Monday, August 02, 2004
Dont think we are Bi-partisan? Check out the picture...oh and we are Doomed
All great empires eventually fall: The Romans, The Mongols, Victorian Britain, Wu-Tang Clan. Sure England may have reclaimed some glory under Churchill, or Ghostface may continue carrying on the Wu flag with great releases such as the Pretty Toney Album, but the level of control, the influence, the power is lost from their 19th century/mid 90s peaks. The question is: are all empires doomed to fall? Is there some mechanism that all empires are doomed to fall prey to, a natural, unavoidable decline that is part of the package of achieving temporary domination?
(More evidence that Winamp randomizer is the first example of artificial intelligence: it queues up Raekwon’s “Knuckleheadz,” as I write this article.)
I bring this up, of course, because I am concerned about my country, current empire of the moment. I feel that we are closer to entering the decline phase than we are willing to admit, and want to take the necessary steps to keep this from happening. I don’t want to be known as the generation that presided over the fall of the United States.
Two reasons for decline I would like to examine in brief and argue that the United States is guilty of. The first is complacency. The second is over-extension. When someone becomes the top dog, their power will eventually become recognized or accepted by society in general. This often leads to reaffirmation of one’s greatness by members of the empire, often after their own power or greatness has been surpassed, or at least waned from its peak. A prime example for America: all politicians are guilty of reminding us in one way or another how “America is the greatest nation in the world.” What an arrogant claim to make. Not only does that inspire animosity from others, but it encourages stagnation. It leads us, as Americans, to assume that whatever values we have derived, whatever way we have decided to run our courts, run our economy, run our society, thus must be the best way to do things. Self-flagellation of this nature discourages evolution and hinders us from self-criticism. 40 million Americans don’t have healthcare? Universal coverage must be impossible, regardless of whether other countries have it. Americans are consuming 40 percent of natural resources while the environment is destroyed? We can’t be responsible, we are number one. We are the greatest.
Secondly, as empires grow and begin to interact with all areas of the world, they begin to try and influence everything in their favor. What area of the world doesn’t the United States currently have its paws in, with the exception of Africa? In fact, the area where the United States is currently expending most of its military force is probably the least important for its long-term security and safety. Right now the US has a historical, yet waning, link to Europe (since so many of its population come from there originally,) an ever-growing link to South America, and a role in the Asian-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific is where we find the world’s second largest economy (Japan,) second largest military force, (China), two largest populations (China and India,) and several potential disasters, such as a nuclearly armed country with a rouge dictator in a military standoff with its neighbor (North Korea), and a superpower making threats to reacquire an small island nation that it considers rightfully part of its territory, (China and Taiwan.)
Meanwhile we are fucking around in the Middle East, as we’ve been doing for decades with no progress or success. Should we abandon the area totally? I don’t know, it betrays my liberal bones to say that we should simply pull-out and leave the region to itself. But would that be in our best interest? Rather than fighting to secure a steady supply of oil, wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on finding alternative power sources to strengthen ourselves? Wouldn’t it be better to construct a healthy relationship with the Far East, or to help Latin America develop into its own powerful node, especially since the demographics of our country will yield an increasing amount of Hispanics in the future? Because the future of the United States will not be determined by overthrowing the Taliban, or finding Osama Bin Laden, but by how it responds to new challenges from within itself and from the new powers of Eastern Asia. This will require thinking creatively about the roles of current institutions and policies, and having the guts to go with what works and reject that which does not. And these are not the traits we are currently fostering in our current political and cultural climate.
(More evidence that Winamp randomizer is the first example of artificial intelligence: it queues up Raekwon’s “Knuckleheadz,” as I write this article.)
I bring this up, of course, because I am concerned about my country, current empire of the moment. I feel that we are closer to entering the decline phase than we are willing to admit, and want to take the necessary steps to keep this from happening. I don’t want to be known as the generation that presided over the fall of the United States.
Two reasons for decline I would like to examine in brief and argue that the United States is guilty of. The first is complacency. The second is over-extension. When someone becomes the top dog, their power will eventually become recognized or accepted by society in general. This often leads to reaffirmation of one’s greatness by members of the empire, often after their own power or greatness has been surpassed, or at least waned from its peak. A prime example for America: all politicians are guilty of reminding us in one way or another how “America is the greatest nation in the world.” What an arrogant claim to make. Not only does that inspire animosity from others, but it encourages stagnation. It leads us, as Americans, to assume that whatever values we have derived, whatever way we have decided to run our courts, run our economy, run our society, thus must be the best way to do things. Self-flagellation of this nature discourages evolution and hinders us from self-criticism. 40 million Americans don’t have healthcare? Universal coverage must be impossible, regardless of whether other countries have it. Americans are consuming 40 percent of natural resources while the environment is destroyed? We can’t be responsible, we are number one. We are the greatest.
Secondly, as empires grow and begin to interact with all areas of the world, they begin to try and influence everything in their favor. What area of the world doesn’t the United States currently have its paws in, with the exception of Africa? In fact, the area where the United States is currently expending most of its military force is probably the least important for its long-term security and safety. Right now the US has a historical, yet waning, link to Europe (since so many of its population come from there originally,) an ever-growing link to South America, and a role in the Asian-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific is where we find the world’s second largest economy (Japan,) second largest military force, (China), two largest populations (China and India,) and several potential disasters, such as a nuclearly armed country with a rouge dictator in a military standoff with its neighbor (North Korea), and a superpower making threats to reacquire an small island nation that it considers rightfully part of its territory, (China and Taiwan.)
Meanwhile we are fucking around in the Middle East, as we’ve been doing for decades with no progress or success. Should we abandon the area totally? I don’t know, it betrays my liberal bones to say that we should simply pull-out and leave the region to itself. But would that be in our best interest? Rather than fighting to secure a steady supply of oil, wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on finding alternative power sources to strengthen ourselves? Wouldn’t it be better to construct a healthy relationship with the Far East, or to help Latin America develop into its own powerful node, especially since the demographics of our country will yield an increasing amount of Hispanics in the future? Because the future of the United States will not be determined by overthrowing the Taliban, or finding Osama Bin Laden, but by how it responds to new challenges from within itself and from the new powers of Eastern Asia. This will require thinking creatively about the roles of current institutions and policies, and having the guts to go with what works and reject that which does not. And these are not the traits we are currently fostering in our current political and cultural climate.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 9:46 PM 
