America as Elder Statesman or Sour Loser?

The world is changing fast with new nations rising, other nations drifting sideways and still other ones declining if not in absolute terms, at least in relative terms. America which used to be the undisputed world superpower is on the decline even in the eyes of its own people who see their domestic lot diminish in absolute terms even if they feel that America is still holding relatively well internationally, but worry that the situation will not last long.

If all that is true, the questions to ask are these: what long term strategy should America pursue? Will it settle for being the elder statesman to whom other nations will turn and seek advice and guidance? Or will it become the sour old loser whose cranky behavior will make the people of the world shake their heads in dismay every time that the country strikes out pursuing another ill-advised international adventure?

China which – according to Edward Luttwalk – has been rising smartly economically yet behaving awkwardly in foreign affairs, seems poised to be the nation that will most likely occupy a great deal of America's attention in the future. Destined to become a superpower in its own right, China could certainly use American advice, but it can also become a source of irritation causing America to respond in ways that will damage its image in the world if not its commercial interests and the respect of its allies.

In an article that came under the title: “China's Military Adventurism is Ill-Timed,” Luttwalk makes the point that Chinese officers are encouraged to act provocatively towards America and its Asian allies. This would be in sharp contrast to the way that the relationships unfolded during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the American alliance in Europe. The Luttwalk article also comes under the subtitle: “Beijing's smart economic policies hardly guarantee wisdom in foreign affairs. Just think of Germany before World War I.” It was published in the Wall Street Journal on December 30, 2013.

For China “Everything changed in 2008” says Luttwalk. From a policy of peaceful rise, Beijing revived its long-dormant territorial claims and started acting accordingly. This happened because the Chinese saw the global financial collapse of that year as a harbinger of collapsing American power, he goes on to say. But he laments that before 1914, Germany “had the world's best universities, the most advanced industries and the strongest banks” yet the country lacked a strategic wisdom. And this, he says, is what provoked the events that turned out badly for Germany and for the rest of the world. He hopes that China will avoid repeating that history.

It looks like the events of 2008 caught not only the attention of the Chinese leaders but also that of the American people who – like the Chinese -- changed their view of America in a fundamental way. You can see it in the article that was written by William Galston under the title: “A Decade of Decline in the America Dream” and the subtitle: “Today's volatile mood is a reminder of the early post-Vietnam years.” It was published in the Wall Street Journal on December 19, 2013.

Galston who is co-founder of a bipartisan group called “No Labels” says that the “uneven recovery from the Great Recession [following the 2008 collapse] has left Americans discontented about the present and worried about the future.” This sentiment parallels that of the Chinese leaders as described by Luttwalk. Furthermore, quoting the Pew Research Center, Galston goes on to say that a majority of the American people assert that the U.S. should “mind its own business internationally.'” In this, they endorse the John Quincy Adams's vision of an America that “goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy,” a sentiment that is also shared with an increasing number of people around the world.

So then, what happens when America retreats from the world? Do chaos and calamity result? Apparently not; something that can be determined from the article that was written by Vali Nasr and published in the New York Times on December 30, 2013 under the title: “Iran, Turkey's New Ally?” Talking about the vicissitudes of Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the author describes the unfolding parallel history, and the ups and downs of Turkey over a span of time that has lasted more than a decade.

And there never was anything in what transpired to worry anyone. Here is a flavor of that: “Turkey cultivated ties with the Arab neighbors. Turkish diplomats and businessmen … promot[ed] business and broker[ed] political deals. Turkey's spectacular economic success and democracy were a model for the whole region.” But because a good thing never lasts for ever, some things went bad for Turkey, and for its Prime Minister. But then, the tide of history seemed to change again.

Here is what is happening now according to Nasr: “On the foreign policy front, Mr. Erdogan's luck may have changed. Now that America and Iran are talking seriously, things could be different … Turkey sees benefit in serving as a bridge between Iran and the West.” What all this leads to is the fact that the world is unfolding as it wants whether or not America participates in the game. And so the question we must ask is what role should America play in a world that is reshaping itself before its eyes?

The truth of the matter is that the world wants to partner with America and work to improve the lot of mankind. It seems to have found a partner in President Obama. The problem, however, is that the American homestead is divided on itself with a Congress that has been taken over by the foreign influence of Jewish organizations bent on sabotaging everything the President does that is deemed to be good for America and for the world.

Right now, a group of senators is laboring like relentless dogs trying to subvert the regime of peace that the American and Iranian executives are working to establish for the Middle East. And so, it falls on the shoulders of the American people to tell those senators they are dead wrong in what they do because they will only manage to turn America into a sour loser.

Here are the abominable names:  Bob Menendez, Mark Kirk, Chuck Schumer, Lindsey Graham, Ben Cardin, John McCain, Bob Casey, Marco Rubio, Chris Coons, John Cornyn, Richard Blumenthal, Kelly Ayotte, Mark Begich, Bob Corker, Mark Pryor, Susan Collons, Mary Landrieu, Jerry Moran, Kirsten, Gillibtand, Pat Roberts, Mark Warner, Mike Johanns, Kay Hagan, Ted Cruz, Joe Donnelly, and Roy Blunt.

To my dear readers, have a happy new year. See you here again next year.