Loss of US Respect Leaves a Dangerous World

[babylonsister]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22609649-7583,00.html

We're going to run these bastards down. We're going to lead, and everyone else is going to follow
-CIA director George Tenet, after September 11, 2001

If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
- 1 Corinthians 14:8, New Testament


AT the beginning of the new millennium, a mere seven years ago, it was widely assumed that the character of the coming epoch would be determined by the interplay between two closely related and mutually reinforcing phenomena: US hegemony and globalisation.

The US was the confident possessor of overwhelming all-round power. It was "the benign superpower" that would provide the stability and security necessary for globalisation to proceed and thrive. In its turn globalisation would ensure the worldwide spread of American economic practices, technologies, culture and values. Indeed for many influential writers on the subject - Thomas Friedman in his huge bestseller, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, for example - globalisation seemed to be more or less a synonym for Americanisation. The French foreign minister at the time, Hubert Vedrine, agreed: "American globalism dominates everything. Not in a harsh, repressive, military form, but in people's heads."

It is worth bearing this quite recent picture of the world in mind in order to appreciate fully how different things are now.

The US and the American people are experiencing a crisis of confidence. The country is bitterly divided and uncertain as to how it should proceed. Obsessed by immediate problems, there is little evidence of far-reaching strategic thinking, or of that much prized American commodity, vision.

In the rest of the world, anti-Americanism is at an all-time high. But it is not so much that the US is feared and hated; a superpower can comfortably cope with a lot of that.

What is more serious is the loss of respect and credibility that is evident, the diminished prestige and authority, and consequently a reduced ability to lead, persuade or overawe.

All this has resulted from an astonishingly inept American performance over the past few years. That in turn reflects the cumulative effect of a combination of factors: the profound shock of 9/11; the resulting outrage that had the effect of causing the country to behave in a fashion that in some ways betrayed its own best values; hubris, and the embracing of a doctrine that was so ambitious that it guaranteed failure; and an administration guilty of incredible incompetence in the implementation of policy. (The world witnessed a superpower that claimed to be able to fix the world, even as it failed miserably for months on end to deal with the impact of a hurricane on one of its cities.)

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22609649-7583,00.html

[BridgeTheGap]

1. John Kerry was right - 9/11 should have been treated as a crime

Most people in the world can relate to holding murderers accountable for their actions.
Bush turned it into a "war" and worse yet a "crusade." Ideology is now the said basis for BREAKING THE LAW with invasions of sovereign nations that pose no threat and have taken no actions against us.
So, instead of going after criminals, we become them.

[Diclotican]

2. babylonsister

babylonsister

hello

If US had used the sympaty, and all the positive respect they was given from all over the place after WTC and 911 they should had managaged to still get this respect from both friends and allieds.. In 6 years time they just blow this out of the water and relocated the whole thing with disrespect. Many, many houndres of tousands FEAR US today.. Before they love US and all what the US stand for. Now they just turn their back on US..

In the wake of 911, the whole world was given proof for the sympati they was given to US and to New York. if you dont belive mee, I was outside the American Ambassade the next saturday, to give my tribute to the americans who lost their life that day.. The ambassade was given houndres of flower, and the pathway outside the Ambassade was full of flower, to say what US meant to many houndres maybee tousands of ordinary peopole in Norway.. And we was chocked about whats happend in US as everyone else for that sake..
The NATO alliace even activated Articel 5 in the alliance statute, who can come under the name "one for all, all for one" If one member was attaced, it was a attac on EVERY ONE of the alliance member.. And it was a attack on everyone alliancemember then.. And on the western world..

Even old enemies like Iran and Cuba, two country who dosent ecactly are on the White House Cristmas card list, was given clear proof that they dosent condone what was happend in New York... As longtime friends and allied was doing it..

Dear lords. If US have had just another president then they had.. A president who understand what this can mean for US stand in the world, and for US. The sympati, the respect, and the will to fight it togheter with the US was there.. To all to see.. The speak of "either are you against us or with us" and the spaking about "holy crusade" was destroying everything..
The ILLEGAL WAR against Iraq destroyed more, and the proof of tortur, murder and pilage from US forces have destroyed yet more of US creditebility in the face of the world. I dont really know how to try to fix it. But you wil not find a politican who want to go to bed with the White House, before Mr Bush is really out off office.. Then "maybee" the NATO alliance want to do something.. someway, shomehow to help US out..

Dam this last 6 year have allmoust destroyed 60 year of co-existece, sympati and respect.. I really do hope that US are not taking a turn to the worse the next 18 months. But everything is posibile with this administration I guess..
And I fear, really fear what mr Bush wil do the next 18 mounts, another war, another "catastrophe"? Maybee even Marshall Law as many fear?

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my naive language

[babylonsister]

3. Hello, Diclotican~

Thanks for your response and confirmation. We know what's been lost in our country by this admin, at least those of us who are paying attention, and I weep at what's been done in my name. I wish we could rid ourselves of these warmongers and heartily approve of any impeachment process that would do so. Unfortunately, the people that represent me don't think that's a good idea at this point. So we wait, more people die, and we continue to lose respect in the rest of the world. It all could have been so different after 9/11 if we didn't have an admin bent on war and a Congress that enabled them.

I wish there was something I/we could do about that, but I don't see any way out until the next election when hopefully cooler, more diplomatic heads will prevail.
And don't worry about your english! You're doing just fine!

:hi:

[Diclotican]

4. babylonsister

babylonsister

Many of you "Know" what is happening in US. But somehow you dosent get the messsage out to the peopole who maybee wil turn against this madness.. MANY american still belive that mr Bush have been great to US.. I know one of them. He is heartly in agreement whith the current Administration, and wil expand the military power (as I understand it) to get after "all who are against US). That he dosent know, or want to understand is that for every time Mr Bush act as he are doing, US are making on mye enemy. .For everytime US are sending prisions to some of the "dark places" A potencial terrorist is born.. If not the man who are been accused of bad thing, then some of his families, maybee the sons and so on.. This have the potencial to been draget out for decades.. If the US dosent stop torture, and sending inocent to prision where they are held without charges for a long time..

I have a teory, maybee not a good one but then it is just a teory. If Mr Bush had have a "sexual thing" outside of marriage, then the whole world had falen on his head.. But becouse he just lie, sheat and desive the whole american public, and was trying to do it to the rest of the world. He get a free pass.. Its Ok to lie, steel, sheat, as long as you dosent dosent go over the line and are thinking with "junior" if YOu understand where I am going..

To waste money on the scale what mr Bush have been doing, without the congress to earmark it, or even tryed to stop this stupid spending is just yawbreaking to se from outside.. No other president, Democrats or Republican had given allmoust free accss to the treassary as mr Bush have been doing.. To rib the treassary right and center. And given the biggest bolk of the money to "friends" and "suportes".. He have been reprentive for maybee the most corrupt administration EVER in the history of the US. It is 1000 things to get apeachment on the table for. And guess what, the Senat and Congress dosent dear to tutch him..

If a Democratic President had been doing this ALL republicans had been over his soor head and crusifix him as a wastly spender. But when mr Bush are ruing the whole thing.. Nobody complain.. Wel some complain, even in the republican senat and kongress. But they are ofte silenced and are not invited to tell the press what they know.. Its like US is in GREAT DENIAL of what is really happening.. Even the International CNN, are totaly out of syck for what are really happening, and are talking about things that dont matter.. Any more then...

I dont know what you can do. But I do hope that enough peopole is woting in a policitan who really know what is happening, and who wil do his best to try to fix some of the damage.. What US really need is some with a clear head, extreme diplomatic skills, and the will to build the brigde who are there, but rather in a bad shape..

Thak you for that you mean I write fine engelish, I know my gramar sucks.. But I are getting better and better now:)

Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

[pat_k]

5. Impeachment Candidate = National Security Candidate

Effectively meeting global threats requires global partners.

Bushncheney's "with our or against us" bullying has isolated and endangered the nation. We have allowed the good will of the American people to be cut out of the loop. Until we reclaim our power to serve as a positive force, there will be no mending the bridges burned.

Not only have we lost our global partners, turning Americans into torturers has destroyed our moral authority to object when other parties to conflict torture Americans. It inflames a desire for revenge. It puts the civilians and military personnel who serve in "hot spots" at greater risk.

(And btw, how can Democrats expect the nation to trust them to fight terrorists if they refuse to fight to end the devastation being wrought by bushncheney?)

Impeachment is the ONLY means to unequivocally reject bushncheney's authoritarian and irrational rule. It is the only way to reclaim our power as a people. Impeachment is the path to greater security.

Impeach for Security! is an easy case to make.

We don't need to "win" in Congress to redeem ourselves. Forcing an up or down vote on the worst of the recent past, whatever the vote count, gives the American people an opportunity to weigh in. Even if fascist minions in Congress block the removal of bushncheney, we can redeem ourselves by repudiating the minions with OUR votes. But we cannot pass judgment on their choice unless they are not forced to declare themselves. Refusal to impeach denies the American people "the last word" they deserve.