http://worldmeets.us/images/hardball-ukraine_inyt.jpg

                        'HARDBALL IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS'

[Click Here for INYT Opinion Page]

 

 

The End of American Empire? Get Serious! (Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland)

 

"The facts are quite different - even if China will probably eventually overtake America, for now its GDP is half that of the United States. ... Ukraine isn't an American ally, has little impact on the global economy, and has no natural resources. Why should U.S. troops die for Ukraine? ... Only a few years ago, Americans almost spent more on arms than the rest of the world combined. ... Five-year bonds are now sold at negative interest - meaning that, considering inflation, investors can expect a small loss in five years, but they're buying anyway."

 

By Mariusz Zawadzki

                                     http://worldmeets.us/images/Mariusz.Zawadzki_mug.jpg

 

Translated By Halszka Czarnocka

 

May 8, 2014

 

Poland - Gazeta Wyborcza - Original Article (Polish)

A pro-Russia militiaman after storming a regional administration building in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, May 5.

 

WHITE HOUSE NEWS VIDEO: VIDEO: Obama-Merkel Joint Press Conference, May 2, 00:44:05RealVideo

Events in Ukraine, in particular the ease with which the Russians have occupied Crimea and with the whole world watching split the Ukrainian state, are grist for the mill for the many prophets preaching the decline of America's power.

 

Indeed, it doesn't look good. Let's take, for instance, last Saturday, when President Obama hosted Chancellor Merkel in Washington. It would seem their joint press conference would have been the best possible moment to show Putin some determination and give him a bit of a fright. However, to the contrary,  nothing of the kind happened. Only a rather murky announcement of ill-defined sanctions was offered which sounded anything but convincing.

 

Moreover, the Ukrainian crisis is just one of many signs. America didn't win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is drowning in debt, still hasn't shaken off the consequences of the financial crisis, and its political system is increasingly inefficient - see last year's shameful performance by Congress, which failed to pass a budget on time and ran out of funds for current government expenditures.

 

In America, inequality has grown so dramatically that, as French economist Thomas Picketty claims in his renowned Capital in the 21st Century, being born into a rich or poor family largely determines a person's lifetime social position. American democracy and free market are being corrupted and transformed into a quasi-feudal system.

 

Perhaps most telling is that even Americans themselves are doubting America.

 

In a recent Reuters poll, the question "Which country today is the greatest economic power in the world?," only 31 percent of Americans responded "the USA." Fifty two percent said it was China!

 

The facts, however, are quite different - even if China will probably eventually overtake America, for now its GDP is half that of the United States. Yet for three years, as the polls attest, more than half of Americans believe they have already been dethroned. The reasons one can guess: the crisis, the deluge of "Made in China" products, over a trillion dollars borrowed from the Chinese, etc.

 

Naturally enough, the American right points to another cause: America's current weakness, or at least the perception of it, is due to the fact that the current president is overly cautious, conciliatory and indecisive. Some Republican commentators have recently settled into a bizarre fascination with contrasting Obama to the "ruthless and decisive" bare-chested, horse-riding, Bengal tiger-shooting Vladimir Putin. A wimp who spends his spare time playing golf or relaxing on a Hawaiian beach is for Putin not a equal partner.

 

Like Worldmeets.US on Facebook

 

 

Such comparisons are quite idiotic. Obama openly admits he doesn't intend to defend the borders of Ukraine from Russia, not because he is "weak," but because he is guided by his understanding of American interests. From his perspective, Ukraine has no special importance (strictly speaking, not until it became a victim of Russian aggression). It isn't an American ally, has little impact on the global economy, and has no natural resources. Why should U.S. troops die for Ukraine?

 

The fact that America doesn't want to use force doesn't mean that it has none to use. On the contrary, its military domination is now greater than ever. Only a few years ago, Americans almost spent more on arms than the rest of the world combined. Right now they are spending somewhat less, but still five times as much as China, who is next on the list, and eight times as much as the third country, Russia.

 

Someone might maliciously ask: if they are so powerful, how to explain their defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan? Indeed, the U.S. failed to prevail in those conflict, but then, over the course of history, the weaker has often prevailed over the stronger. These have most often been cases in which the weaker was much more motivated. For the Iraqi insurgents and Afghan Taliban, the conflict with the United States had an existential character, so they staked everything they had on the fight. For America, these were just two overseas wars.

Posted By Worldmeets.US

 

And what about the economy? It's true that the world is becoming multi-polar. Not only China, but India, Brazil and other countries are growing. But for now, the center of gravity remains in America, which isn't doing too badly, thank you. Unemployment is below 7 percent - every country in Europe would love such problems! Public debt is over $17 trillion and growing, but American Treasury Bonds are on fire. Five-year bonds are now sold at negative interest - meaning that, considering inflation, investors can expect a small loss in five years, but they're buying anyway. If people want to pay America to borrow their money, only a lunatic would refuse ...

 

Generally speaking, reports of America's demise appear a bit premature.

 

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

O Globo, Brazil: U.S. and E.U. are Correct to Apply Stronger Sanctions on Russia

Novaya Gazeta, Russia: NATO 'Never Promised' Not to Expand Eastward

KPRU, RUSSIA: Ukraine Crisis: Russia Cannot Dispense with the Dollar

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Thank Putin for NATO's 'Second Wind'

Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany: Weakening Russian Influence Requires European Energy Union

Gazeta, Russia: Ukraine: Setting the Table for a Newer World Order

Izvestia, Russia: Dimitry Kiselyov: Russia Takes West's Place as Beacon of Free Expression

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany: To Beat Putin, West Needs Armor, Not Empathy

Libero Quotidiano, Italy: Obama 'Turns the Nuclear Cheek' To Vladimir Putin

Vedemosti, Russia: Russia Unmoved By NASA's 'Cancellation' of Space Cooperation

Gazeta, Russia: Russians Bid Farewell to the West

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Lech Walesa: Europe 'Cannot Count on the United States'

Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland: Obama's Lesson: Poland Can't Count on the United States

Huanqiu, China: New Russia: Becoming the 'Empire the World Needs'

Al Wehda, Syria: Hagel Must Be Told: China is Not Russia

Semana, Colombia: America and Russia: Two Empires Now 'Nakedly Imperial'

Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia: Ukraine and Syria: May Allah Make Russia's Pain Severe!

Trouw, Netherlands: Clinton's Hitler-Putin Comment Highlights Weakness of E.U.

Vedomosti, Russia: From Hitler to Putin: Crimea is 'Not the First Time'

Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland: 'Annexing' Crimea and 'Uniting' Jerusalem

Gazeta, Russia: Annexing Crimea 'Too Costly for Russia to Bear'

Vedomosti, Russia: From Hitler to Putin: Crimea is 'Not the First Time'

Izvestia, Russia: Global Call to Arms Against 'American Exceptionalism'

Moskovskij Komsomolets, Russia: A Grateful Nation Cheers President Putin's Triumph

Izvestia, Russia: Crimea: 'We Will Never Give Up What We've Won'

Handelsblad, Germany: 'Fissures' in Europe: Putin, Propaganda, and Patriotism

Der Spiegel, Germany: Finance Minister Schauble Says Putin Plan Reminiscent of Hitler

Der Spiegel, Germany: The Sympathy Problem - Is Germany a Country of Russia Apologists?

Der Spiegel, Germany: NATO's Putin Conundrum: Berlin Considers Its NATO Options

La Stampa, Italy: Ukraine: Putin Capitalizes on Western Identity Crisis

La Stampa, Italy: Ukraine: Putin Capitalizes on Western Identity Crisis

de Volkskrant, Netherlands: Putin's Letter to Americans a Guilty Pleasure for the World

Huanqiu, China: Letter By Vladimir Putin Exposes 'Exceptional' American Inequality

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: A 'Puppet in Putin's Hands,' Snowden Paved Way to Ukraine Crisis

Diario De Noticias, Portugal: Russia and America: United in Flouting International Law

Carta Maior, Brazil: Venezuela and Ukraine: Upending Washington's Best Laid Plans

Le Quotidien d'Oran, Algeria: Crimea: The Latest Front for French Rambos

Reforma, Mexico: Crimea and Texas: Russia's Version of Manifest Destiny

Al Wehda, Syria: America's 'Destiny' of Invasion and Expansionism

FAZ, Germany: America and Germany: The 'Axis of Pragmatism'

BelTA, Belarus: Lukashenko Warns: Crimea Sets 'Dangerous Precedent'

Al-Madina, Saudi Arabia: Ukraine and Syria: May Allah Make Russia's Pain Severe!

tp24 Rubriche, Italy: America 'Too Young to Understand' Crisis in Crimea

Die Zeit, Germany: The Paler the West, the More Luminous Vladimir Putin

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Between Russia and the West: Ukraine's Insurmountable Task

Huanqiu, China: Crisis Over Ukraine Could Spell 'Disaster' for China

Asia Times, Hong Kong: Beijing to Kiev to Taipei: Why China Worries About Ukraine

Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvia: Putin Clears Western Minds of Intelligence, Media 'Delusions'

Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany: Germans Must Now Back Sanctions - Even if they Hurt Us

Diena, Latvia: President Tells Lithuanians: Show Russia No Fear and be 'Ready to Shoot'

de Volkskrant, The Netherlands: Recognize Russia's Legitimate Interests or Ukraine is Doomed

de Volkskrant, The Netherlands: Most Crimeans Don't want Ukraine Split

Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany: Finding the Win-Win Scenario With Vladimir Putin

Sol, Portugal: Ukraine May Awaken 'Ghosts of the Great War'

de Morgan, Belgium: Putin Knows: No One in West is Willing to Die for Sebastopol

Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russia: Crimea: the Next Puerto Rico?

Russia Today, Russia: VIDEOS: Roundup of Russian Reaction from Russia Today

European Press Agencies: European Reaction to Developments in Ukraine

Moskovskii Komsomolets, Russia: Report: U.S. to Help 'Oust' Black Sea Fleet from Crimea

Novosti, Russia: Looking Toward the West, Ukraine 'Lies' to the East

Yezhednevniy Zhurnal, Russia: Ossified Kremlin Misreads Biden Visit to Georgia, Ukraine

Rceczpospolita, Poland: Banish All 'Magical Thinking' Regarding the Russian Bear

Kommersant, Russia: The Kremlin Offers 'an Ultimatum' to America

Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland: 'Enormous Error' of Bush's 'Georgian Protege'
Cotidianul, Romania:
Georgia Can 'Kiss NATO Goodbye'
Financial Times Deutschland, Germany: Before Georgia - It is Europe that Needs Mediation
Rue 89, France: East Europe Best Not Depend on 'Obsolete' NATO
Liberation, France: Russian President 'Dictates His Peace' to Hapless Europe
Le Figaro, France: Between America and Russia, the E.U. is On the Front Line
Le Figaro, France: War in the Caucasus: Georgia 'Doesn’t Stand a Chance'
Le Figaro, France: A Way Out of the Georgia Crisis for Russia and the West
Le Figaro, France: A Way Out of the Georgia Crisis for Russia and the West
Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany: Did Russia 'Win' the Georgia Crisis? Not By a Long Shot

 

 

CLICK HERE FOR POLISH VERSION

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted By Worldmeets.US May 8, 2014 3:19pm