It's true China is booming, Russia is growing more assertive, terrorism is a threat. But if America is losing the ability to dictate to this new world, it has not lost the ability to lead.
Comment: After reading some of the comments, I feel even sadder for America. If you refuse to face the fact and pretend all is well with America, then you are not going to do anything about it.
Americans, open your eyes and look around! The rest of the world is not the same as you imagined or as described by mainstream media. Just go to youtube or current and see how other countries are now.
Comment: Posted by:justiceprincess -- Is it possible for Newsweek to somehow limit the length of the postings? There is not a soul on the planet who has anything to say that cannot be said in a paragraph of about five or six sentences. I refuse to read the long ravings and rantings from these egocentric and self-righteous posters. Newsweek, what if you got your webmaster to fix it so that each person is limited to say, 300 words? Everyone would benefit. Thank you!
Comment: The author of this propaganda piece is a muslim foreign agent whose father was a radical member of a sect whose aim was to bring the entire Indian sub-continent into a caliphate. Everything he writes here is intended to demoralize this greatest nation on earth, and should be reviled and rejected by Americans. Only in his perverted little wet-dreams is the "rest of the world" becoming eaqual in any wat to the United States!.
Comment: If you are going to write like a moron, at least use spell check so you won't immediately seem like one.
Comment: The author of this propganda
Comment: joatsimeon makes a point i've been waiting for someone to make for a long time: that in order to achieve a gdp similar to france's china must pollute more than the US! the US of course must do much better w/regard to pollution and i am angry at bush's refusal to do (or, shall we now say, to HAVE done more), but amongst all the breastbeating no one has made the point that at least the US is grossly more efficeint than china. when chongyeeyap gleefully reiterates how much china has spent on the olympics or on a useless bridge he of course proves nothing about china's wealth other than that they don't know how to use it. but, i suppose, spending to reduce the world's worst industrial accidents (mining etc), or child labour, or female infanticide (130 males for every 100 females born) or the unbelievablyy cruel treatment of animals (- almost not worth mentioning, i suppose, in light of the shocking lack of HUMAN rights) just isn't as
'glorious' as a huge boondooggle of a bridge or an olympic billboard for self aggrandisement.
china is also one of the biggest (THE biggest??) producer of fake, conterfeit, shoddy, child-labour produced, profiteering-driven toxic/dangerous goods in the world. whilst most of the people there suffer, the nouveaux riches outdo each other with conspicuous consumption of the most tasteless kind (out doing even the russians in this regard) with an obession with status symbol brands. the chinese also remain deeply superstitious with their equal obsession with 'lucky numbers', the shocking use of animal parts (tiger penises, anyone???) to 'increase impotency' (IS this such a problem for chinese men??), or sharks' fins (the rest of the animal dumped to sea) as these are deemed important to 'save face and show wealth' during meals such as weddings. (would not pork cartiledge taste the same? one could pretend it was shark and just substitute...)
as for the much vaunted olympics ('we spent $60 billion, so we MUST be rich/masters of the world, etc), i feel very sorry for the chinese workers who have lost their homes to bulldozers, sorry about the old centers of cities sanitized and lost forever, sorry for the athletes and tourists who must now breathe china's toxic waste ('air' to the chinese), sorry that the chinese are so oblivious to the most basic precepts of hygiene that they must be TAUGHT NOT TO SPIT all over public walkways (i grew up watching this in disgusted fascination), etc.
like jalclimb, i also am not optimistic about china's place in the international community. taking the traditional obsessions with money, gambling, status, and wealth and combining this with brain washing, a complete disregard for human/animal rights/environmental concerns plus the preference to put money into the olympics rather than, say, health care, does not bode at all well.
Comment: I read with interest MR Zakaria article. As an executive living in Asia, I found the article to hit the mark in many ways. Unfortunately his description of an encounter in a Shanghais cafe with a young urban professional is very accurate, (His responses were filled with passion, bellicosity, and intolerance. I felt as if I were in Germany in 1910, speaking to a young German professional, who would have been equally modern and yet also a staunch nationalist.).
I would like to say that this is an isolated incident, however it is not. China watchers are very well aware of this trend. I myself have been faced it several times. Several Chinese friends have told me that the younger people now are wealthier, better educated more insular than there counterparts ten years ago. In some ways, I am not optimistic about china and its place in the world community. The state media has done its job has done a very effective job.
Comment: I read with interest MR Zakaria article. As an executive living in Asia, I found the article to hit the mark in many ways. Unfortunately his description of an encounter in a Shanghais cafe with a young urban professional is very accurate, (His responses were filled with passion, bellicosity, and intolerance. I felt as if I were in Germany in 1910, speaking to a young German professional, who would have been equally modern and yet also a staunch nationalist.).
I would like to say that this is an isolated incident, however it is not. China watchers are very well aware of this trend. I myself have been faced it several times. Several Chinese friends have told me that the younger people now are wealthier, better educated more insular than there counterparts ten years ago. In some ways, I am not optimistic about china and its place in the world community. The state media has done its job has done a very effective job.
Comment: It's about time the left takes another look at Ronald Reagan and all the other strident anti-communists of the 20th century like Barry Goldwater and Joseph R. McCarthy. After all it was a Marxist Lee Harvey Oswald and a communist Sirhan Sirhan who knocked off the Kennedy Brothers. Now check out my book at Amazon.com
The Epoch Point by Spencer Zimmerman is a religious historical conspiracy thriller that follows evil throughout the existence of mankind, revealing the constant conflict between God and the devil, good and evil. Robert Davis is a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training who, after being held captive in China, suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history. On duty during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he soon uncovers hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement. While exploring abandoned military barracks at Kessler AFB in Mississippi, Davis and his friends discover the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald. Suddenly the Airmen find themselves the target of mysterious agents. As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity, not to mention kill two of his good friends. Before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, and volcanoes, the wrath of God. Davis finds himself torn by the unbelievable realization that God has a message for him. Nothing could prepare him for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a Da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ.
Comment: As a subscriber of Newsweek and a fan of Fareed, I'd like to say a few things about the excerpt from his new book but don't have the time. I will say one thing that is off target:
You may say London is the center of finance because 80% of it's listings are global stocks rather than from the U.K., which does not say much since a listing from France or Germany is considered global.
By contrast New York's listings consist of the opposite, or about 20% global so a listing from Texas cannot be considered global although it is further away from New York than Paris is to London. But here is the kicker:
New York's total market cap is $30 Trillion to London's $10 Trillion and with many of our multinationals getting a big chunk of their profits from abroad, I venture to say that New York by far is the financial capital of the World and will probably be for sometime until perhaps Hong Kong or Mumbai, not London, get cranking.
By the way, I think Fareed is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading his unbiased stories and ideas every week. He is correct that the benefits of having a wealthier and mostly more informative World population is better, since they will be buying more of our products and more of our ideals.
Comment: As a subscriber of Newsweek and a fan of Fareed, I'd like to say a few things about the excerpt from his new book but don't have the time. I will say one thing that is off target:
You may say London is the center of finance because 80% of it's listings are global stocks rather than from the U.K., which does not say much since a listing from France or Germany is considered global.
By contrast New York's listings consist of the opposite, or about 20% global so a listing from Texas cannot be considered global although it is further away from New York than Paris is to London. But here is the kicker:
New York's total market cap is $30 Trillion to London's $10 Trillion and with many of our multinationals getting a big chunk of their profits from abroad, I venture to say that New York by far is the financial capital of the World and will probably be for sometime until perhaps Hong Kong or Mumbai, not London, get cranking.
By the way, I think Fareed is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading his unbiased stories and ideas every week. He is correct that the benefits of having a wealthier and mostly more informative World population is better, since they will be buying more of our products and more of our ideals.
Comment: poor consumers in Mumbai, the other newsweek article, The Post-American World By Fareed Zakaria | NEWSWEEK
May 12, 2008 Issue
says India is the new world power.
2) On topics about which Daniels Gross lies knows nothing/zero: it is better not to write:
USE CELLULOSE TO MAKE ETHANOL, NOT CORN: STUPID.
3) Daniels Gross lies by omission:
We fund the war against the USA every day at the gas pump. Stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps.
Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; The gas stations in Brazil can fill the tanks with ethanol, no gasoline.
Archer Daniel Midland made millions in the USA selling $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s;
That trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
Cellulose Ethanol energy independence in the USA, will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps.
With all the cars running on ethanol; the price of oil will collapse and the radical Moslem hordes will no longer have the funds we used to give them from gasoline sales to finance the war against us.
4) Daniels Gross lies by omission:
War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills: OPEC would lower crude prices to 10/bbl to rust out the stills. Stills being built now are a result of congressional ethanol fuel mandates for clean air purposes: The new stills have contracts to sell there output before the still can be built and financed to protect from monopoly OPEC lowering the crude prices to way lower than ethanol cost.
Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
5) Daniels Gross outright lies: Yes, All cars can run on ethanol.
I built a distillery and converted my GM car to 160 proof ethanol by 1982; and tried 25 years to get the USA off of gasoline.
6) Writers should post their certification on the subject they are writing on at the beginning of the article; that would leave the papers and news posts mostly blank pages.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: Happy mother's day! But not in India. India is one of the worst place on earth to be a mother according to an American survey on women, children and health that was just released. The survey grouped the world into 3 catagories, "developed", "less developed" and "least developed". Both China and India were in the "less developed" group of 79 countries. India ranked 66, far worse ranking than China's. Child birth death and birth without trained medical assistance are both very high in India. What "super power" is that?
Comment: poor consumers in Mumbai, the other newsweek article, The Post-American World By Fareed Zakaria | NEWSWEEK
May 12, 2008 Issue
says India is the new world power.
2) On topics about which Daniels Gross lies knows nothing/zero: it is better not to write:
USE CELLULOSE TO MAKE ETHANOL, NOT CORN: STUPID.
3) Daniels Gross lies by omission:
We fund the war against the USA every day at the gas pump. Stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps.
Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; The gas stations in Brazil can fill the tanks with ethanol, no gasoline.
Archer Daniel Midland made millions in the USA selling $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s;
That trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
Cellulose Ethanol energy independence in the USA, will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps.
With all the cars running on ethanol; the price of oil will collapse and the radical Moslem hordes will no longer have the funds we used to give them from gasoline sales to finance the war against us.
4) Daniels Gross lies by omission:
War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills: OPEC would lower crude prices to 10/bbl to rust out the stills. Stills being built now are a result of congressional ethanol fuel mandates for clean air purposes: The new stills have contracts to sell there output before the still can be built and financed to protect from monopoly OPEC lowering the crude prices to way lower than ethanol cost.
Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
5) Daniels Gross outright lies: Yes, All cars can run on ethanol.
I built a distillery and converted my GM car to 160 proof ethanol by 1982; and tried 25 years to get the USA off of gasoline.
6) Writers should post their certification on the subject they are writing on at the beginning of the article; that would leave the papers and news posts mostly blank pages.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: We have 1.3 billion people in China and we need to provide jobs for all these people. We are doing very well and you can keep your meaningless and self serving mastabation for your own Americans; you can say that the chinamen are bloody fools for selling beautiful products for a fraction of what it would cost to make in the USA.. Yes, we are fools for working for the Americans, BUT WHO ARE THE ONES IN DEBT ? If China is so bloody impoverished, then how is it that China is able to spend US$60 billion to put on the world's greatest Olympics ever ? If China is so impoverished then why is it that we have just commissioned the WORLD'S LARGEST AIR-PORT ? If we are so poor then why is it that we have just commissioned the world's longest sea bridge in the world (36 Km, just 4 Km. shorter than the one in the USA, but our's is a sea bridge.
In terms of logic, Mr Fareed has inverted the argument on the points that make the USA competitive; Why & HOw ? If we take USA Vs China in a car race (as illustration), and since the USA at the time of Nixon"s visit in 1974 was ahead of China by 1000 miles ahead, and China was then only on the starting blocks, then at what increase of speed must China take to over take the USA ? Take note that if USA travelled at the speed of 60 Km and China travelled at 60 Km per hour then both the USA and CHina will go on forever and remained at a gap of 1000 miles for ever. This illustration shows that China has travelled many, many times faster than the USA to now catch up to the USA and by 2030 China will be 2.5 times the size of the USA economy. That being the case how can Mr Fareed say to us that the USA is competitive ? This is nonsense !
I think it is time for me to gloat for a little bit; do you know that China is Japan's biggest trade partner and the Japan is but the No.3 biggest trade partner of China's ? That is not the most imporatant point, but the fact that China and Japan are drawing closer and closer together ia a bit un-nerving to the USA and the West ! I had seen this development 5 years ago and I wrote about in our Chinese publications; this development was inevitable. Japan, the Koreas and China together with one country two systems with HK Macao and Taiwan will become a "black hole to draw into themselves as one POLE OF THE WORLD; this grouping will be the centre of the world order. The USA is declining in warp speed. WE ALREADY ARE IN THIS NEW WORLD ORDER. Get used to it.
.
Comment: chongyeeyap poses an excellent question: if the chinese are so 'bloody poor', why did they just spend such a fortune on a bridge (the olympics, etc)? only one problem: he confuses 'poor', which is in any case relative, with 'knowing how to use funds; the chinese will spend any amt of money to attempt to showcase themselves (eg the olympics, in this case NOT the 'greatest ever' - this we cannot possibly yet know, since they haven't happened yet - but certainly one of the most controversial ever, since hosted by a country which is in the forefront of abuse of human rights, civil rights, animal rights, etc.)
china is an environmental disaster zone exactly because they do not even care about the rights of their own people. look at the air the atheletes will have to breathe! shocking! spending large amounts of money on uneccesary bridges or olympic games is totally irrelevant to whether china is prosperous or not but entirely relevevant to the callous way they use their resources, rather than helping their poor, cleaning up their environment, reducing hideous industrial accidents (mining et al), addressing female infanticide (130 boys born for every 100 girls), and so on.
Comment: I totally endorse the opinion of "ONETIME"", however to spell out what I mean, and place my criticism of Mr Fareed in context, if it is true that the USA is so dynamic and so very competitive, then why is it that China in particular was able to draw abrest of the USA within 20 years ? China started with second hand factories that China bought from Germany (NSU motor scooter factory was bought by China for scrape metal) and began in this innovative way to rise to the very top. Today China is said to be 2nd to the USA and it was claimed by the World Bank Chief economist that by year 2030 China's economy will be 2.5 times the size of the USA's.
The arguement of two of the respondents that all our Asian economies are inefficient and that production is achieved by ramping input of labour & capital. I read this opinion by a so called economist somewhere, can't recall, and thereofre our Asian economies will eventually stagnate and die out. This is wishful thinking. The arguement by people like Mr Fareed is all wishful thinking, they only see what they want to see. If only the world were so convienient for the Americans. I will take the criticism of one of the respondents that Asian economies ramp up their production by intensive input of labour & capital and that innovation has no part in thier efforts. Take China with our huge population (1.3 billion) and take the USA (380million); and you claim that the USA by their extreme efficiency & innovation will produce 10 times or 100 times more than what 2000 Chinese workers will produce by use of machines (nano technology & fantastic technology). This is nonsense of course but even if it were true, is not this efficiency achieved by cutting down on the size of the work force ? So what you have replaced is machinery for human hands on the job; more capital needed for the factory and investment of factories. So may I ask what and where is the increase in production ? We Chinese need very much less capital to invest in machinery and we employ more men at the factory table. However in the proposition put forward by the USA side of the debate, YOUR FACTORIES AND NANO TECH. WILL HAVE PUT OUT OF WORK MANY MILLIONS OF YOUR WORKERS ? You will need more in providing food & shelter for your layed out workers. Don't you see that all there masterbation by you Americans are just that for shooting blanks.
Comment: First of all mr Zakaria is too optimistic and quite frankly kissing America s ass too much, maybe he has too show he is a true patriot with a name like that.
Secondly, his article is only half written, he goes on to tell that america is not declining but rather the rest is catching up and america will just be competitive once again. He left only just one small fact out, the rest will not only be on the same level of good old usa economically/politically but will also surpass it. US will be ranked not 2, but maybe 3,4,5 on the list.
Thirdly, we have/had one superpower(usa) that kept the rest in check. We had also two superpowers which resulted in the cold war. If we have multiple superpowers, just like mr.Zakaria is telling us, then I will guarantee you we will have conflicts, misunderstanding and eventually wars (huge wars because they are superpowers not the bombings of iraq and afghanistan).
Fourthly, speaking of peace the us has angered a lot of countries, they created two more palestines (iraq/afghanistan), now the attention has shifted to the us from isreal. Arabs/muslims had friction with isreal over palestine and us used to be neutral in that regard, but that has all changed.
Finally, he forgot to mention recent devastation all around the globe concerning climate change, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and so forth. Also the rise of food prizes all over the world, unsustainable world population/more hunger/more death. He did mention the ever rising oil but left out the peaking of oil, did Saudi peak and if it did would they tell the rest of the world.
All in all, mr zakaria pictured an ideal world. But we all know when one gets superpower status it goes to the head, they will have their own ambitions/dreams and interests in the rest of the world which will be quite different from that of good old uSA.
Comment: Mr. Zakaria has expounded his topic very well. Just excellent.
And America? well, all isn't lost. I believe in our resilience. I believe in you Uncle Sam. Its time to wake up and lets kick some asses here,!
Comment: america must seek ways to increase the period of its dominance in the Asian Century
Comment: "Asian century"? Better call it China's century.
Comment: posted by salah almhamdi
america may fall so americans must seek strartegies to incerase the period of their dominance in the Asian Century
Comment: America has indeed led the world into globalization - but only halfway.
Economically, the world today is indeed practising American-style Capitalism, almost universally: from formerly Communist Russia, through still titularly Communist China, and to non-aligned India and Africa. In this sense, the 21st century will be "American".
Politically, however, it appears as though America's cause is lost, if it was at all a true American cause. The same Russia is slipping into Tzarism, China is still a one-party totalitarian nation, the Middle East and Central Asia are a mix of successful dictatorships and civil-war torn regions, vying to become dictatorships.
This is not coincidental: during the Cold War, America has sacrificed repeatedly Democracy for Capitalism, in South America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Pessimistically, one might think it sad that America's ability for political influence is now declining, following the exhaustion of it ability for economical influence. The greatest likelihood now is for the 21st century to look more like a technologically hyped 19th, with all its political shortcomings and eventual angusihing world-war death.
Optimistically, one might hope America still has enough power, influence and will to use the next, maybe last, years of leadership, for completing its mission, and transforming the world into a place where truly "All Men Are Created Equal".
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: First, Russia is not "rising". Russia's population is diminishing by 1,000,000 a year and is less than half that of the United States to begin with. The Russian people are committing auto-genocide. The only thing they have is oil and gas, a wasting asset; their only other significant export besides raw materials are blond hookers.
Second, China's position is not much better. Their fertility rate dropped below replacement level 25 years ago and is still dropping -- in the urban areas it has dropped to below -one-. 30% of the population of Shanghai are already over 60, and of the children that are being born, there are 130 males to every 100 females.
It's an ongoing, if slow-mo, demographic train wreck, and demography is destiny. China's median age is going up faster than anywhere else in the world. A nation going broke trying to support 400 million geezers is not going to trouble the world much.
Nor, when you look at it closely, is their economic growth that impressive; it's factor-intensive, throwing more labor and capital in to boost output. The USSR grew faster than the US for more than 40 years in precisely the same way.
Meanwhile, the US population continues to increase by 1% annually, we're the only large country in the world with an increasing birth-rate.
And our share of the world GDP (and of world manufacturing output) is higher than it was in 1980. US economic growth is largely qualitative, involving increases in Total Factor Productivity -- getting more out of labor and capital, rather than quantitative. To get a GDP about the size of that of France, China is now producing more CO2 than the US, which gives you some idea of the relative efficiencies.
Japan and Europe are nowhere, of course; dying nations.
India might be a significant rival, yes. China? No. Russia? It is to laugh.
Comment: India is the least likely to succeed!
By the way, who are those extra population s that America is adding every year? Illegals?
Comment: Although Zakaria makes good point about how the shifting in powers may not result in a full-out world war over global influence, one cannot but help to imagine that nuclear warheads were developed to be used. When someone loses this economic tug-o-war, someone is bound to act a bit irrational and take back their gameball and kick it over the fence. =/ Let's just all hope that ball isn't a nuclear warhead. =)
Comment: I am an immigrant in the US. In Texas, no less. I happen to live in a pocket of such freedom and acceptance that I never realize wider problems in the US or in the world that I did experience even first hand when I lived in India. In my high school, I hear more than four languages regularly, and I see people who truly are members of the metropolitan, rising America. We have hardly any problems understanding, reconciling, sharing, laughing, crying, conversing, or living together. These same pockets exist across the globe, in schools and colleges the world over.
Here's the thing. I'm the future. All my friends, those going to the community college, those shooting straight to Harvard, they're all the future. And it galls me to see stupidity, bigotry, and above all a sound hatred and fear of embarrassment. We're too embarrassed to accept our own faults, and this magnifies across society. Why should I correct my bigoted, half-assed assessment of another people/culture/nation/religion when I simply tune them out and dehumanize their voice? Why should I care?
What would happen if we forget the boundaries, if we focus on not the group or the civilization but the individual? Are we not all the free people of the earth? Do you not see me everyday across the street, resolutely looking away, our thoughts completely unknown? Perhaps the hardest fissure to bridge is the individual one.
The idea of open societies and open immigration may not be adopted by the US. It may erupt more fully in another nation, a piece of land that realizes the potential of foreign capital AND foreign human resources. But I can say for sure that it doesn't matter where it happens, as long as it happens. The chance for instability is obviously hard to predict, but I'd say we don't take chances and continue to globalize, no matter which piece of earth is the context.
But most importantly, I'd say this: recommend this article to a friend, have a discussion with a coworker, and be a part of it all.
- Locke
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: While there are several correct arguments made in Zakaria's article "The Rise of the Rest," the quality of his sources and the substantiation of his points could definitely benefit from a more objective analysis. For example, one of his sources is the German journalist Gabor Steingart. Steingart is an ardent Hillary Clinton supporter, and voices this view clearly. This blatant partisanship barely makes him an objective source of information. In addition, Steingart misinterprets some of the obvious trends in the U.S. (and reports them in this way to his German audience). I attended an event a few days ago sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung in Washington DC, and Steingart asserted that should Obama win the Democratic nomination, it is inevitable that Hillary will become the ???shadow chancellor??? because of her obvious popularity. This is not how our system works (anymore). This is possible, although not probable and certainly not ???inevitable.??? He also misunderstands the difference in the nature of federalism between Germany and the United States. His entire point about the U.S. losing key industries, which Zakaria picks up, can also be easily argued. This sort of source casts a shadow on Zakaria's arguments, which he cherry picks.
Also, the reason the points of wealth have moved outside the U.S. is exactly because of the ???hidden secret,??? as Zakaria calls it, that America???s engineers and scientists are predominantly immigrants. The U.S. (unfortunately) does not offer a generous visa program to allow these people to stay here after they have received their doctorates. So, they are doing the natural thing ??? returning home and applying what they learned in their countries. It may be a secret to Zakaria, but it is hardly a secret to anyone who is interested in knowing the root cause of this. Although it may be too optimistic to believe that there is a strategy behind our visa program, it is arguably better for the U.S. to ensure that prosperity advances around the world and other cultural/religious/political hubs become also economic hubs, such as Dubai, etc. Perhaps this is one reason for the stringent visa system here.
Perhaps it is not so much a decline of the U.S. as the U.S. helping to equip the world with tools to better themselves. Which is a good thing. After the decline of the other empires, Persia, Rome, Egypt, etc., the world was in much worse shape than it would be after ???the decline??? of the U.S.
Comment: I looked through the comments below and am very shocked at warped interpretations, provincial point of views, and even spiteful tones found in many comments. I am shocked because I always look up to Americans who value liberty and justice, pursue idealism that is alloyed with action, and take vigorous initiatives in reformations to the end of the world harmony. It is Americans from whom I learned what it means to be an open- and fair-minded citizen of the global world.
I am Japanese living in Tokyo. I had my high school and college educations in the United States. I sometimes feel dismayed to find that many Japanese are, unthinkingly, obsessed with retaining its past economic supremacy and nationalistic pride. Our complacency not only blinds us to but also dulls the sensitivity to the on-going dynamic change in the world. I believe that Americans are much more mature than Japanese are, both intellectually and morally.
I sincerely hope that Americans will lead us into the world where we, as the members of the global community, all share the cultural and ecological diversity of the Mother Earth.
Comment: I looked through the comments below and am very shocked at warped interpretations, provincial point of views, and even spiteful tones found in many comments. I am shocked because I always look up to Americans who value liberty and justice, pursue idealism that is alloyed with action, and take vigorous initiatives in reformations to the end of the world harmony. It is Americans from whom I learned what it means to be an open- and fair-minded citizen of the global world.
I am Japanese living in Tokyo. I had my high school and college educations in the United States. I sometimes feel dismayed to find that many Japanese are, unthinkingly, obsessed with retaining its past economic supremacy and nationalistic pride. Our complacency not only blinds us to but also dulls the sensitivity to the on-going dynamic change in the world. I believe that Americans are much more mature than Japanese are, both intellectually and morally.
I sincerely hope that Americans will lead us into the world where we, as the members of the global community, all share the cultural and ecological diversity of the Mother Earth.
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: Oh,Yeah! We lead alright. Right to where the money leads us.
A world power? We're has beens!
Comment: Excellent article by Mr. Zakaria. And what better candidate to bring about his recommendations than Barack Obama! He has lived abroad and has that international experience that we sorely need in Washington. McCain is in the Bush mold of "do it America's way or hit the highway"; Clinton is just a political panderer who will promise anything to the unions to obtain power. Obama is the answer to lead America into the challenges of the 21st Century,
Comment:
Comment: For bpjam @ 05/07/2008 20:47:13
I fill very sorry for you. You cannot handle the truth. You really have a warped imagination.
Comment: What a great article! I like this guys outlook and I agree with his assessment that we (U.S.) are only hurting ourselves by being fearful of the changes outlined. What's going to be very uncomfortable for many Americans is learning how to show respect to other countries, recognizing them as equals instead of hapless souls that would have nothing without our guidance. It will be tough letting go of that perception. Little by little, the rest of the world will need us less and look up to us less. Personally, I think that's great. We've had the spotlight for long enough. It's time to get off our high-horse and join the crowd!
Comment: As the old saying goes when your 'luck' runs out
"YER SUCKING THE HIND TIT"
Comment: Any great economy that is unchecked will be bad (whatis the point of democracy in such a global dictatorship?). This is a great article and brings a lot of perspective to a mostly American view of the global political climate. The take home message of acting as a hub of innovation and having more stake holders in the world order are precise.
BTW, all those screaming about the 'Asian giants' for or against are loosing this point. It is not about who is greater than whom, or vice versa... but about how the 'transition' from the present world order could/should happen.
As for the advances of the "Asian Giants' especially China, everyone has concerns because of the uncertain nature of their long-term foreign policy, It is human nature to feel apprehensive in a new situation, but the world and the booming economies of China and India have to learn new ways of wielding this power. Remember that no one stays at the top. It does not have to end in a fall, but then you will have to move on, away from the spotlight.
Comment: Any great economy that is unchecked will be bad (whatis the point of democracy in such a global dictatorship?). This is a great article and brings a lot of perspective to a mostly American view of the global political climate. The take home message of acting as a hub of innovation and having more stake holders in the world order are precise.
BTW, all those screaming about the 'Asian giants' for or against are loosing this point. It is not about who is greater than whom, or vice versa... but about how the 'transition' from the present world order could/should happen.
As for the advances of the "Asian Giants' especially China, everyone has concerns because of the uncertain nature of their long-term foreign policy, It is human nature to feel apprehensive in a new situation, but the world and the booming economies of China and India have to learn new ways of wielding this power. Remember that no one stays at the top. It does not have to end in a fall, but then you will have to move on, away from the spotlight.
Comment: Probably few American know that there is a quite uproar in India now regarding Bush???s mentioning of India and China as factors of rising world food and oil price. (WashintonPost.com and others have the report) While China did not react to the comment at all, India is having almost a rage over it. From politicians to media to Indian people are accusing the comment as ???racist???, prompted White House spoke person to clarify it today.
While this different reactions by China and India shows the different level of confidence by the two countries (China is practical and India is very insecure), this should teach American a lessen that India can be very radical.
It???s hard to view India as a radical country, but if you exam its history and present, it???s very obvious.
History: Ever since India???s independence from Britain 60 years ago, India has fought 3 wars with Pakistan alone! During one of the wars, India ???cut??? Pakistan into two pieces, Pakistan and Bangladesh. India also fought but lost a border war with China and ???swallowed??? a small Himalayan kingdom Sikeem that scared another small Himalayan kingdom Bhutan which quickly surrendered its defense to India. Look around the world, very few countries has fought this much wars since WWII. India is far from being a peaceful country!
Present: Anyone who pays little attention to reports come out of India (like those by Reuters and BBC), India is a country that constantly has insurgents and bombs. Different groups in India hate each other for either religious or political reasons in addition to social injustice. They often attach or bomb each other! Such news rarely reach to American media, but often reported in Britain because it???s closer tie with India. Needless to say billions of dollars were spent on ???prestigious??? programs such nuclear arsenal and space adventure instead of spending on its people who are in dire needs for basic necessity.
I hope Bush has got good dividend from his ???investment??? in India. He has been grooming India as a counter balance to China. He even pushed for export of nuclear technology to India. But India did not buy his good will.
Comment: Sorry, I have to correct the typo. It's Sikkim (not Sikeem), a tiny Himalayan kingdom that was literately "swallowed" by India in the 1970's. It scared another tiny Himalayan kingdom Bhutan which quickly put itself under India's "protection". India is a very radical country. As recent as 1998, India was on verge of a nuclear show-down with Pakistan! India, to this day, refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty!
Comment: The rest of the world better pray that America does not fall. All you third world holes will get from Europe will be domination. History proves an unchecked Europe is not a good thing.
Comment: The author raises many salient points, and he even succeeds in making me feel a bit better, but I remain very worreid about China. Despite their inclusion into the global economy, I'm concerned because of a new underground nuclear submarine missle base, constructed such that a journey towards the US west coast is far easier and quicker. Add to this the aggregate industrial espionage perpetrated by China, resulting in quieter submarine propellers and other technical advances, AND the China shootdown of one of it's own satellites about a year ago (while in an orbit from which the resulting debris continues to menace other satellites), and I do not sleep well at night. China could easily wait till such time that they are an unquestioned and unmatched economic power and then begin expansion - their population will need room to grow. Lastly, I was also frustrated by their lack of concern at their own pollution, intead blaming the West while absolving themselves of responsibility.
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: Just couple of days ago, India tested a long range missile with nuclear war head. Today UPI reported that India which is widely known for extremely lacking of infrastructure is building roads along its north border to provide ???easy move for its troop???! (Note: Similar news came out of China at the same time is that China just opened world???s longest sea bridge!) At the same time, another report came out that India is ranked dead 94 on latest world hunger index by International Food Research Institute. That ranking not only far worse than China which has about same population as India, but also worse than Pakistan!
India has been very keen on its international respect and prestige. Its request for a permanent UN security council membership, its multi billion dollar space programs and its even more expensive nuclear arsenal are just few examples.
But I have to say this. Swiss, a very small country but with very high income per capita and very high living standard has much more international prestige and respect than India, a big country with nuclear arsenal but very poor standard of living!
Comment: India and china are no hope for a better future for humanity.The former is still enatnagled with caste system,organ selling and fake doctors and it is beset by intense religious rivalry, and its big cities are littered with the largest slums in the world, while the latter is jingoist, totalitarian,adamant to western civilization and culture.Both are deeply nationalist,and backward.Despite its erroneous foreign policy applied by the current
administration, America remains the ideal leader of the world. AMERICA IS LIKEABLE and you will witness soon the resurgence of its economy and regenration of its democratic culture.
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY AND AMERICA IS COMMING TO THE END OF ITS WORLD DOMINENCE.
THIS IS NOTHING NEW THERE HAS BEEN A RISE AND A FALL OF EVERY MAJOR EMPIRE THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN FROM THE GREEKS AND THE ROMANS TO THE BRITISH EMPIRE.
IT NOW SEEMS TO BE AMERICAS TURN. ITS CALLED PROGRESS I BELIEVE.
Comment: War ends We win: when we pass a law that makes the minimum price of gasoline at the pumps: $1.75/gallon; billion dollar/million barrel per day ethanol stills will not be built without protection from OPEC monopoly pricing rusting out our new stills.
The ethanol investors do not build ethanol distilleries because monopoly OPEC would lower the price to rust out their billion dollar million barrel a day ethanol still. Brazil is energy independent: ethanol; All their cars come built running on ethanol; Archer Daniel Midland made millions on $1.00 gallon ethanol in the 1990s; that trumps any canard/invalid objection to ethanol. Use Cellulose ethanol, not corn ethanol.
This will balance the trade deficit, create full employment, bring down the price of fuel, break the monopoly on the pricing of fuel, balance the USA government budget, create less pollution, make the USA energy independent, and end the war because we will stop funding the bad guys everyday at the gas pumps..
My view is that Osama BL et al should be referred to as "mercenary marketing directors for various government owned weapons manufacturers parading as a religious persons";( my description fits better than theirs & who would believe them if we did not promote them as religious?) no English definition of "religious person" includes flying planes into buildings. true not true, who cares; follow this strategy: War Ends We Win. After 7 years, the USA finally officially adopted my position on this portrayal of OBL..
China, Russia, and the Islamis only lead the world in repression of freedom of thought and brainwashing their people to believe and recite lies as though they are truth: like Fareed Zakarear.
Sharia people are at war with The West because Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against: a free market economy with free speech to criticize Islam.
A picture of Mohammad and they riot like mad dogs.
Continuous suicide murder in the name of Islam, and not a peep.
They are all terrorist murder supporters.
Arab, if only Israel: is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thing. In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people: The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only: Sharia and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.
The draft is scheduled to return to the USA in 2009 whether we elect Larry, Curly, or Mo.
Intelligence analyst: Getzel
Comment: What an excellent analysis and so well written.in a clear concise style. I think he is right to be optimistic about america. when it comes to implementing new ideas, america is still way ahead of every country. and this openness to new ideas will attract entrepreneurs and immigrants.
Comment: Uhmm actually i think zakaria (or most americans) still don't understand the reality. Once a new cencept is formed, whether physical or political or economic, it spreads till everyone connected has it. This happened with writing (sumerians), god-kings (persia/egypt), formalisation of academia (greek), stirrup (mongol), gunpowder (china), so on till democrativ republic (france), capitalist economics (england et al), modern market economics (USA), institutionalised economics (Japan) so on. It is not some magical trend that the rest of the world is catching up. It is just how the world has always worked. Americans (and the world) do not seem to understand that the complete dominance of USA for the last few decades was just a side-effect of aggregating powers of technology and knowledge being stronger today than before, so the first-mover advantage is deeper. It is a smaller world today. But USA in the last 20 yrs was just the last in a series of sudden superpowers like portugal, spain, dutch etc that happened primarily because concepts already established in those places were still spreading to the rest, it was inevitable that this would not be a lasting equilibrium, and there's no danger from that..
Comment: Uhmm actually i think zakaria (or most americans) still don't understand the reality. Once a new cencept is formed, whether physical or political or economic, it spreads till everyone connected has it. This happened with writing (sumerians), god-kings (persia/egypt), formalisation of academia (greek), stirrup (mongol), gunpowder (china), so on till democrativ republic (france), capitalist economics (england et al), modern market economics (USA), institutionalised economics (Japan) so on. It is not some magical trend that the rest of the world is catching up. It is just how the world has always worked. Americans (and the world) do not seem to understand that the complete dominance of USA for the last few decades was just a side-effect of aggregating powers of technology and knowledge being stronger today than before, so the first-mover advantage is deeper. It is a smaller world today. But USA in the last 20 yrs was just the last in a series of sudden superpowers like portugal, spain, dutch etc that happened primarily because concepts already established in those places were still spreading to the rest, it was inevitable that this would not be a lasting equilibrium, and there's no danger from that..
Comment: Uhmm actually i think zakaria (or most americans) still don't understand the reality. Once a new cencept is formed, whether physical or political or economic, it spreads till everyone connected has it. This happened with writing (sumerians), god-kings (persia/egypt), formalisation of academia (greek), stirrup (mongol), gunpowder (china), so on till democrativ republic (france), capitalist economics (england et al), modern market economics (USA), institutionalised economics (Japan) so on. It is not some magical trend that the rest of the world is catching up. It is just how the world has always worked. Americans (and the world) do not seem to understand that the complete dominance of USA for the last few decades was just a side-effect of aggregating powers of technology and knowledge being stronger today than before, so the first-mover advantage is deeper. It is a smaller world today. But USA in the last 20 yrs was just the last in a series of sudden superpowers like portugal, spain, dutch etc that happened primarily because concepts already established in those places were still spreading to the rest, it was inevitable that this would not be a lasting equilibrium, and there's no danger from that..
Comment: Uhmm actually i think zakaria (or most americans) still don't understand the reality. Once a new cencept is formed, whether physical or political or economic, it spreads till everyone connected has it. This happened with writing (sumerians), god-kings (persia/egypt), formalisation of academia (greek), stirrup (mongol), gunpowder (china), so on till democrativ republic (france), capitalist economics (england et al), modern market economics (USA), institutionalised economics (Japan) so on. It is not some magical trend that the rest of the world is catching up. It is just how the world has always worked. Americans (and the world) do not seem to understand that the complete dominance of USA for the last few decades was just a side-effect of aggregating powers of technology and knowledge being stronger today than before, so the first-mover advantage is deeper. It is a smaller world today. But USA in the last 20 yrs was just the last in a series of sudden superpowers like portugal, spain, dutch etc that happened primarily because concepts already established in those places were still spreading to the rest, it was inevitable that this would not be a lasting equilibrium, and there's no danger from that..
Comment: Uhmm actually i think zakaria (or most americans) still don't understand the reality. Once a new cencept is formed, whether physical or political or economic, it spreads till everyone connected has it. This happened with writing (sumerians), god-kings (persia/egypt), formalisation of academia (greek), stirrup (mongol), gunpowder (china), so on till democrativ republic (france), capitalist economics (england et al), modern market economics (USA), institutionalised economics (Japan) so on. It is not some magical trend that the rest of the world is catching up. It is just how the world has always worked. Americans (and the world) do not seem to understand that the complete dominance of USA for the last few decades was just a side-effect of aggregating powers of technology and knowledge being stronger today than before, so the first-mover advantage is deeper. It is a smaller world today. But USA in the last 20 yrs was just the last in a series of sudden superpowers like portugal, spain, dutch etc that happened primarily because concepts already established in those places were still spreading to the rest, it was inevitable that this would not be a lasting equilibrium, and there's no danger from that..
Comment: Much of this can be found in Easterbrook's, "The Progress Paradox" or Amsden's, "The Rise of the Rest." In comparing Iran to 1938 Romania and not Germany, Zakaria has a good point - however - in '38 had Romania had a nuke that could fit in a suitcase and ties to groups who would use it???? Well, tha twould make Romania , well, Gremany.
Comment: Thanks for pointing out that Fareed Zakarias is just regurgitating Leftist propaganda like that find by Gregg Easterbrook. Surprisingly, many people on this thread don't believe that Fareed in one of them (ie, a lefty).
Comment: I have been looking for the response to Thomas Friedman's pessimistic view (I respect Mr. Friedman enormously) and this is it. Thank you for the perspective
Comment: I believe that the new world economy that has been emerging is due to American influence in the world, many of these things came out of ideas from generations past. I think the biggest threat to America is not the emergence of the rest of the world, but the attitude of some of our more recent generations that the world owes us our due. While some of us are sitting around waiting for acknowlegement of how great our country is, many problems go unsolved that affect our nation and the world.
We have never been a country that sits around waiting for others to extole our virtues. We do what needs doing, and we don't ask for thanks.
Now that we have to a large extent globalized the economy, we need to work on other problems that surface because of that globalization. Leadership on environmental concerns is a good place to start.
Comment: I believe that what we're seeing now, in America, is a cross-section view of what the rest of the world is just stepping into. We are changing at the seams; we are questioning the politics, the economics, the MACHINERY that has brought us to our current plight.
We are wondering about currency--paper--that has taken the forefront in our culture and seems to be omnimportant. We are pondering the tactics that we've used to sustain and create (in some cases, out of thin air -- yes, you, banking industries) wealth, whereby some are subjected and subdued BY it. We are coping with rising costs, and wringing our hands in fear as we ask ourselves, "Whose greed has gotten us here?" And I ask: What good is currency--is paper--when it cannot be eaten or burned for fuel or physically valued at anything other then what it already is.
Perhaps the plight of America is simply our growing pains, again. That the people of the USA are not falling--but rather, awakening. That were have awoken from a mysogenistic dream of utopian, "one-world, one-power" disillusions.
At our core, we are a breadth of middle-class peoples; a majority of workers and earners who work harder and longer then many industrialized nations. Compare our working standards to those of Europe: We do not take 6-week vacations for the entire month of August -- we do not siesta in the afternoons and toil around in wineries. Americans still have -- have always had -- a robust admiration for hard-work. And, the ideology that this hard-work creates the promise of upward mobility, of prosperity.
And it still does. We are still an amazing people; an amazing culture of all walks of life -- strange, diverse, complex, beautiful. We are a brilliant, collective being that will rise above the current tests of our strength. But, take heed: We will only rise above these tribulations after a complete awakening from the governmental stupor we've been in, for the last few decades.
Perhaps, if the rest of the world finds itself intellectually enlightened and inspired -- they might, perhaps, offer a small sentiment of thanks to the United States? That, if for nothing else, we have most certainly helped pave the way to their mental independence?
And as for us...well....Globalization is wonderful; but has its' costs. And quite frankly, I believe it might be time for the rest of the world to grow up a little bit--so that the USA can stop holding everyone's damn hand and policing the "bad little children". Might be nice, actually, to let some others come to the forefront and subject themselves to such harsh criticism that the United States has been the highlight of for so long.
The question remains: Will these new forefront spectacles be half as capable as the USA, in their role on the world's stage???
Comment: First of all mr Zakaria is too optimistic and quite frankly kissing America s ass too much, maybe he has too show he is a true patriot or they will put his ass in Guantanamo with a name like that.
Secondly, his article is only half written, he goes on to tell that america is not declining but rather the rest is catching up and america will just be competitive once again. He left only just one small fact out, the rest will not only be on the same level of good old usa economically/politically but will also surpass it. US will be ranked not 2, but maybe 3,4,5 on the list.
Thirdly, we have/had one superpower(usa) that kept the rest in check. We had also two superpowers which resulted in the cold war. If we have multiple superpowers, just like mr.Zakaria is telling us, then I will guarantee you we will have conflicts, misunderstanding and eventually wars (huge wars because they are superpowers not the bombings of iraq and afghanistan).
Fourthly, speaking of peace the us has angered a lot of countries, they created two more palestines (iraq/afghanistan), now the attention has shifted to the us from isreal. Arabs/muslims had friction with isreal over palestine and us used to be neutral in that regard, but that has all changed.
Finally, he forgot to mention recent devastation all around the globe concerning climate change, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and so forth. Also the rise of food prizes all over the world, unsustainable world population/more hunger/more death. He did mention the ever rising oil but left out the peaking of oil, did Saudi peak and if it did would they tell the rest of the world.
All in all, mr zakaria pictured an ideal world. But we all know when one gets superpower status it goes to the head, they will have their own ambitions/dreams and interests in the rest of the world which will be quite different from that of good old uSA.
Comment: WHILE I TAKE SOME OF YOUR POINTS IM REMINDED OF WHAT I WAS TOLD AS A CHILD.
CONSTANT SELF PRAISE IS NO RECOMENDATION.
Comment: Yeah, Zakarias is just WAYYYYY too optimistic. He's practically a Republi
