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For me, yes, quite shockingly. We’ve had in mind the model of a unilateral America with an excess of power, an excess of dynamism, in a world without counterweight.
However, the current military activism of the United States reminds me of that of the USSR at the time of the first war in Afghanistan.
That was the moment when the Soviet imperial system was ruined completely… The last breath of declining empires is the military gesture.
From an interview with the French historian Emmanuel Todd, who presciently foresaw the collapse of the USSR.
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November 14, 2004 at 12:57 am
Anonymous
The European powers grew up enough to realize empire was impossible and, for brief interludes, the US settled for economic hegemony. Thirty plus years of neoliberal economics has made the choice between guns and butter more pressing, and ensured that when the bill comes due we’ll have little of either. Our infantile elite may have to join the grown ups at last.
November 14, 2004 at 1:36 am
Anonymous
It’s looking more and more like that, isn’t it ?
It’s been interesting to me, as I’ve grown older, learned more, travelled more … and I’ve come to realize how sheltered, and how right-time, right place lucky America has been in the large scale of things.
Talk about spending “capital” and fast … what kind of wounded animal will the US resemble as it becomes less and less powerful economically, and only able to hold up nuclear bombs as threatening fists ?
November 14, 2004 at 1:59 am
Anonymous
There not all that threatening if they can’t be maintained. And once can only hope that some crackpot from a think tank doesn’t get enough influence to make them anything but too scary to use.
November 14, 2004 at 2:13 am
Anonymous
Good point. It’ll be inbteresting to see what a federal budget looks like at the end of the Bush era (2007.5), once the plutocracy is entrenched, the deficit is nearing 1 trillion per year, more work is outsourced and the greenback is down another 20 - 30%.
Where will they find the money, and to what uses will it be put ?
I sure am hoping you’re right about the nuclear bombs, I have been assuming that this is something they will protect at all costs … fear is all a bully has to work with, no ?
November 14, 2004 at 3:35 am
Anonymous
Bush will divert as much money as he can to prop up crackpot schemes and try to eliminate as much social welfare spending as he is possible without starting riots. I expect he’ll try to rack up as much debt as he can, as well. His type of “business” is forcing bail outs from creditors. I have no idea how long the countries bankrolling us to sustain our imports will put up with that.
One reason I think the nukes won’t be detonated is the subtler weapon of threatening to destroy the US economy. If Bush drives it completely into the ground, the world economy goes with it to a very uncomfortable degree. Again, I think the DC consensus is that the world can be forced to bail us out when economic reality comes down heavy.
I would also discount any apocalyptic fits. Bush is a Christian the same way a man selling cheap siding makes himself believe it’s good quality. He mostly uses it as sales pitch.
The Bushist way is to threaten to self-destruct and force a rescue. The adults will grumble and go along as much they can because Georgie is driving drunk and he’s liable to crash the car if you yell at him.