US Global Irrevelance

I read the other day that the U.S. is increasingly becoming irrelevant, and it set me to thinking about this statement. In places across the globe where we use to wield influence, this influence has been replaced with indifference, resentment and anger towards U.S. foreign policies, and the predatory practices of corporations backed by the U.S. government. Needless to say, many of these pariah multi-national corporations are perceived as being under American control. The truth is that they are not.

Meanwhile, our sphere of influence is being replaced with the emergence of China, and the outreaching of the European Union, which strangely and quite ironic enough are being perceived as more friendly to many countries. The European Union is our competitor, and as chief rivals should not be seen as friendly to American interests. They've done a good job of buying up America, and have put the squeeze on the American people with the blessings of our ignorant elected politicians.

As our dollar spirals downward and out of control many of our countries economic ills can be traced back to influences from Europe. Our national debt (anywhere from $12 to $42 Trillion) is increasing beyond what any reasonable sane government would allow (balance the ###### budget, and cut spending), and the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan are not helping as they drain needed resources that could be applied elsewhere. Meanwhile our ability to influence countries with foreign aid is waning as fast as our international standing and as prices for commodities rise and we no longer have the money to aid the poor. Our successes of the past are overshadowed by this current administration’s gross international failures; which in large part is due to incompetence, and indifference. We've also been ill served by this administration’s self serving attitude which can only be described as extremely short sighted.

To top it off this years primary elections have been high on personalities, but short on the textured realities of our economic situation. Our country is in dire straits, and candidates from neither party have shown a coherent or cogent understanding of this international economic tragedy that is unfolding. We're in the midst of the perfect storm where high energy prices are eating away at our foundation, and in the process causing the dollar to fade into oblivion with inflation rising to destroy the very fabric of American life. Is anyone out there really listening...?

We are at the defining moment in our nation’s history. In our nations young 400 year history we survived a Revolutionary War to achieve independence from the Superpower of their day... England. We even survived a Civil War that in the process rejected Slavery as an institution, and out of the devastation a stronger new nation emerged to distinguish itself to the world as a beacon of light. We survived a major Depression, and two World Wars, numerous recessions, and we survived what has been described as the Cold War. We fought through the Civil Rights movement to address the injustices of Jim Crow, and minimally address the suffering of the sons and daughters of slavery.

Now we are at the crossroads of this nation’s history. Will our nation recover and move forward with the same "can do" energy that helped us send a man to the moon, or as our predecessor England do we fall to the dust bin of the Superpower has been? The moment is here to challenge the soul of America, do we walk boldly through the door of opportunity or do we as a nation fall back to what's comfortable? At the end of the day the battle will be fought either on our terms or on the terms of those countries that we're indebted to.

In many ways this is the story of the two America's that exist. The one America has honor, integrity, and works tirelessly for its citizens, inspires trust in friends, stands for Peace, Freedom, and Democracy, and makes a stand on issues with our foes. The America that the founding Fathers envisioned was a country where men who were free and sovereign citizens could work towards a better life for their families. An America in which ideals, and dialogue to reach a consensus on things such as governance could be undertaken, and a country that was free from religious persecution. They envisioned a country in which the Articles of Confederation, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States are more then just noble pieces of paper. The framers of the Constitution envisioned a country where rich men and poor men alike could work to elevate their condition in life, and that they were entitled by divine right to do so.

Then there's the other America. An international cabal that has conspired to usurp the power of the American people, that have worked in the midnight, in backrooms, on Islands (Jekyll) away from public scrutiny, in undemocratic fashion working relentlessly using it's power and wealth wielding toxic influence in cultivating, and manipulating government policies and laws to ensure special interests needs that whether unethical, illegal or immoral are enacted to fill their insatiable lust for more power, influence, and greed. This America is a predator and gave us Junk Bonds, The Savings and Loan debacle, the Enron accounting scandal, and now the Subprime Mortgage mess. This latest assault on the integrity of the American way of life can only best be described as a conspiracy by the Banking, Insurance and Mortgage Industry to defraud the American people. Over the years this other America has taken advantage of emerging countries, and manipulated and defrauded those it pretended to help for the benefit of the wealthy. This America has sown the seeds of discontent in distant lands so that the businesses of this America could rape and pillage the less capable of defending themselves.

This election is more about redefining and rediscovering the soul of America. We need a new wave of leaders that can inspire and move America forward with a destiny that is secure, and worthy of those noble warriors that shed their blood in distant lands for Peace, Freedom, and Democracy. We need leadership that is willing to live up to the ideals that brought this nation together. We need leadership that honors the Constitution, and respects the laws of our country. We should demand and expect leadership to lead and to truly serve the American people, and work with corporate America to guide them and get them to cooperate fully with rebuilding the America that generations will be proud of. We need leadership that will work to achieve a future America that has an economy of scale that works, an America that uses the best and brightest to come up with Solutions to rid ourselves of the Federal Reserve Corporation and that defy the Boom, Bust cycle of a toxic, failed, corrupted and co-opted system.

We have a myriad of issues that aren't being addressed by these candidates, and we need to begin asking these in depth questions. We need more than sound bites, and self serving platitudes. The Clinton camp wants us to believe that on day one she's prepared to go into the Oval Office and immediately begin making changes. Are we really that naive to believe this?

On the other hand they're attempting to portray Sen. Obama as naive when he says it's going to take work on all of our parts. I think he's well aware of the challenges that await him as president. Senator McCain wants to continue on with the failed policies of President Bush, and is a recipe for disaster.

The policies of this current administration have been abysmal on all fronts. While I fully recognize the enormity of what this president has had to deal with, history will show that he acted when he shouldn't, and he failed to act when he should have. It's been no small task on his part, but clearly he didn't have the capacity for the job. I do believe however, that he tried to do his best. He stood his ground on the definition of marriage. He acted when we were attacked. We can question how he did, what and why he did, but at least he did something. In the end he'll be remembered for the war in Iraq, where many of our noble soldiers gave some, and many of our soldiers gave all.

God Bless America