US complicit in its own decline

[acmavm]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/FC31Dj02.html

By W Joseph Stroupe


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China is rising, economically, diplomatically and militarily, to threaten a displacement of the United States as the dominant power in Southeast Asia. Europe is increasingly choosing the course of independence from the US: it currently rivals US gross domestic product (GDP) and is making joint economic and strategic diplomatic agreements with US competitors Russia, China, India, Iran and others, while the US looks on warily.

South Korea is increasingly irritated with the US military presence and diplomatic posture on the Peninsula and is looking ahead to a settlement of the Korean crisis that could significantly lessen, if not eliminate, US presence and influence. Japan likewise is displaying increasing irritation with the US diplomatic posture and military presence in the region and is moving rapidly in the direction of remilitarization, independence and self-assertion, making its own energy-security deals with Iran and Russia over US objections. Taiwan is also becoming more assertive, risking a conflagration with China, and obliging the US to make diplomatic moves toward China, away from longtime ally Taiwan, in an effort to avoid the conflagration, in which the US would most likely be the prime geopolitical loser.

<snip>

the economy, stupid!'
The essence of US global power is its economic wealth. Every other form of its power is a derivative of that wealth. The US has been able to influence all the other players on the geopolitical chessboard because it leads the global economy, and historically, it can therefore greatly reward or severely punish in ways and to an extent that no one else can. This fact endows the US with tremendous political and diplomatic power and influence. It can develop and deploy the most awesome and effective military machine in the world, enabling the projection of its power around the globe - all because it can "afford" it economically while no other nation can. The standard of living and the freedoms enjoyed by its people give the US tremendous social and cultural influence across the globe - all rooted in its economic prosperity. In every way US power derives from its economic capital.

Even the enemy terrorists realize the truth of this. Hence they attacked the very symbolic heart of America's economic power on September 11, 2001, in an effort to damage the real source of US power. If that true source of power is ever spoiled significantly, or if the US economy could be throttled by an outside force, then the last superpower will see a decline in the potency of all its derivative forms of power and influence. As a matter of fact, the evidence strongly indicates that decline is already happening. How so?

-MORE-

Didn't see this anywhere else, if it's a dupe, please delete.

[On the Road]

1. Asia Times Has Some Great Editorials

Hong Kong seems to have much better journalism in general than mainland China, Taiwan, or Japan. Hope it continues.

It's a long, strange editorial. He moves from discussing US economics to Russian oil, then Russian anti-surface-vessel missles. Bt it's fascinating. I wish editorials like this were in US papers. We truly are a blind and overconfident country.