Finding the Limits of U.S. Power

Finding the Limits of U.S. Power

www.nytimes.com

“In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonizing other countries,” he said. “The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over.” So much for the New American Century that neo-conservatives believed would become an era of untrammeled power after the decades of ideological and military competition with the Soviet Union.

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I'm surprised to say that I found myself reading anything from the New York Times written by a Frenchman but it is well written none the less...

Sometimes I find myself missing the cold war. The well drawn lines of "us" and "them" made it clear who was responsible. The simplicity was comforting even when facing utter destruction from the other side. But, today is today as we look to our leaders to figure out how to keep rogue nations from uncorking the "genie in the bottle" that is nuclear weaponry.

The current policy of unrestricted and non-responsive action towards these countries is naive as expressed by Obama, “if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.” Iran's response is typical of what I think he can expect from other countries like North Korea, "a unified closed fist". Hopefully sooner than later the administration will figure out that the best way to solve these problems is to use our strength to free the people of these countries from the dictatorships that are oppressed by. Only then will his open dialog technique really work.

Off Topic: Can anyone writing in the NYT not mention Iraq or George bush in the first two paragraphs of an article. Why don't they print it on a tee shirt and point it out to everyone they pass by...

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by axiomuser
Sometimes I find myself missing the cold war. The well drawn lines of "us" and "them" made it clear who was responsible. The simplicity was comforting even when facing utter destruction from the other side. But, today is today as we look to our leaders to figure out how to keep rogue nations from uncorking the "genie in the bottle" that is nuclear weaponry.

... The propaganda obscuring the Bomb scenario kept me from seeing that the real war against America was not nuclear in scope, but psychological. The real war was one of deception by the Soviets and by our own leaders who in reality opened the door to America's external enemies and were protecting America's internal enemies.

I suggest viewing the following:

The Grand Design (1968)

This is how they control the people daily. They solve the basic problems of food, clothing & shelter by providing you with jobs. Every two weeks they pay you in debt notes & within ten days you have given it all back. You don't even know it's not real money & that the nations are all under bankruptcy & everything is prepaid. You are so conditioned you can't believe it, you deny it & you continue to go along with the corporate central bank tax scam. That leaves you free to solve more pressing problems like cash or charge, wine or beer, window or aisle, smoking or non, Oprah or American Idol Worship. You work all day in a corporate sweat shop. You pay taxes to the corporation of [your country name] then you watch Corporate news scare you to death with terror, murder, rape & corruption. You watch some sitcom Friends lie & cheat on each other for a laugh then you finish off the evening by witnessing some Criminal Minds plot & commit murder

Part 1 of 8 (check youtube for rest)

and

More Deadly Than War
This 1960s lecture on communism warns how a nation can be weakened and destroyed from within. The trick is to convince the people that they must give up some of their freedom for some supposed greater good.

Part 1 of 8 (check youtube for rest)

Happy trails