07.04.09
The last firecracker
Another concept I’ve put forth that I’ve subjected to self-questioning, as much like hyperbole as it sounds on first encounter, is the notion that the United States of America may be a thing of the past. Alas, three Pajamas Media writers have Independence Day columns up today in which they wonder the same thing. You can find them here, here and here.
These writers share my concern that we have irretrievably lost sight of that which made this nation free, strong, righteous, inventive, vibrant and unique. Our enemies sense it. Our friends and allies seem to sense it as well, given the rightward direction of recent elections in Europe, South Korea and Israel. They’re starting to question the wisdom of sitting idly by and waiting for a hyperpower to have their backs. In fact, that kind of assumption on the part of the individual citizens of this country has a lot to do with what got us to our current distressing juncture.
Any road back will not be a matter of business as usual, of putting up the same old kinds of hopeful figures to be put through the same old political hoops. If the United States of America can be brought back from its flatline status, it will be by heroes and visionaries with entrails on fire.
Mr.Dings said,
July 5, 2009 at 4:11 pm
And you can find them here http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780767930079.html
Our editorialists and politicians talk about the American dream, and some urge us to bring democracy to the rest of the world. But more than two million Americans are now in prison, by far the highest incarceration rate in the so-called advanced world. Our foreign policy is confused, without clear direction; increasingly vulnerable to such largely unexamined long-term threats as China’s emerging power while it has become bogged down in the never-ending struggles of the Middle East. As this drift toward societal regression has taken place, America’s leadership has largely been paralyzed, unable or unwilling to stop the slide. “Where are the leaders?” Webb asks. “Has our political process become so compromised by powerful interest groups and the threat of character assassination that even the best among us will not dare to speak honestly about the solutions that might bring us back to common sense and fundamental fairness?”
Here http://books.google.com/books?id=-GOfx2MA07gC&dq=pride+hubris+buchanan&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=6n-_R2pHf5&sig=Go7NDmyY3zsY9jRKHd8r7Cxc7NI&hl=en&ei=8M5QSuqeO4-6NubiwPUP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1
In economic terms, our far-flung empire has enormous costs and, in concert with the short-sighted trade and economic policies we’ve zealously pursued since President Bush took office, is contributing to the growing economic debacle the nation now faces. One of the other economic policies that Buchanan rightly notes will be our undoing is our single-minded pursuit of so-called free trade–which policymakers define as entailing only the absence of tariffs on imports–at all costs. Among political leaders, Buchanan observes, “free trade is not a policy option to be debated,” these days, but is now “a dogma to be defended.”
and here http://books.google.com/books?id=0yjICMoIBmoC&dq=Peter+W+Galbraith&printsec=frontcover&source=an&hl=en&ei=qs9QSoSjI4eaMYLt5PUP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7
¶A war intended to eliminate (what were later found to be non-existent) weapons of mass destruction in Iraq “ended up with Iran and North Korea much closer to having deployable nuclear weapons.”
¶A war intended to help combat terrorism has led to the recruitment of more terrorists and the spread of Al Qaeda to Iraq.
¶A war intended to create a bulwark against the ayatollahs in Tehran turned into a “strategic gift to Iran” and the empowerment in Iraq of pro-Iranian Shiite theocrats.
¶A war intended to make Israel more secure has made that country more vulnerable to threats from Syria, Iran and Hezbollah.
¶A war intended to showcase American power has ended up underscoring “the deficiencies of U.S. intelligence, the incompetence of American administration and the limitations on the American military.”
¶A war meant to boost America’s global leadership “has driven U.S. prestige to an all-time low” over the last five years and alienated important allies like Turkey.
Bentnotesmanhisself said,
July 8, 2009 at 12:09 am
Higher incarceration rate: Sounds like we’re doing a better job of enforcing laws and civil order than a lot of countries.
Never-ending stuggles of the middle east: that’s where our immediate enemies – al Qaeda, Iran, and its proxies – are.
Are you a Buchananite on the subject of international trade? How does it help US businesses to incur higher costs than necessary by pursuing isolationist strategies?
Would you have advocated what would have been really necessary to thwart the Iranian and North Korean nuke programs even if we hadn’t invaded Iraq?
Syria, Iran and Hezbollah would be single-mindedly pursuing Israel’s destruction whether we had invaded Iraq or not.
If this war “to showcase American power” underscored deficiencies and incompetence, shouldn’t the step to take be to become proficient and competent so we can effectively showcase American power?
Low prestige with what nations and what does it matter?