Dismantling of a Superpower

[unhappycamper]

http://watchingamerica.com/News/228336/dismantling-of-a-superpower/

A new realism is noticeable in the U.S. Americans no longer want a foreign policy based on omnipresence.

Dismantling of a Superpower
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany
By Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger
Translated By Holly Bickerton
10 December 2013
Edited by Kyrstie Lane

American soldiers have already left Iraq, they will leave Afghanistan next year, and the U.S. did not want to take the lead in the Libyan conflict. And if we look beyond East Asia and the problem of weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. does not feel obliged to bear the brunt when it comes to defusing big or small conflicts elsewhere. Washington has not said anything serious about events in Ukraine. The country that it wants to build up the most is the United States. President Obama seems to actually take to heart the motto he has given to his presidency. It is striking that a majority of Americans strongly criticize his foreign policy to some extent, but are in favor of this motto and of a dismantling of the commitment to world affairs, and do not disfavor a slimmed-down role for America at all. Two wars and a long recession have left deep scars on the collective psyche. Military interventions are now the last thing that Americans want – just look at Syria.

Foreign Policy Based on National Priorities

A survey carried out by the Pew Research Center looked into this and uncovered many sobering, but nevertheless realistic views. Among the sobering findings is the evaluation of America's significance in the world: A majority of those asked (53 percent) believe that the United States has a less important and powerful role than 10 years ago. It is the first time in 40 years that a majority believes this. The percentage of those with such a pessimistic view was only 20 percent in 2004! The percentage of those who believe, to put it bluntly, that the U.S. should mind its own business and not interfere in other countries' affairs has grown significantly. Here, as well, one can see an echo of Obama's policy toward Syria. Or, conversely, Obama's conduct in this conflict can be interpreted as a reflection of public opinion. Eighty percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement that the U.S. should pay more attention to problems at home. It should offer protection against threats such as terrorism, cyber attacks and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, but fighting poverty overseas and promoting democracy? No thanks! It fits with the gloominess of neo-realism that 70 percent of those surveyed think that the U.S. is less respected by other countries than it was in the past. This view is clouded by political party affiliations: Republican-minded voters feel that there is a loss of respect; Democratic-minded voters thought the same thing during the Bush administration.

From this snapshot of opinions one could come to the striking conclusion that the U.S. is retreating from world politics on a broad front. After the “unipolar moment” following the end of the Cold War and particularly following 9/11, it switched back to isolationism mode. The authors of the study warn against such an unequivocal conclusion. Two-thirds of Americans consider U.S. participation in the global economy to be a good thing; three-quarters are explicitly in favor of growing trade and business ties between the U.S. and other countries. One conclusion to take from this is that the Obama administration actually has the majority of the population on its side when it comes to trade negotiations with Asian countries and the European Union. The range of opinions should be interpreted carefully: The majority of Americans are in favor of a geopolitical dismantling of the notion of being a superpower and of a foreign policy which is closely based on national priorities; but they completely disfavor such curtailment when it comes to the economy, trade and investment.

Who Will Pull the Chestnuts Out of the Fire?

The comparison sounds bold and it can only be made with certain qualifications, but in a broad sense this is similar to how most Germans think. Many Germans are proud of the title "world champion in exports"; they know that "their" money is mainly earned abroad. At the same time, many Germans think that because we live in a complex world that is full of conflict, it is possible to live quite comfortably as a "big Switzerland." Federal President Gauck strongly criticized this view in his speech to mark the Day of German Unity, Oct. 3. The nation cannot be an isolated island, but must assume more responsibility in the world, he said.

[MADem]

1. Well......"By Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger"

I think there's an element of wishful thinking in his thesis.

There are ways to project power that don't involve old paradigms. Whereas once we'd build a base and station hundreds or thousands of people in a country, now we build temporary installations out of containers, go in, do the job, and get out. It doesn't mean we're abdicating, it just means we're not sinking as much money into the "tail" portion of the "tooth to tail" ratio.

That said, other nations need to step up, too--it's a big world, with a lot of need, still, and there's plenty for others to do.