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 The World Has Been WatchingPosted on Aug 2, 2011
Few Americans know, or much care, about the opinions foreigners hold of the United States. This was displayed during the ignorant and solipsistic debate over when or whether the United States will pay its debts, which concluded Tuesday with a promise that it will soon be renewed. The debate was conducted as if foreign lenders had no role in the affair, and as if “the full faith and credit” of the United States were not a guarantee freely offered to those who in the past chose to purchase American bonds and other obligations. The belief held by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate that the U.S. is the greatest country in history is good enough for them, and in their view ought to be good enough for everyone else. They take for granted American invulnerability and domination of the international scene—ephemeral as those qualities have recently proven to be in American economic performance, as well as by American military failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, its tortured present relationship with Pakistan, and the uncertainties presented and conflicts provoked by the Libyan intervention and the Arab awakening. The general outlook of ordinary Americans, even (or especially) when they are elected to Congress, is to ignore the interests of the rest of the world and any threat from abroad, such as the threat of foreigners stopping purchase of U.S. bonds, after collapsing confidence in the U.S.—or when the threat knocks down skyscrapers in New York and attacks the Pentagon. The test of honor in the halls of Congress is whether one does or does not still affirm “American exceptionalism,” which is to say that the nation is better than any other in every respect. There is an important issue that was not included in the deficit debate in Congress. It concerns exactly the present dysfunctions and long-term validity of the American economy, and in that respect, the future of the “American way of life” in this dollar-based international economy that the United States has created and globalized, at the instigation and with the collaboration of Wall Street. The primordial quality of capitalism is that it is fiducial. It rests on trust. It cannot function unless those participating in it conduct their affairs in good faith, including trust in the value of the money in which business is transacted and in which debts will be honored. The United States dollar ceased to be convertible into gold in 1934 by passage of the Gold Reserve Act of that year, and President Richard Nixon terminated its nominal gold valuation when Charles de Gaulle’s France insisted on exchanging France’s dollars. Advertisement This ought to be understood by every American who took a college course in economics, but events in Washington during the past few weeks indirectly cast doubt on whether America’s foreign obligations are in fact payable on demand. When Congress talks of allowing or provoking national default, or the rating agencies of downgrading American debt, it undermines the trust upon which the system rests. Trust is not in oversupply today. The United States has largely ceased to be a democratic republic (which is to say, a republic whose officers are validly elected by the demos, or commonality, of the community), but has become a plutocracy dominated by moneyed interests. This is the result of (1) elimination by President Reagan of the existing Federal Communications Commission requirement for equal access to the public media by candidates for office (a system in which a Fox News, as presently constituted, would have no place); (2) the 1976 Supreme Court decision declaring money spent on political campaigns as a constitutionally protected form of free speech; and (3) more recent Supreme Court decisions banning restrictions on campaign funding and declaring business corporations “persons” with full constitutional rights to unlimited “free speech.” It is difficult to see how these changes and their consequences for American constitutional government can be reversed. The foreign implication is that the United States is no longer the political society it has, since World War II, been understood to be. This undermines the world’s trust in American democracy, and the American economy. Visit William Pfaff’s website for more on his latest book, “The Irony of Manifest Destiny: The Tragedy of America’s Foreign Policy” (Walker & Co., $25), at www.williampfaff.com. © 2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.  TAGS:
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Say ‘Hi-Ho!’ as They Strip-Search You
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By Anarcissie, August 7, 2011 at 4:38 pm Link to this comment
gerard—I’ve been to Germany and I have seen that they are us (at least the White-folks side of us). For that reason I study the history of Germany carefully.
Report thisBy gerard, August 7, 2011 at 2:34 pm Link to this comment
Anarchissie: What you say about the Germans, figures in the Midwest mix, as you are no doubt aware. Most of us ex-Midwesterners don’t have to scratch very deep at all to find several immigrants from lower-class Germany hanging from the family trees. Some of our relatives even changed the spelling of the family name to escape from having our plate glass windows host a rock or two during the latter part of World War I when “Germantown” suddenly became “Pershing.” Probably accounts for some of the excess “exceptionalistic” nonsense—people “on the edge” trying to maintain a foothold on the ragged edges of “America the Beautiful.”
Report thisBy Anarcissie, August 4, 2011 at 7:31 am Link to this comment
It’s our job to entertain foreigners. We do it well, although perhaps clown suits could be substituted for broad, phenomenally well-stuffed Bermuda shorts.
They’re going to miss us when we’re gone. I guess they’ll still have the Germans.
Report thisBy Son of Palestine, August 3, 2011 at 4:30 pm Link to this comment
American Exceptional-ism?!!
Tuz and a thousand tuz! Every time I hear this phrase, I feel like releasing a big round of loud farting worthy of matching the bad smell of such phrase uttered in total stupidity and naivety!
Report thisBy gerard, August 3, 2011 at 2:43 pm Link to this comment
Mr. Freeze: Eventually all sins come to light!
Report thisFor twenty years I taught “English as a foreign
language” both here and abroad. Sometimes I regret it—for reasons too difficult to explain here, but I think you understand.
By gerard, August 3, 2011 at 2:37 pm Link to this comment
Tim, I lived out my late childhood, adolescence and college years in the Midwest, and I know pretty much what I’m talking about. Sorry you are miffed, but I’ve been back there for a couple visits and nothing much has changed. Of course there are exceptional spots—sizeable cities have better educational systems—and the country is beautiful. But I’m pretty out of patience with the amount of wilfull ignorance that is not only tolerated, but encouraged.(Large parts of the South also qualify, sad to say.)
With the exception of Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut ... well, you can have it. Thanks for coming to its defense, however. I wish my experiences there had been less benighted. (Just to rub a grain of salt into your wounds, a friend of mine lived in rural Minnesota for a year or two and said that during hunting season he dare not go outdoors without wearing an orange jacket to keep from getting shot at. lol )
As the saying goes, “two is objective enough.”
Report thisBy Palindromedary, August 3, 2011 at 12:58 pm Link to this comment
The world has not only been watching but has been badly bitten by the American neoliberal scamsters. Look at all the places in the world where they have relied on neoliberal ideas and failed miserably…it was like it was planned this way. I think China is trying to keep a distance and ticking off the American scamsters for not being gullible…or maybe they have been..just a little..after all we owe China most of all. Now if they didn’t have over a billion people and many nukes we might have invaded by now…we don’t want to tick them off too much by defaulting on the debt now do we?
But in the meantime we’ll just keep using their cheap labor and keep destroying working Americans so the rich people can keep buying all those yachts and islands. Don’t worry the poor and middle class will pay for it all!
Report thisBy ocjim, August 3, 2011 at 10:47 am Link to this comment
Terrific points made. We truly have to have the exceptionalism that boneheaded conservatives think we have to continue conning foreigners into buying our debt and foreigners would have to be slobbering Neanderthals to continue trusting in repayment of our debt. In our current Congress we have a combination of ignorance, jingoism, greed and dogma ruling weak minds. This has been proven time and time again over the last several decades. If I were a foreign investor, I would have started looking elsewhere for investment long ago.
Report thisBy Palindromedary, August 3, 2011 at 10:31 am Link to this comment
Any country that would default on it’s own citizens (social security, etc) will default on anyone else. The US is showing how unreliable and greedy that its plutocracy is…and not to be trusted! We have to get rid of the arrogant smoke and mirrors, good cop…bad cop, two party system who are both (with some exceptions..may be a few good apples in the barrel of rotten ones) corrupt and bought off by monied interests.
Report thisBy balkas, August 3, 2011 at 9:32 am Link to this comment
first of all, i do not see americans or even america.
Report thisall i see is a region populated by many cultists,
ethnicities; the regionals thought from childhood
in american supremacism, meritocracy, american
god. is it any wonder they look dwn on al other
regions, pepoles, or nations? tnx
By Ralphie, August 3, 2011 at 6:47 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
It’s time it was written and said out loud. “The world is watching the United States” The arrogance of the republicans in Congress with their attitude they have the ‘God-given right to rule’ this country and they don’t have a clue. They are running it right into the ground. Any one who travels will tell you before 2000 you could go to Europe and were invited, welcomed and respected. That is no longer true! I know this from experience. The world has always watched the US and still are but for different reasons now. Now they watch to see what stupidity we have to endure. We used to be respected but no longer, our education has been slashed until we’re no longer even in the running with Japan and China and even 3rd would countries are moving ahead of us. The republicans have created such a Capitalistic nation that all the things we need to surge ahead ie: business, education even infastructure are all treated as ‘entitlements.’ Anything that takes money from their greedy pockets is labeled ‘entitlements.’ It appears to be their new ‘nasty word.’ The new catchphrase that seems to cause a bad taste in their mouth.
Until they start doing what’s right for the country not what lines their pockets, we are on a downward spiral. But don’t hold your breath
Report thisBy SarcastiCanuck, August 3, 2011 at 6:04 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The greatness you had was built by men and women more worthy than the current group of egomaniacal clowns that are present today.You stood for something grand and you achieved it through hard work,determination,character and high ideals.Your greatness was also tempered by your modesty and contagious optimism.What the hell happened?Your leaders now all look like a bunch of toddlers fighting over a toy.The great American still exists though and I hope for your sake you can dig em up and put em in charge.Good luck amigos…
Report thisBy RayLan, August 3, 2011 at 5:27 am Link to this comment
@Anarcissie
Report thisGood point - just citing their holey platform ( as full of holes as it is)
By Anarcissie, August 3, 2011 at 3:32 am Link to this comment
Raylan—People who favor war, imperialism, police-state surveillance and control, radical inequality of wealth, censorship and corporate power are not ‘anti-government’.
Report thisBy RayLan, August 3, 2011 at 3:03 am Link to this comment
The circus of political massacres that govern the US - stupid anti-government hawks (and coroporate hacks) in one pack - spineless ‘can’t-we-all-get-along’ sell-outs in the other - can only look like what they are - to the rest of the world - stupid.
Report thisIt can only be stupidity that empowered the right to deadlock progress on every critical issue.
By Marian Griffith, August 3, 2011 at 2:17 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This article points out the true damage that was done by this whole debt ceiling debacle (I would not call it a debate as there was precious little arguing and mostly only grandstanding involved).
It damaged the trust in the validity of the promise of the USA that it would repay its debts. People all over the world are suddenly aware that there is 14 trilion (bilion to the rest of the world) dollars being owed by the USA. And that there is a significant and influential beyond its numbers fraction of politicians who think nothing of not repaying that debt.
So now China which is owed somewhere between 1 and 2 trillian dollar of that debt, the collective European countries who are owed even more. And the American people who collectively are owed most of that money have to start wondering how safe their investment in American bonds really is.
It is that type of uncertainty which started the economic problems in the southern European countries. Investors suddenly coming to the realisation that the debt is beyond the means to pay. This lead to reluctance to buy new bonds as the old paid out, higher interest rates on the new bonds. Which in turn lead to even higher deficits. Before long there was a full blown panic and multi billion dollar bail outs for a country.
Economically speaking the USA is in the same state as Portugal, yes that other European country on the target range for the big banks and hedge funds (same general level of debt compared to gdp, same general level of unemployment and future obligations, no clear development path to do something about the debt and deficit).
Only the sheer size of the USA economy has kept the same panicked reactions as were seen against Greece, Ireland and Portugal at bay. Rest assured though that no matter what the ratings agencies say the rest of the world no longer will treat the USA as a triple A, and interest rates to be paid on new loans by the country -will- rise. It will simply be managed slowly as no country in the world will want to risk a collapse Greece style. The amount of money lost in such a collapse would destroy the economy of any country in the world caught in the backlash.
The rest of the world never had a doubt that a ‘deal’ would be reached at the last minute (the whole debate was about scoring political points never about the economy), except for a brief moment where it looked possible that the extremist would be able to grab the discussion and run with it.
The fact that one day after the ‘historical deal’ markets already are plummeting again shows that it was too little and too late. The percentage of debt relative to gdp is not so big, there are countries with a similar ratio that are considered economically healthy, but the fact that the American politicians have shown themselves incapable with dealing with the economic issue has returned the uncertainty almost immediately after the relief that at least something was done.
Outside the USA most economic experts agree that the USA is putting a huge amount of money in the wrong hands. To get out of the recession it needs to put money in the productive economy, not in the financial one. And they would all say that the USA MUST start increasing its taxes. You can not spend this much money without adequate income. Impoverishing your own population for the sake of the wealthy few only leads to Le Guillotine…
Report thisAnd the willingness of the rest of the world to blindly lend money to the USA is clearly coming to an end, until such time that the country takes extensive steps to earn that trust again. The ‘deal’ does not give any indication that it will lead to a prosperous and stable country.
Quite the contrary in fact.
By C.Curtis.Dillon, August 2, 2011 at 11:13 pm Link to this comment
Just a short observation about our place in the world these days: when I first visited Ukraine in 1999, I was a “rock star”. People wanted to talk to me and just be around me ... wow, the American is here. My soon to be wife was a local celebrity.
Roll forward to today. I’m not even on their radar anymore other than to ask me what is wrong with America. Women who used to want to go to America and marry an American man now want to go anywhere but America. Many women who moved there have returned despite the depression that now grips Ukraine. There is nothing but contempt for America and that says a lot since this country is a real mess. And they feel superior to us in so many ways. We’ve become the laughing stock of the world. America is a joke especially after this latest fiasco.
Report thisBy mrfreeze, August 2, 2011 at 9:09 pm Link to this comment
gerard - What I so enjoy about most of your posts is that they are so damned simple (not to be confused with simple-minded). If we examine even the 1st point you make: learn a foreign language, we encounter a level of stupidity and ignorance that defies imagination. I’m currently taking English as a Second Language classes (ESL) and I’ve encountered literature that refers to groups out there who oppose the “foreign language AGENDA” as if learning a foreign language in America has an “agenda” attached to it? By whom I wonder?????? You know the old joke: “Hey, if English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me!”
Whenever I visit my cousins in Italy (Tuscany & the Piedmont) they never talk about moving to America. They aren’t jumping in line to turn in their passports for an American passport. They like who they are. Yet, I still hear the stupid canard “millions of people risk their lives to come here” every day….it’s utter bullshit. My English friends who have lived here for decades (and who are returning home in the not-so-distant-future) are harassed and abused whenever they return from a vacation in England. My middle-eastern friends from college (mainly Iranians) are, to this day, treated as if they are responsible for the 1978 revolution (most Americans don’t know Iranian/American history existed before 1978).
Face it, we’re just a dumb, fat and intellectually lazy people. We neither earn or deserve the respect we once enjoyed when middle-class people represented our nation. Today, it’s the privileged narcissists who the rest of the world sees.
Report thisBy litlpeep, August 2, 2011 at 8:53 pm Link to this comment
Well! What good news!
We don’t have to undermine the government to make it collapse.
It is self-destructing faster than all of us put together could possibly bring it down!
Prepare with your neighbors for the next regime.
Maybe Mexico will invade.
Report thisBy Alan, August 2, 2011 at 8:01 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Step 9: dump Obama, he’s a Republican operative.
Report thisWe need Bernie Sanders or Russ Feingold or Ralph
to declare NOW as the true and actual
progressive candidate for the presidency in 2012.
By Tim, August 2, 2011 at 6:41 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
What do you mean Gerard when you say special attention should be given to the Midwest in American History class? You hurt this Minnesotan’s feelings if you mean what I think you mean. It pisses me off that Easterners and Westerners think this area and the South is just a bunch of dysfunctional dead space with a bigger heap of skeletons in the closet. Paul Wellstone would surely flip you the bird.
Report thisBy gerard, August 2, 2011 at 5:55 pm Link to this comment
Steps for Americans who want to join the human race:
Report this1. Learn a foreign language.
2. Forbid government officials from wearing flag lapel pins.
3. Offer a bounty for all Tea Partiers to move to Texas and then work to convince the rest of the States to secede from Texas.
4. Base the teaching of American history in all elementary schools on Howard Zinn’s famous book.Give special attention to the Midwest and Southern States.
5. Fine all politicians who go before cameras, shake their index finger at audiences and say: “Make no mistake about it! Blah, blah, blah.”
6. Try to prevent those who go aboad on business or for pleasure from dressing flambouyantly, talking in loud voices, pointing fingers, and making negative comments on famous art works, historical remnants and strange foods.
7. Caution travellers abroad not to interrupt speakers of English as a second language, correct their mistakes or laugh in their faces. Tell travellers never to start a sentence with “In America we .....” Caution them never to talk to each other from behind their hands. Teach them to say “Please” and “Thank you” in the language of the place they are visiting.
8. Encourage them to lose weight before they go abroad if they are more than fifteen pounds overweight.
9. That’s for starters.
By MeHere, August 2, 2011 at 5:13 pm Link to this comment
Most Americans see foreign countries as locations where the US has conducted
Report thiswars or as tourist destinations. And, in some instances, as the suppliers of
resources we need or the manufacturers of cheap goods. The idea that we share
the planet with other societies made up of living human beings with their own
culture, history and knowledge is very abstract. If all these nations don’t live and
think like we do, the view is that there is something wrong with them. Therefore,
if they don’t trust us, it is their fault. US leaders reflect this view very well.
By Snafu, August 2, 2011 at 4:58 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
How can Americans even grasp the opinions of foreigners when they take offense to opinions of their fellow Americans? Majority of Americans still have yet to master geography and the art of communication. Typical Americans are arrogantly ignorant about their own domestic policies, so I am not surprised at their brazen disregard for others…yet many are just arrogantly ignorant on all levels.
The reason for the political debacle is they aim of politrickans is to keep them dumb and in the dark that way they can pass laws against the very people they are suppose to represent. This is not a representative government but more a corporation aimed at dismantle the fabric of democracy…No flag wrapping..so yesterday. When the people learn to unite against those who commit sedition then and only then can this country be called the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!! At the moment is just the BARRON ROBBERS!
Report thisBy frecklefever, August 2, 2011 at 4:26 pm Link to this comment
TRUST AND HONESTY ARE SYNONYMOUS…AND THE SIMPLE FACT IS THE
Report thisGOVERNMENT OF AMERICA IS BUOYED ON LIES AS IS WALLSTREET…IF
TRUTH WAS TO BECOME RAMPANT AND ENFORCED WASHINGTON WOULD
BECOME A GHOSTTOWN…LIES EVENTUALLY COLLAPSE UNDER ITS OWN
WEIGHT..MAYBE WASHINGTON IS BEGINNING TO FEEL A TILT..
By pat_mcgrowen, August 2, 2011 at 4:16 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
You hit the nail on the head when you say today’s America is merely a plutocracy. For further explanation and actual solutions to this critical problem I direct everyone to http://www.beyondplutocracy.com We must invoke a fourth branch of government by the citizens to bring true checks and balances to our fledgling democracy. We must put the power back in the hands of the people and reign in our so called representative democracy with direct democracy. Please take a few minutes to read the introduction and you can begin to envision a cure to our diseased republic.
Report thisBy berniem, August 2, 2011 at 4:05 pm Link to this comment
What democracy? What trust? Amerikan exceptionalism? Please! If Gingrich believes it, it must be BS! FREE BRADLEY MANNING AND TIM DeCHRISTOPHER!!!!!
Report this