The global cop (Or how national grief turns to narcissism)

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Can the United States move beyond the narcissism of 9/11?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/04/narcissim-america-reality-failure
The unity brought about by the tragedy was intense but fleeting. The war on terror has been disastrous abroad and divisive at home.

First of all, I know - that's The Guardian. Yellow liberal mouthpiece tabloid junk paper whose touch even your ass wouldn't enjoy too much. All right. That said, here are some excerpts that stick out:

..."The primary opportunity came from a public united in anger, grief and fear which the Bush administration sought to leverage to maximum political effect."

..."Ten years later the US response to the terror attacks have clarified three things: the limits to what its enormous military power can achieve, its relative geopolitical decline and the intensity of its polarised political culture."

..."The rally around the flag was a genuine, impulsive reaction to events in a nation where patriotism is not an optional addendum to the political culture but an essential, central component of it."

...but...

..."The ability to empathise with others who had suffered similar tragedies and the desire to prevent further such suffering proved elusive when set against the need to avenge the attacks. It was as though Americans were unique in their ability to feel pain and the deaths of civilians of other nations were worth less."

..."A combination of diplomatic pressure, targeted intelligence-led operations and a more enlightened foreign policy was what would have been and has proved to be most successful. But following the attacks, when declarative sentences were the only ones heard and those who urged caution and restraint were compared to Neville Chamberlain, something more urgent, punitive and impressive was insisted upon."


I'd say several things. I don't know what your attitude to that particular source is in general, but still it makes some points that are worth digging a bit into. Unfortunately, such arguments like the ones expressed above are often the trigger that starts huge flame-wars and become arena for clashing of various complexes of those who are always ready to blame International Imperialism(tm) and the Evil West(tm) as the ultimate bringers of evil and all world injustice -VS- the Aw-Hell-Yeah type of jingo guys who'd never miss an opportunity to wave their dicks around and show their giant balls.

But slow down a little, shall we? If it's US soldiers killing civilians as a collateral in the middle of a fight against the Taliban (who are often using human shields), somewhere in the rocky deserts of Afghanistan, in just a few hours the whole world learns about that, the video of the "atrocities" is instantly uplodaded on Youtube, there are lots of angry responses and comments, then articles like the above one would show up, in turn followed by political declarations by prominent political figures either doing damage control or scoring pre-election points at the expense of somebody. And the whole news cycle turns around again, and the pundits rejoice (as well as their TV-advertising sponsors). But if it's the Red Army carpet-bombing entire villages in Northern Afghanistan for a duration of an entire decade, turning the nomadic and pastoralist tribes there into fanatic warriors in the process - the same human rights advocates who are so vocal in the former case, would somehow remain silent, or even try to find all sorts of excuses to that.

If there's one thing more annoying than the stupid mindless awe at the sight of everything American, it's the complex of America-phobia that I'm seeing so much around the non-American world (including here in Europe). I mean it's so convenient to hate America these days! And then run to hide behind America's armored back at times of strife, or go asking them for money in times of financial difficulties (granted, it's just printed money that miraculously appears on your screen in the form of some digits with many zeros). The stupid knee-jerk responses like "But, but, why are they still beating their blacks over there?" that serve as an excuse for the millions of killed people around the world wars, the concentration camps, or in the "better social systems of the East", are mind-boggling.

If some crazy American goes on a shooting spree, massacres his family and neighbors or his colleagues at work or in school, it's an example of the decadence of the rotten capitalist society and morality. But if it's a crazy Chinese who slaughters dozens of kids in a kindergarten, it's just a crazy Chinese who'll be dealt with. Or a Finnish guy who killed an entire class of schoolkids because he listened to too much black-metal. Huh?

If there are entire neighborhoods in the US cities where crime and unemployment is so unimaginably high you'd think living in Mogadishu is a better option, it's an example for the decline of democracy. But the fact that whole clans of thugs are controlling the entire state in Russia, or there are regions in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America where various oligarchs reign like feudals regardless of law and state, there's almost no comment on that other than the occasional "meh, Third World", right? Very convenient, fellow Europeans! Well done, bravo.

"But, but, the US called 9-11 upon themselves with their adventurous foreign policy and their arrogant attitude to everybody else!" - another argument I'm hearing very often from my fellow Europeans. Fine, maybe so! I understand their butthurt with the annoying imperial foreign policies of America, after all they used to pursue the same imperial foreign policies, and in an even more blatant way, but that was before they sucked ball big time in two world wars that they themselves inflicted upon themselves. Such short (and selective?) memory, Europeans, well done, really well done.

Granted, America was behaving like one giant global asshole of epic proportions during the G.W.Douche era. A large part of the American people themselves were pissed off by this, and they weren't hiding it. But on the other hand, let me ask my ranting, whining fellows - if it's not the US, who are you gonna turn to for the role of a world policeman? Name one real alternative, please? I can wait...

Maybe another nice global power would've been better for the job? How about China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, North Korea, etc? Instead of the "loser" Barack Obama the world's destinies would have to be directed by who - Putin, KGB, the Russian oligarchs and thugs? Or the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, and their sponsors the wild-wild-west style Chinese "entrepreneurs" who stop at nothing on their road to wealth? Such a nice model of communist capitalist oligarchist utopia, eh? Or how about that quasi-nazi wacko Ahmadinejad and his Ayatollahs. Or the Arab cheikhs swimming in rivers of oil gold like Scrooge McDuck, and insisting that Sharia law is the best offer this world can ever get: buy one, get four (wives)! Or maybe this modern-time pharaoh Kim Chong Il ruling over a starved but proudly marching militarized nation who's flexing muscles against the world in general, just to make themselves feel more significant than they are? Did you imagine these options? I wonder why the hair on my back is bristling up just by thinking about it.

Or maybe you'd say the world doesn't necessarily need a "global cop". Maybe we all just need a "sensible and wise international policy", based on equality and mutual respect between all countries and compromise between their interests for the greater good of humankind. Sounds so beautiful, doesn't it? And meanwhile, immeasurably naive and unfeasible. Don't expect such a world any time soon! This is not some Isaac Asimov novel. ;)

As far as this economic giant on clay feet, the European Union, in terms of being an international player on the geopolitical stage, it's like a tiny, tiny dwarf. There's no such animal like "common European policy". It's a beast as mythological as the pink unicorn (sorry to kill your dreams). Don't listen to the nice phrases issued from Brussels. That Belgian joke that's now called EU Chairman, is more like a parody of a clown that causes laughter. Germany, Britain and France each have their own interests and they pursue their own policies, and they only pretend to have common goals. And the rest are irrelevant - they're hiding from any international responsibility, using the well-known model of the collective irresponsibility. There's the big ones to carry the responsibility, why should we spoil our leisure time? Eh, Greece? And in these hard times when we have other things to worry about? No, the EU is not a single country with a single policy about anything, so don't even mention the EU when talking about global cops.

In conclusion, and I'm primarily directing this to those of my fellow non-Americans (and even some Americans), sometimes including myself (mea culpa) who are always ready to jump at America's throat for this or that: try imagining a world without the America we know now. Imagine it, just for a minute. Imagine what powers would be scrambling for dominance in the world then. Did you get the picture in your mind? Frankly, I'd prefer even the soft indecisive loser Obama or the straightforward redneck idiot Bush for a cop, given the other alternatives.

Empires come and go. That process ends pretty fast, and often in a messy way. The rest of us can sit back and enjoy while it lasts, have some popcorn, and occasionally point at them with a finger and say, "Silly guys, duh... what are you fighting over, idiots?" But meanwhile, we know we're relatively safe while we're out of the focus.

Comments

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Great post. Thank you for this.

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

I think there's a significant difference between being the best option and being a good option. Merely accepting something because it's the lesser of all possible evils is a dangerous game.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Dealing with the options we're currently having while working to achieve better ones, is not the same like accepting reality as it is and saying "meh". Don't read my penultimate paragraph for face value, please. ;)

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Who are you and what have you done to the real ddstory!?

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

Interesting article...

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

The Guardian is awesome, isn't it?

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you just amaze me.....in a good way.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

OK, joke aside, by the same logic the Soviets were also a preferable cop. Because they stopped Hitler's insane ambitions.

In fact the world doesn't need such kind of policing. The reality is that the US goes wherever it suits their interests, like anyone else would do. Even Saddam Hussein was installed at the helm of Iraq to fight the Iranians because he was suitable to the US - but that was before he became a nuisance. I'd mention Chile, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia as well, and many other occasions. I'm not schadenfreuding, but I'll just ask: what did Saddam do to threaten the US? Maybe he wanted to trade oil for euros rather than dollars?

The US has done as much harm as it's done good. Is it the preferable option given the present circumstances? Probably. It doesn't make it a desirable one, though.

It's exactly this mentality that the world needs a cop to police over order that has brought so many disasters in so many regions, including mine (Africa). I also think the term "empire" needs some re-definition. Today's empires are not like yesterday's empires. The economic interests are global these days. There are new poles emerging like Brazil, India, China and Russia (partially SA too) who'll sooner or later try to assert their role, and if the US decides to respond with animosity, so much worse for it.

As a whole, the US should acknowledge these new realities and do some re-assessment of its approach if it doesn't want to turn irrelevant. The Cold War era is gone, the time of the multi-polar global model is emerging, and it'll inevitably come in one form or another, simply because one single super-power cannot maintain the tempo for too long. Better adapt to this reality than try to counter it with passive-aggressive actions that would turn the US into an even bigger and more irresponsible and unpredictable asshole than it already is. The US can use all that energy for far more positive things, because it still has a lot to teach the world.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

I don't know how to say it much simpler. The US is by far not the best example of democracy one could desire. But meanwhile it's the best option that currently exists around. If, hypothetically, it suddenly ceases to exist tomorrow, the days of your world and probably you, personally, are numbered... It's one of those damned if they do, damned if they don't kind of situations. But consider this - if you're relying on someone like the rest of the G8 to take the baton, you should remember that many of those folks are far from being tolerant to anybody who has the pretense of being "other-thinker".

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

This multipolar world that you're talking about could very well be just the step to another bipolar world.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Not exactly. With the Treaty of Rapallo and the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact they not only developed the means to build a large army that waged modern war but they gave very direct aid to the Nazis in their own conquests. The Nazis, however, decided to invade them and the amateurs got schooled by the professionals during that war. The United States by comparison was playing Hermit Kingdom during that timeframe while the Soviets were busy propping up the Axis.

Sure, they were absolutely essential as an Allied powers in the last four years of the war but all of the 1920s and 1930s should be taken into consideration as well (and that was the phase when the US Army was a frank tool of imperialism, so.....).

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

USA has been at the front leading multi-polar global models for some time. From the League of Nations to the UN to NATO to the G7-G8-G20 to NAFTA, etc. I don't know that it was ever intended for USA to dominate these multi-nation groups like it has. I think it's just been the sad reality of out-classing it's peers in economic, and military might.

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

Great post. Criticisms of Americans often lack balance, and this is certainly true in Canada, which, if it weren't for the United States, would be screwed.

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

I keep hearing that, but there's not much proof of this business of being screwed if not for the USA. We weren't screwed back when England was our largest trading partner. In fact we slow and surely prospered. Our economy hasn't exactly followed the path that USA tends to lead. Every time wall street crashes we don't feel the brunt of it, if we feel it at all. We're definitely not insulated from USA, in fact it seems we are pretty dependent. But despite this dependence we tend to manage quite fine.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Very good post.

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Don't expect such a world any time soon! This is not some Isaac Asimov novel. ;)
Oh, you! You got me! =))

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

I think the focus now should be on helping those who suffered directly from the terror attacks - the families of those who perished in the WTC and the first responders. Those people put their lives on the line in the hardest moment of all, and society owes them big time now. Americans should ask themselves some questions about the fate of these people, some of these questions having far more profound implications than meets the eye at first sight.

During these 10 years i've often found myself gutted by the way the media and the politicians exploited the suffering of the affected for their narrow political purposes, while turning their backs to them at the moment the spotlight moved somewhere else.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

If it weren't for the beach, the ocean would overtake the shore, but if it weren't for the ocean, the beach wouldn't exist.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

DQ'ed, kthx.

[taurus-1.livejournal.com]

So much emotions, so much tremor...
Who will be next? What comes next? If we REALLY out of focus?
What to do?...
Keep calm, Europe. As usual, Russia will complete her historical mission and wipe out the sprouts of evil. Gogs and Magogs must be eliminated.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Horosho, tovarisch! ...her mission to become the laughing stock of the world? It's already been achieved, my dear.

Good cop/bad cop

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

The self-appointed cop is usually the bad cop. What is needed for global policing is not a vicious super power elected by a moronic minority. The bad boyz of the beltway are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Good cop needs to show up

[harry-beast.livejournal.com]

The problem is the moronic majority. Europe, China, Russia and India, maybe with some help from Iran, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa, could easily provide global policing. Why don't they?

[kardashev.livejournal.com]

Nice post.

Also, I can't shake the feeling that if this entry were written by a hard right person, some of the people praising it would instead be reflexively condemning it. ;)

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

I'm sincerely sorry that you feel that way...

[stewstewstewdio.livejournal.com]

Yellow liberal mouthpiece tabloid junk paper


Opinions are like assholes.  Everyone has one and they all stink.<--===popular quote of somebody.  I don't know who.

America is a melting pot.  A melting pot takes several metals, melts them down and each metal shares the characteristics of the others.  America is a cement mixer.  You take the ingredients, mix them together and they keep their own characteristics, for better or worse.

America is what you get when you have an internet that is way too reliable and television that has way too many stations and 24-hour news channels.

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

Good post. I admire a lot of things that Europe does in terms of social policy, but having the US as the go to scapegoat pisses me off.

I mean, EUROPE is going to lecture people about imperialism? Last time I checked Europe carved Africa up like a turkey, tried to do the same thing with a good chunk of the rest of the world and did just that to various degrees. The best the US ever did with classical imperialism was taking the the Phillipeans off of Spain.

And since you brought it up, why the hell are people in Europe so obsessed with how black people in America are treated? Last time I checked it wasn't easy to be black in the UK, France, Germany or anywhere else in Europe really. Or are all those Euroskinheads just there for the Pakistanies?

Seriously, Europe in my book doesn't have much room to complain. If you look at history European nations are guilty of EVERYTHING they complain about the US doing. The degree and details might vary but the crux is the same. Hell, the US gets most of its cultural norms *from* Europe. So we learned by watching you guys.

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

As a Metis person let me tell you, not too many white folks care how Native Americans are treated. Not in Europe. Not in America. Far fewer people of colour care how Native Americans are treated. Not in Europe or America.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

America's power, actions and words mean they should be held to a higher standard than countries not calling themselves the "leaders of the free world".

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

That's also a good point. I sometimes hear excuses like "we torture them because they torture us". But wait, aren't "they" some barbarians with turbans living in caves? Then why should "us" be compared to "them" and be brought down to their standards? (Sorry; obviously a rhetorical question).

[mintogrubb.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to say that I liked your take on things.
The Guardian , the USA, the way that people on our side of the pond like to point the finger. really great post.

I really wish that the EU could get their act together, but at present, I see what happens when they try. it is not encouraging.

Even so, the events in Libya recently have shown us a great example of international co operation in getting rid of a dictator. Also the extent to which the UK was responsible for propping Gaddaffi up and keeping him in place.