How the U.S. Became the World's Dispensable Nation

[whosinpower]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article7838.htm


Here is an interesting read for those inclined.

snip - Consider Asean Plus Three (APT), which unites the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations with China, Japan and South Korea. This group has the potential to be the world's largest trade bloc, dwarfing the European Union and North American Free Trade Association. The deepening ties of the APT member states represent a major diplomatic defeat for the US, which hoped to use the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum to limit the growth of Asian economic regionalism at American expense. In the same way, recent moves by South American countries to bolster an economic community represent a clear rejection of US aims to dominate a western-hemisphere free trade zone.

Consider, as well, the EU's rapid progress toward military independence. American protests failed to prevent the EU establishing its own military planning agency, independent of the Nato alliance (and thus of Washington). Europe is building up its own rapid reaction force. And despite US resistance, the EU is developing Galileo, its own satellite network, which will break the monopoly of the US global positioning satellite system.

The participation of China in Europe's Galileo project has alarmed the US military. But China shares an interest with other aspiring space powers in preventing American control of space for military and commercial uses. Even while collaborating with Europe on Galileo, China is partnering Brazil to launch satellites. And in an unprecedented move, China recently agreed to host Russian forces for joint Russo-Chinese military exercises.

[IrateCitizen]

1. Michael Lind alternately amazes and infuriates me.

In this instance, he has amazed me. His assessment of the diminishing role of the US in world affairs is dead-on, IMHO.

In the words of Emmanuel Todd, author of After the Empire, "The rest of the world is discovering that it can get along without the United States at the very moment that the United States is discovering it cannot get along without the rest of the world."

A multipolar world is in our future. The US will be a player, but will be overshadowed by the EU and Pacific Rim.