Upon reviewing the debates that
took place in America over
the decades following the country's defeat in Vietnam ,
you'll find that the idea obsessing both the leaders and the people of the
country has been the one concerning America 's role in the world. In
fact, several generations were born since that time, and they grew up knowing
only that America
dominates the world because it is natural for it to do so, being the
exceptional nation whose place is nowhere but right there at the top.
And having considered that Vietnam was an
aberration that must not be repeated, the Americans resolved to remain at the
top without getting involved in foreign military adventures. They began to draw
pride not from their military prowess like they did after WW II, but from the
achievements they scored in such fields as science, industry, philanthropy at
home and abroad, space adventures and the like. In their view, that's what made
the world respect them, what brought foreigners to their shores and made America the
exceptional nation that it is.
However, a number of things began
to happen quietly, and they progressed so imperceptibly that by the time these
things made themselves felt, the American people had discovered they were living
in a polarized country; one that was gripped by near paralysis at the level of
the Congress … and the situation was getting worse. Still, the people chose to
believe that these were internal matters that do not get in the way of the
country remaining number one on the world stage.
But then, it began to dawn on the
people of America
that the world was changing the view it held of their country because certain
events were taking place all around them. The trouble was that the Americans
could not see a connection between the external events and the situation that
prevailed locally. That is, they could not see how the country's diminished and
diminishing standing in the world was due – even in passing – to the paralysis
that was gripping their Congress.
Well, something has now happened
that will show the people of America
the connection which exists between the internal and the external – the reality
that escaped their attention during all those years. It is an article that was
written by John Bolton under the title: “Palestinian diplomatic push imperils
Obama's internationalism,” and was published in the New York Post on January 5,
2015. It discusses the efforts that were mounted by the Palestinian Authority
(PA) to have itself declared a state.
Bolton begins the article by
warning that the PA is so horrible as to pursue the rule of law rather than
accept the state of bloodshed prevailing in Palestine resulting from the Jewish
occupation. This is how he shamelessly describes the situation: “the Palestinians
believe they can create 'facts on the ground' in the UN's hallways, rather than
on the real ground in the Middle East .” He
goes on: “these disputes … have significant, often-unrecognized consequences
for both America
and the United Nations.”
Curious, you want to know: How is
that? And he explains: “All of this will have consequences for the United States .
First, US
law requires cutting off funding to UN agencies that admit the PA as a member
state. (Congress adopted this requirement.)” What were the resulting
consequences? He answers: “the United
States lost its voting rights pursuant to
UNESCO's charter.” Can it get worse? He answers: “The potential consequences
are enormous if PA membership continues to grow.”
Can it escalate to the point that America will
lose its voting right elsewhere? Yes, this can happen, says Bolton, but he
wants everyone to relax because if America
will be impacted, the consequences for Israel will be limited. That's
because: “Even if Washington lost its UN
General Assembly vote, it wouldn't lose its vote – and veto – in the Security
Council,” which is what is needed to protect the Jewish/Israeli habit of
rampaging its way in Palestine and throughout
the Middle East . America
may be shafted but Israel
will not feel the pain in the ass.
And what about the International
Criminal Court (ICC)? There will be no implications for the ICC itself, says
Bolton, but “under US law, America 's
[financial] support to the PA ceases if it presses to join the ICC."