Is This The End For America?
There’s been a lot of speculation lately as to whether or not the American empire is in its last days – some subtle, some not so subtle depending on who you listen to. And I’m not just talking about the wishful thinking of Chavez and Ahmadinejad.
Andrew Sullivan recently said this:
Until the US scales back its imperial ambitions across the Middle East and seriously cuts its entitlement state, the country’s global hegemony will come to an abrupt and humiliating end.
Pat Buchanan said this:
What we are witnessing today is how empires end.
The Last Superpower is unable to defend its borders, protect its currency, win its wars or balance its budget. Medicare and Social Security are headed for the cliff with unfunded liabilities in the tens of trillions of dollars.
Wow. You’d think that the U.S. were so belly-up that the Canadians were about to waltz in and colonize. Not quite.
First, all empires eventually fall – without exception. However, those who predict a near-term crumbling of the U.S. are either not looking at the big picture or letting their personal desires creep into reality. The U.S is the only superpower because in just about every measure it enjoys a comfortable lead and these sorts of advantages do not disappear over night. The economy is in the toilet (and about to go down further), but if any country can take the pain and do what it has to do to come out on top it is the U.S.
The bailout rescue program that passed the Senate and is waiting for approval in the House of Representatives is huge and difficult to understand. If you want a pro-rescue perspective read this article from the Economist. If you’re more into letting the market deal with it and accepting the consequences, this is an interesting read from a Harvard egg-head on CNN. Personally, I was torn in the beginning but now have to say I agree with the Harvard egg-head. What about you?
No matter what happens with the bailout rescue, the U.S. will get through it. Why? Because that’s what we do. And in the end each side will claim credit for leading us through dark times.
Palin v. Biden
The Vice Presidential debate last night was relatively uneventful. Palin did not crash and burn or have any major gaffes. How could she when answers are kept to 90 seconds, follow-ups were not allowed and there was no interaction between the candidates? Trust me, her implosion will continue because she simply lacks a deep understanding of pretty much anything. It’s been over a month and she has yet to give a press conference. Why? If she’s the second coming of Ronald Reagan and fully qualified to lead a global nuclear super-power she should be ready to face the press. Sadly, she’s not ready and her unpreparedness can’t be hidden forever. She will end up as one of the major nails in McCain’s coffin.
The only comment of hers that infuriated me was when she equated Obama and Biden’s Iraq plan with “waving the white flag of surrender.” Are you serious? This woman told the press last month that she had “heard about the surge on the news” and has yet to show any grasp of global affairs – let alone and understanding the intricacies of the Middle East, the War on Terror, and history. All of this will be glaringly obvious when and if they actually make her answer real questions. One thing is for certain. Conservatives are mistaking her ability to tread water in a highly controlled debate forum with readiness for high office. But you can’t fake it forever. In short, the debate didn’t change anything significantly.
Here’s a great site if you want to see the numbers that really matter (electoral votes) and what the congressional races are looking like. The democrats are going to win the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Not necessarily because they are so good, but because the last 8 years under the republicans have been so bad.
Personally, just like the free market, I have no problem seeing a party (or company) punished for poor performance. How about you?
PS: Don’t forget to vote in the new poll on the left sidebar.
RHM
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.
Frank the Tank | Oct 3, 2008 | Reply
The US may not be as bad off as others think, but there a few Chinese leaders hoping so. Don’t sleep on China. They will be the biggest threat to US sovereignty and the dominance of the West in world affairs in the coming years.
Pinkie | Oct 4, 2008 | Reply
So, I thought Obama beat McCain pretty soundly last week and pundolts said McCain won it. I thought Palin beat Biden pretty soundly and the taking heads all say Biden came out on top. I guess I look at these debates rather differently than most people. The biggest thing to me is factual honesty. We got a lot of factual inaccuracies from Biden ($4 billion to Exxon, Obama never said he would sit down without preconditions) while the facts used by Palin were much more accurate. Her opinions of things may e wrong, but at least she was honest, just like Obama last week (we had more inaccuracies from McCain). I guess Palin has to be extra careful with the fact checkers out there after the past few weeks, while we have been used to Biden lying for years.