America keeps the world safe
I was reading the latest offering from Thomas Friedman in last week’s Red Star and was absolutely floored by a passage contained therein. The crux of the piece was we are going to slowly kill ourselves with the cradle to grave welfare system and the entitlement mentality that comes with it (see: Europe). If this does indeed happen, the world will become a much scarier place. The passage that I refer to above can basically be summarized as follows: America keeps the world safe and the greatest threat to global stability is not to MUCH American power, but too LITTLE. Read and understand what’s being said below (added emphasis mine):
“In a smart and original new book, ‘The Case for Goliath: How America Acts as the World's Government in the 21st Century,’ Mr. [Michael] Mandelbaum argues that while U.S. foreign policy is hardly perfect, it is America -- through its vast military deployments, diplomatic engagements and vital role in buttressing the global economy and its rules -- that provides the basic governance that keeps the world stable and on a decent track.
Most countries in the world like this situation, he contends. They like it because they know that the U.S. is not a predatory power, so they are not afraid of the order it provides. They like it because this global order is helpful to every country in the world, but the cost of it is borne largely by U.S. taxpayers. And they like it because they can criticize the U.S. and still enjoy all the benefits it provides.
The best evidence for all this, Mr. Mandelbaum notes, is the fact that no military coalition has ever formed to counter America's global governing role -- as happened with other hegemonic powers in history.
In Mr. Mandelbaum's view, America ‘is not the lion of the international system, terrorizing and preying on smaller, weaker animals in order to survive itself. It is, rather, the elephant, which supports a wide variety of other creatures -- smaller mammals, birds and insects -- by generating nourishment for them as it goes about the business of feeding itself.’
No other country could play this crucial stabilizing role. But its continuation depends on ‘American taxpayers' being willing to keep paying for it.’”
“In a smart and original new book, ‘The Case for Goliath: How America Acts as the World's Government in the 21st Century,’ Mr. [Michael] Mandelbaum argues that while U.S. foreign policy is hardly perfect, it is America -- through its vast military deployments, diplomatic engagements and vital role in buttressing the global economy and its rules -- that provides the basic governance that keeps the world stable and on a decent track.
Most countries in the world like this situation, he contends. They like it because they know that the U.S. is not a predatory power, so they are not afraid of the order it provides. They like it because this global order is helpful to every country in the world, but the cost of it is borne largely by U.S. taxpayers. And they like it because they can criticize the U.S. and still enjoy all the benefits it provides.
The best evidence for all this, Mr. Mandelbaum notes, is the fact that no military coalition has ever formed to counter America's global governing role -- as happened with other hegemonic powers in history.
In Mr. Mandelbaum's view, America ‘is not the lion of the international system, terrorizing and preying on smaller, weaker animals in order to survive itself. It is, rather, the elephant, which supports a wide variety of other creatures -- smaller mammals, birds and insects -- by generating nourishment for them as it goes about the business of feeding itself.’
No other country could play this crucial stabilizing role. But its continuation depends on ‘American taxpayers' being willing to keep paying for it.’”
posted by Sivlitz at 10:06 PM
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