Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Will that prove to be a state of temporary exceptionalism?

The world is in serious trouble and needs revamping. For this to happen, the big powers will have to get together and negotiate a modus vivendi that will give everyone the feeling of being protected, and the opportunity to flourish as a people and individuals.

If you look around the world, you'll see that most countries do more than just believe in those notions, they practice them to the extent that they can. This is happening in Europe, Africa and South America. As to Asia and North America, that's where serious issues, created by a handful of neocon warmongers, need to be confronted and ironed out because they alone produce most of what is threatening to world peace today.

The first thing we need to do is impress upon the American opinion makers the reality that their country is no longer the magnet that attracts people to it from around the globe because they see in it, exceptional qualities that exist nowhere else. The truth is that in the same way that people flee the harsh conditions in Latin America and seek refuge in the United States, people flee wars in the Middle East and Africa and seek refuge in the neighboring countries or if they can, go to Europe. There are 20 million of those around the world, and twice as many who are classified as internally displaced persons.

We must also impress upon the American opinion makers the reality that the least patriotic of the wealthy people in the world are the Americans. They love America as long as it remains the land of opportunity that gives them the chance to flourish as individuals and grow their businesses. But when better opportunities open to them elsewhere, they dismantle their businesses in America and take them “where the grass is greener,” displaying as much regard to their American partners and employees as a fox does for the chicken coop where he just finished eating a hearty meal.

Therefore, what counts to the Americans and a few others like them around the world, is the economy of the country and the opportunity it offers for growth. But given that the world is in serious trouble at this time, you see the warmongers of America point an accusatory finger at China the Asian giant, and suggest that drastic measures be taken in retaliation. You also see that the moderate opinion makers are in a state of confusion, unable to call what course of action can be taken to avoid a disastrous outcome.

These people should know that three recently published articles shed much light on the current situation. Reading them will help develop a clearer view of what's going on, therefore what can be done to save the day. The first article came under the title: “The Chinese Economic Threat,” written by Mathis Bitton and published on August 5, 2020 in National Review Online.

Mathis Bitton is an editorial intern at National Review. He is clearly being trained to grow up and be a hardliner. Rather than view the competition between America and China through the lens of a sportsman, he wants to turn the competition into a blood sport of the winner-take-all type. He sees the struggle as a do or die proposition for a “West” that's led by America.

The next article came under the title: “The Looming Bank Collapse,” and the subtitle: “The US financial system could be on the cusp of a calamity. This time, we might not be able to save it.” It was written by Frank Partnoy, and published in the July/August 2020 issue of The Atlantic.

You might call Frank Partnoy a conscientious insider that became a whistleblower. He was in the middle of the 2008 crash, he knows every little detail of it, and he is revealing the whole sordid mess to the world because he sees that despite the precautions that are taken, and the laws that were enacted to prevent a recurrence to that calamity, the US financial system is back again “on the cusp of calamity,” he says.

It is not that all those involved in the system don't know it; they do, he stresses. It is just that they don't care what tomorrow will bring as long as today brings them the sweet stuff they dream of. And so, my friend, I submit to you that this is the kind of exceptional patriotism these people have always displayed. It is the kind of exceptional regard they always had for their partners, employees and fellow citizens.

The last article came under the title: “The Global Economy Will Never Be The Same,” written by Carmen Reinhart and Vincent Reinhart, and published in the September/October issue of Foreign Policy.

The authors paint a bleak picture of the future, both locally and in the relationships that will develop between the nations. Locally, they see unemployment rise, people permanently dropping out of the labor market, students quitting school, and the poorest of the poor getting poorer still.

As to the international relations, the writers predict that protectionism will increase, and trade among nations will shrink. But whatever little trade will take place, the countries will beggar-thy-neighbor in the sense that each will try to improve their position by exploiting everyone else.

It is not too difficult to see that under such conditions, many American businesses and their wealthy owners would want to be somewhere else. They’ll flee the land that made them exceptional and go to places where they believe they can outdo themselves and shine brightly again.

The alternative to this outcome, is for America to call off the neocon war it has declared against everyone that excels so brilliantly they promise to outshine America.

Washington should view the situation not as a fight to the death between strangers, but a competition between siblings where the winner will take his turn at the helm of the ship we call Human Civilization.