Final answer:
Barton argues that de-centering Europe from world history is a political task, not a historical task, driven by the interests of globalized multicultural elites.
Step-by-step explanation:
One argument that Barton makes in the passage is that de-centering Europe from world history is not a historical task, but a political task dictated by the interests of present-day globalized multicultural elites. He argues that historians have not solved the challenges of de-centering Europe because it goes against the interests of those in power who want to maintain fluid movement of people and capital without deeply held identities and allegiance to national borders.
Gregory Barton, as a historian of modern Great Britain, argues that the task of ‘de-centering’ Europe from world history is not actually a historical endeavor but a political one, influenced by modern-day globalized multicultural elites. He suggests that these elites are attempting to keep the movement of people and capital fluid, downplaying national identities and borders. Additionally, Barton asserts the necessity of developing a new model of modern world history that departs from both Eurocentric triumphalism and reactionary narratives about the decline of the West.