic region. We needn't be concerned that some of the emerging Atlanticist countries and regions are not bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

Perhaps Atlanticism only seems poorly defined because we take so much of it for granted. For example, everybody is all excited about the potential for Russo-German trade. But Detlef's figures show that Germany's trade with Atlantic countries is huge compared to the Russian trade. Even if every Russophilic policy currently being debated in Germany were to be approved, it would probably take 10-20 years for Russian trade to grow enough to even catch up to the Atlantic trade (which is also growing, although more slowly). Russian trade would not replace Atlantic trade, it would simply add to it.

And trade is only part of the equation. The Atlantic trade both reflects and promotes the shared values, shared institutions, etc. that define Atlanticism.

But Atlanticism perhaps is changing. In the bi-polar world, one pretty much had to be an Atlanticist or a non-Atlanticist. Now it is possible to be both an Atlanticist and have other affiliations as well.

I have signed up on Atlantic Community and posted about Obama in the comment to this post.

Also I commented here on a previous AR post, which applies to this one as well.

Off topic, but I want to take a moment and congratulate Sen. Obama for making history as the first African-American Presidential nominee of a major party. It is no small accomplishment.

Not his genetics, which are irrelevant, but his heritage. Granted, it is an adopted (by choice, and later, by marriage) heritage, but it is his nonetheless. He is as African-American as Colin Powell, who made history in a lesser way being Sec. of State, 4th in line for the Presidency.