A World in Which No One Is Listening to the Planet’s Sole Superpower

[marmar]

from TomDispatch:


A World in Which No One Is Listening to the Planet’s Sole Superpower
The Greater Middle East’s Greatest Rebuff to Uncle Sam

By Dilip Hiro


What if the sole superpower on the planet makes its will known -- repeatedly -- and finds that no one is listening? Barely a decade ago, that would have seemed like a conundrum from some fantasy Earth in an alternate dimension. Now, it is increasingly a plain description of political life on our globe, especially in the Greater Middle East.

In the future, the indecent haste with which Barack Obama sought cover under the umbrella unfurled by his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the Syrian chemical weapons crisis will be viewed as a watershed moment when it comes to America’s waning power in that region. In the aptly named “arc of instability,” the lands from the Chinese border to northern Africa that President George W. Bush and his neocon acolytes dreamed of thoroughly pacifying, turmoil is on the rise. Ever fewer countries, allies, or enemies, are paying attention, much less kowtowing, to the once-formidable power of the world’s last superpower. The list of defiant figures -- from Egyptian generals to Saudi princes, Iraqi Shiite leaders to Israeli politicians -- is lengthening.

The signs of this loss of clout have been legion in recent years. In August 2011, for instance, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ignored Obama’s unambiguous call for him “to step aside.” Nothing happened even after an unnamed senior administration official insisted, “We are certain Assad is on the way out.” As the saying goes, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Similarly, in March 2010, Obama personally delivered a half-hour-long chewing out of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a politician Washington installed in office, on the corruption and administrative ineptitude of his government. It was coupled with a warning that, if he failed to act, a cut in U.S. aid would follow. Instead, the next month the Obama administration gave him the red carpet treatment on a visit to Washington with scarcely a whisper about the graft and ill-governance that continues to this day. ....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175753/tomgram%3A_dilip_hiro%2C_the_mystery_of_washington%27s_waning_global_power/#more

[MineralMan]

1. And yet,

President Obama proposed attacking Syria's chemical weapons capabilities. The result was:

1. Putin listened. Now Syria has agreed to turn over all chemical weapons for destruction.
2. Iran contacted the President and is offering to end all efforts to produce nuclear weapons.

I'd say people are listening.

[karynnj]

2. Exactly

Syria was still denying that they even had chemical weapons before Obama said he would strike because they used them. In fact, the day that Assad was on American TV denying chemical weapons, was the same day that Kerry spoke and Russia immediately made public that they had a proposal and within hours Syria agreed. Everyone involved - Obama, Putin, Kerry, Lavrov all spoke of this having been worked behind the scenes - especially AFTER August 21.

I think that the US NEVER had the ability to force countries to listen that this hypothesizes was lost. If anything, America thinking and expecting that may distort our view of the rest of the world. Sometimes, it is not about us.

This is worth thinking about with regards to Iran.While it is true that we can miss an opening, an opening may lead to nothing. Roulani is not the first more moderate President - Khatami who was President 1997 to 2005, was at least as moderate. Both Clinton and Bush made no effort to reach out to him and try to restore relations. Bush included Iran in the axis of evil. (Who knows if a Clinton not under attack for Monica Lewinsky might have made the same type of moves that Obama did. With Bush the lost opportunity was that Iran was one of the first countries to offer condolences after 911 - and they had their own reasons to hate the Taliban. )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Khatami

One reason this opening could lead to nothing is if the Supreme Leader refuses to allow Roulani to create the openness neeeded.

[blm]

3. Actually, it is NOW listening ALOT. Kerry's accomplishing more in the last 8 months

through relentless diplomacy than the 3 previous Secs of State put together.

THAT'S what you get when you put a muscular dove in at Sec of State instead of a warhawk.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Could it be that we're NOT "the Planet’s Sole Superpower?"

"fun" while it lasted, but time marches on.

[Lasher]

5. We're sick and tired of the Bush wars.

It doesn't need to be more complicated than that. Hiro seems disappointed to see we didn't want to get into another war like the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[xchrom]

6. Du rec. Nt

[randome]

7. We're either an empire or no one listens to us.

Both points of view come from emotional validations rather than calm assessments.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[hunter]

8. The Planet’s Sole Superpower is Mother Nature...

... and she's winding up to bury this civilization.

Yet no one seems to be is listening.