Just a few years ago, (the United states of) America’s hold on global power seemed unshakable. But a lot has changed while we’ve been in Iraq — and the next president is going to be dealing with not only a triumphant China and a retooled Europe but also the quiet rise of a ‘‘second world.’’ NYT + Discuss
Highlights:
America’s share of global exchange reserves has dropped to 65 percent. Gisele Bündchen demands to be paid in euros, while Jay-Z drowns in 500 euro notes in a recent video. American soft power seems on the wane even at home.
Many poor regions of the world have realized that they want the European dream, not the American dream.
Many of the foreign students we shunned after 9/11 are now in London and Berlin: twice as many Chinese study in Europe as in the U.S. We didn’t educate them, so we have no claims on their brains or loyalties as we have in decades past.
Without firing a shot, China is doing on its southern and western peripheries what Europe is achieving to its east and south. Aided by a 35 million-strong ethnic Chinese diaspora well placed around East Asia’s rising economies, a Greater Chinese Co-Prosperity Sphere has emerged. Like Europeans, Asians are insulating themselves from America’s economic uncertainties. Under Japanese sponsorship, they plan to launch their own regional monetary fund, while China has slashed tariffs and increased loans to its Southeast Asian neighbors. Trade within the India-Japan-Australia triangle — of which China sits at the center — has surpassed trade across the Pacific.
With or without America, Asia is shaping the world’s destiny — and exposing the flaws of the grand narrative of Western civilization in the process.
Maintaining America’s empire can only get costlier in both blood and treasure. It isn’t worth it, and history promises the effort will fail. It already has.
Neither China nor the E.U. will replace the U.S. as the world’s sole leader; rather all three will constantly struggle to gain influence on their own and balance one another. Europe will promote its supranational integration model as a path to resolving Mideast disputes and organizing Africa, while China will push a Beijing consensus based on respect for sovereignty and mutual economic benefit. America must make itself irresistible to stay in the game.
For the next president, How to move forward:
First, channel your inner J.F.K. You are president, not emperor. You are commander in chief and also diplomat in chief.
Second, Pentagonize the State Department
Third, deploy the marchmen, the foot-soldiers of empire spreading values and winning loyalty. That’s right. In true American fashion, we must build a diplomatic-industrial complex.
Fourth, make the global economy work for us.
Fifth, convene a G-3 of the Big Three. But don’t set the agenda; suggest it.
7 Comments
Thanks for reminding me why the rest of the country cant stand the NYT. They forgot to mention 15-20% unemployment in Europe, the race riots and near 50% tax rates. But alas, Im sure when the next crazy attacks seoul S. Korea, or breakaway balkan violence spills into Europe - all those students we rejected will have their back and stabelize the situation. Or maybe China or Isreal will. Highly unlikely.
Cheers NYT, your global elitist pessimissim about the American experiance knows no bounds. Maybe you should move to the EU or better yet, we'll just sell off the isle of Manhatten - its been done before.
here is the contradiction in the article:
"With or without America, Asia is shaping the world’s destiny — and exposing the flaws of the grand narrative of Western civilization in the process.
Maintaining America’s empire can only get costlier in both blood and treasure. It isn’t worth it, and history promises the effort will fail. It already has.
further down....
Third, deploy the marchmen, the foot-soldiers of empire spreading values and winning loyalty. That’s right. In true American fashion, we must build a diplomatic-industrial complex.
Fourth, make the global economy work for us."
Though the use of 'hegemony' is a welcome change from past misrepresentations.......the article is really not saying ANYTHING new.
It is an american rant.......finding new ways to staying in power. You worship capitalism and you will see there are not many ways out of it. You don't listen to others and by the Tone of the article....you never will.
Do you think the rest of the world is a fool to allow your 'MARCHMEN' to march on. when will you realize.
Maybe america won't realize only those who will read history in the future will.
And....I don't know if NYT is aware of it but the rest of the world is not trying to model America or Europe.
The rest of the world does not intend to build 'Fortresses' they are begin to understand the value of open trade. Europe does'nt ......they still hold the colonizers mentality....and the rest of the world does not appreciate that either.
The article also cries about the best students going elsewhere. If you think that you can be a super-power by having borrowed minds....think again.
I find it amazing that the very values of free trade between nations, Multicultural tolerance and individual freedoms and mass communication, ALL American exports to the world are so easily dismissed as somehow having magically appeared on their shores. Thats why I'd love to watch a decade where America retreats into itself. Id love to watch what happens. See America is not a nation in the comon sense in that its people are genetically and culturally related. Thats it's secret - it is an idea and it seems to be spreading.
If America retreats into itself......and I wish it does....woud be a fantastic news for the middle east and the rest of the world. As far as the myth about Multicultural tolerance (in america u must be kidding me.....someone seems to have forgotten katrina), trade between nations, individual freedom and mass comunication......well one needs to go out in the world and 'ask the world where they think it comes from.......there is no one intellectual address in this world......brains are everywhere....don't deny that.
'genetically and culturally related'......that is almost like saying that the colonizers and the colonized are genetically related. there is always a self and the other, it does not come out in the everyday but it is always subconciously present.
It's very difficult to take any of you seriously. Why should a superpower like America "retreat into itself"? A critique of the american foreign policy of the last 8 years shouldn't be taken as critique of personal lifestyle or of past political and cultural influence. What is asked for is a bit less unilateralism and more diplomatic efforts - to lead the way in a more responsible way.
a-f,
You are partially right, but a good part of America has engaged in an overt inward-looking sentiment and denial of its own global influences and profits in recent years as a reactionary response to "multicultural" tolerance.
Well, the end of the cold war has now exposed the rest of the world as competitors. Nothing new, but the reactions are always fascinating - evilplatypus reminds us all what kind of people hate even half-heartedly critical discourse on the US... A (liberal) comedian writing that liberals love america as grown-ups each other, and reactionary ranters like a baby loves his/her mom/dad... They think the US can't do wrong and if you question their morals or influence, you are an elitist/liberal/"euro" defeatist.
And for the record: levels of incarceration, violence, price of healthcare, inequality,... hardly are in favor of "the US model" as it is today. And america is not the cradle of tolerance, freedom as an ideal or free trade. Mass media was born there I guess, but it does not really compete with that first group of things...
Anyway, a great country, but exceptionalism had its day and should be buried. That's an idea leading to a kind of global elitism and arrogance on a totally different level than suggested by some speculation by the NYT.
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