I post this up as it seems very timely with the elections coming up in America.
I quote again from “common wealth” by Jeffry Sachs –
“Every country will need to rethink its foreign policy strategy in the twenty-first centaury. Non is yet equipped to put proper focus on global challenges around the environment, population, and global poverty. No government is properly organized to absorb the complex scientific information needed to make sound decisions. This chapter puts special emphasis on the US foreign policy because of the phenomenal gap that exists today between Americas current role in the world and its potential role in helping solve critical global problems vital to its own security and the broad global interest. The United States is on the wrong track in foreign policy and is thereby endangering itself and the world. The lessons extend beyond one country. Every nation will need to reassess its own international strategies along the lines discussed below.
The foreign policy of President George W Bush’s administration has been particularly misguided, but the flaws go beyond this administration. American political leaders have lost perspective on the post- Cold War world and on the real challenges facing our crowded planet. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has failed to play a leadership role in global poverty, environmental and climate policy, energy policy, and global population change. The Clinton administration stood by while the AIDS pandemic soared in Africa, and the Bush administrations actions have been too little, too late, and too ideological. American foreign policy in the Middle East has failed time and again, putting the United States and the world at risk. The Iraq War is a foreign policy disaster that rivals the Vietnam War in cost, human tragedy, and misdirection of human energies.
Democrats and Republicans have agreed on the characterization of the United States as the worlds colossus, the indispensable power, the new Rome, the twenty – first – century empire, the sole superpower. These ideas seem so normal that they’ve hardly been debated. Americans have bitterly debated the future course of action in the Iraq War, but they have not analyzed deeply how we got into this mess. Every analyst who explains our debacle in Iraq as the result of tactical failings – not enough troops, not enough pre-war planning, too much corruption from American contractors – fails to understand the tru risk facing the United States. Our problem is that our government has been flying blind, unable to comprehend the new realities taking shape in the world. When we examine the nature of American policy making, its no surprise. Our government is simply not properly organized to absorb and process meaningful data from abroad.
I quote again from “common wealth” by Jeffry Sachs –
“Every country will need to rethink its foreign policy strategy in the twenty-first centaury. Non is yet equipped to put proper focus on global challenges around the environment, population, and global poverty. No government is properly organized to absorb the complex scientific information needed to make sound decisions. This chapter puts special emphasis on the US foreign policy because of the phenomenal gap that exists today between Americas current role in the world and its potential role in helping solve critical global problems vital to its own security and the broad global interest. The United States is on the wrong track in foreign policy and is thereby endangering itself and the world. The lessons extend beyond one country. Every nation will need to reassess its own international strategies along the lines discussed below.
The foreign policy of President George W Bush’s administration has been particularly misguided, but the flaws go beyond this administration. American political leaders have lost perspective on the post- Cold War world and on the real challenges facing our crowded planet. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has failed to play a leadership role in global poverty, environmental and climate policy, energy policy, and global population change. The Clinton administration stood by while the AIDS pandemic soared in Africa, and the Bush administrations actions have been too little, too late, and too ideological. American foreign policy in the Middle East has failed time and again, putting the United States and the world at risk. The Iraq War is a foreign policy disaster that rivals the Vietnam War in cost, human tragedy, and misdirection of human energies.
Democrats and Republicans have agreed on the characterization of the United States as the worlds colossus, the indispensable power, the new Rome, the twenty – first – century empire, the sole superpower. These ideas seem so normal that they’ve hardly been debated. Americans have bitterly debated the future course of action in the Iraq War, but they have not analyzed deeply how we got into this mess. Every analyst who explains our debacle in Iraq as the result of tactical failings – not enough troops, not enough pre-war planning, too much corruption from American contractors – fails to understand the tru risk facing the United States. Our problem is that our government has been flying blind, unable to comprehend the new realities taking shape in the world. When we examine the nature of American policy making, its no surprise. Our government is simply not properly organized to absorb and process meaningful data from abroad.
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London
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Sat, April 5, 2008 - 6:54 AMI will discuss five points that threaten American security. First, we greatly over invest in military approaches, though the great foreign policy challenges are political, economic, and environmental and are unsolvable by military means. Second, we neglect the power of foreign assistance as a tool to promote global stability. Worse yet, we mock it. Third, we believe in our own press releases about our dominance, failing to understand the limits of American power in todays world. Fourth, we caricature our adversaries, and reject dialogue and negoationa with them. We act as if negotiation with them is appeasement, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Fifth, our government is poorly organized to do better. Without antennae, we grope helplessly form on crisis to the next.
…The Unites States will spend in fiscal year 2008 more than $600 billion on the military and around $20 billion on all of development aid, of which half or so is for the war on terror (Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Palestine), and only around $4 billion is for all of Africa….
..The United States is not threatened by an armed invasion of a foreign standing army. The age of industrial war has passed, at least for now. Our threats are more complex and less amenable to military solutions. First, we face a continuing dire threat of nuclear proliferation, both by governments and by rogue groups seeking such weapons from wayward sates. Second, we face dire threats to global environment that put the Unites States and the rest of the world at risk. Third, we face the risks of failed states – Somalia, Afghanistan, and many more – which can foment cross border war and the spread of disease and refugees, and which can provide a harbour for terror.
Non of these issues can be solved unilaterally. All require a highly sophisticated network of cooperation on a daily basis over years and decades…
The extreme of US disdain for foreign assistance came in 2005, in the lead up to the United Nations World Summit. The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, tried to expunge the very concept of Millennium Development Goals from the outcomes of the summit, even though the MDGs were the centrepiece of the fight against poverty. At high cost to US prestige, the US government put itself squarely, if briefly, on the record as disowning the shared international objectives.
A firestorm ensued in which virtually every country of the United Nations object to the US proposal. The United Sates backed down under furious protest, but great damage had been done. The US government had shown an ugly side, one ready to launch a war in Iraq but not ready to honour even the most basic commitments to the worlds poorest and dying people. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Sat, April 5, 2008 - 7:00 AMwhat seems a bit alarming is NON of the candidates seem to be significantly doing what Sachs suggests is vital. Republicans obvioiusly not, then Ron Paul wants to stop the miltary stuff granted but seems very weak on US invlovement in the highly threatening and rising global problems which we all of us need to solve.
THen Obama and Hillary seem neither of them to be addressing a FUNDAMENTAL policy shift that Sachs talks about.
As the US is by far the biggest power in the world still - over twice the sice of economy as second ranking Japan, then if that remains true we are all of us most likely in trouble.
Sachs emphasis again and again in his book that these global probelms - enviorment, population and poverty are huge and set to grow horrendously this century, if we havnt addressed them over the next 20 years then we have set the entire globe up for suffering as never before seen on this planet, and that the solutions must be and can only be obtained through global co-operation. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 5:25 AMok i know its a bit cheeky answering myself but I'll only try to push this back up once, but really this stuff is hot of the press from Jeffry Sachs new book and it really is worth comenting on, honest !
Sachs has got it right that the major issues over the next 50 years are global, and all the major developed countries in particualr need to see this. This should be THE main election issue in America. In some ways it is, but i think a lot of people in America are missing the true meaning of things as Sachs shows.
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 11:11 AMWell, Elo, you are exactly right. The u.s. has had an arrogant and belligerent foreign policy for a long time, and is totally in denial about it. But bush and his cronies have way overplayed their hand, and punctured balloon usa. International co-operation is the only way to solve our environmental and social problems. I think that circumstances are pushing us steadily towards this co-operation. Bush being a total idiot and siezing power and wrecking the country is actually a huge plus in a lot of important ways. He put us on the fast tract to meaningful change.
I see the barriers of ego on the personal level as correlating exactly to the barriers of patriotism and nationalism on the global scale. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 11:12 AMoh cool, i hit the 11:11 jackpot with that one. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 2:27 PMyou know Will I developed a theory today, influnced by your idea that Bush has actuly done us a favour by exposing the pure selfishness of far right poltics.
If you think of this purely in terms of energy, bad energy. And then remember that BBC documentry the power of nightmares.
Just think of this as energy circling the globe. First the UK and then America played political games with the middle east. American polticians done whatever they could that was in there interest, with no real regard to life of the people who lived there. You could say this is selifish manipultive violent energy. Many people get killed in the middle east. But American polticians dont care about this, after all there not American right ? So this energy starts to grow over there. This selfish violent energy.
Then Osama gets involved with them. Hes involved with this same, violent, selfish energy. He's got in bed with them. Then they abandon him, and do stuff against, as he sees it, muslim interest, so he sends this same energy back to them - 9 /11. Its like the energy, this selfish, violent, do whatever you want so long as its in your own poltical interest kind of energy is growing. Its connected - part of a loop. And its geting fed all along by money, by CIA and American money, by russian money, then by Osams money, its growing.
So then post 9/11, the bush admin connect with this energy even more, and then go over to the middle east and try to kick everyones ass and rip all the oil off.
But you see all the while this energy is still growing and growing, circling around for the last 50 decades, looping back between America, the middle east and Isreal.
So now this energy has grown so much, it goes to the Neo Cons head. The feel the power as the energy grows. Boy do they feel the power now, perhaps no poltical message has been so listened to as this "war on terror". Now they feel they can do what they want. They exploit like mad the economy and finacial markets, they kill loads of iraqis, and some US soliders. The whole world listens to them and half the world belives them about "the war on terror".
Eventualy now though this dark energy has grown so much, pushed so much, its now out in the open. it now starts to become obvious to the public. Its exposed now, they start to see it for what it is, and they start to see its consequences.
They see it for what it is because Its been taken too far. They are now exposed. The results of this dark energy are becoming obvious to the public.
So the energy, is in iteself its own destruction. As it grows, the public starts to recognise the darkness contained in it.
And thats the point were at now. I think your right Will, they have delived the biggest own goal, they themselves have no idea, but they will soon, how much of an own goal the right have scored.
The only thing that worries me is a coming reccesion could cause people to become cautious, but i hope because its happend during the Republican madness, they will turn to more enlightened leadership as America did in the FDR days, and as the UK did in its post war days. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 12:39 AMi don't have positive outlook on global awareness among the US leaders and representatives. not even Obama. there is only one reason: they just don't know who are outside the US, what are out there, and what are going on out there. "the US intelligence" has proven to be useless, as we all know from "WMD in Iraq" (perhaps because it was only fabricated), or at least sub-par. so how would they know about what are outside the US?
and why are they representing Americans? that's because those who vote for them have no clues either.
it would take another couple of generations for the US to catch up, but here is a suggestion. travel out there. not for some religious mission or even volunteer organizations. just you, and just to see, observe, and learn. when you come back, go through a bit of mentally tough time adjusting back, and then look around what you see.
from my experience, Americans don't travel - except for one-week vacation in some "safe" places. Americans don't get long enough vacations to be able to travel for a while. those whom i met were: students, missionaries, volunteers, teachers, business people. in another words, only those who had specific purpose/reason to be out there. "backpackers" are virtually non-existent. it's all Europeans, Australians, New Zealanders, and few Asians.
we are pretty lucky that lots of people in several nations still have an idea that "Americans love to fight, but they are also very generous people who are in need."
we can discuss things about global situations and the US foreign policies all our lives, without even stepping out of the country. well, foreign policies that come out from such situation is, just that, policies without awareness. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 3:20 AMgood point taro, i come from the UK myself by the way. I have often been told this about Americans, i think probably get a distoreted view on tribe as tribe is mostly the alternative or more liberal type of American, and i think that kind of American in reality is in the minority.
I think sooner or later America has to become more global in outlook as for sure the world is going that way. Perhaps the internnet may help. Im working on a media project that will try to open up Americas mind like this. Maybe it seems like that would be too difficult, but then again if you think about it, America itself is pretty diverse. Why should an American in say Mississippi have soo much more affilation to a New Yorker, or someone from LA say, than he has to someone in France ? I guess because the cuture of America is something he has grown up.
I do belive its possible to try and create a postive global identiy. Not a straight jacket type of identiy, a uniformed belif system or culture, but just an identification with one planet, one world, one humanity with all its diversity. I belive when Martin Luther talked about a symhponey of brotherhood in his dream, he saw into the futre. I know that seems so far fetched right now. But i do belive progress comes in waves, and were at a downside turn now, but will eventualy go upwards too.
After all there is no stoping globality, unless of course energy, technology, and science collapse, which is possibel but unlikely i think. England used to be a place were "countries" of a kind were very loose and some no bigger than 50 squre miles back in the days just after the romans left, now we are part of the EU, whos influence gradualy each decade grows.
Its vital to establish the whole global thing in a postive way as its the future. America cannot escape that. Look now its postion as the world leader has anotehr 20 -30 years at most as China and India come up and a EU becomes more collectivly tied. But i think the days of a one leader dominating will be gone now. As the world goes more global economies are gradualy closeing the gap and becomeing simular. Apart from a few who are caught in a poverty trap such as Africa.
Pluto opposes Americas sun for the first time in 249 years, so this is going to bring a lot of change i think.
Anywy you raise a very good point Taro, interested what your thoughts are on whether good quality media can affect mainstream Americas insularity. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 11:20 AMtough questions, Elo...
as we all know, the corporate media and America is so complex, yet so interwoven into lives of the vast majority, including us. if one has a dumb-tube in house, he/she is likely to be affected by what's on the tube, no matter how "liberal" or "progressive" the person might be. PBS is probably one of the fair sources, but that's my personal opinion, and PBS doesn't deliver the whole picture. in any case, a factor necessary for a person to get fair information about the world in general are, in my opinion, would be "to seek out such information proactively and intelligently", and that's A LOT.
i value the first-hand experience of being in a foreign land, people, culture, and society, over any news on tube or paper.
for example, standing in a mosque in Delhi, the first time ever for me to do anything with Hindu culture, surrounded by huge number of Indian people, observing them, exchanging smiles with them. my hope is that more Americans to have willingness to experience just that: being there, instead of thinking about Indian people only as "outsourcing people", for example. i want Americans to experience "what happens if nobody around understands English". i want Americans to get sick while traveling, and find out how inexpensive medical costs are :-)
before anything, how about a law that allows 5 to 6 weeks of paid vacations in America, just like Europe? Americans are just trapped inside, and it's hard to travel even if one is willing to. i view this more as a social and cultural issue than just "we don't get that much vacation around here". i myself had to take a risk by quitting a job for traveling.
accumulation of such awareness would change something inside America, without losing American identity.
i don't think diverse cultures in America (which is wonderful!) would have effects strong enough to change the course in public opinions or foreign policy, as the diversity has not been seen among the leaders and lawmakers. knowing a Mexican or a Chinese family in Alabama doesn't mean anything. while it's so great to see this much diversity inside America, personally i would not give it much credit toward global awareness. -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 11:45 AMhi taro
just read your posts
what's your take on 9-11?
please be brief as lo does not like...
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 12:04 PMroger, i got to say your a funny guy, this post of yours made me really laugh, and I'll be the first to admit maybe ive been a bit too serious today !
I will go through that 9/11 thread soon, when i have time, a promise is a promise, but just remeber, you also promised to watch the BBC doc after i did ?
peace.
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 3:26 PMi would hesitate to vent on the subject of 9-11, as it invokes so much emotions out of people, especially Americans, for reasons so understandable. so i would not comment on how and why i think that had to happen.
my take on the effects of 9-11, especially inside America, are just horrid: temporary rise of "patriotism", additional, incompetent logistics to the system, Americans scared about traveling outside the US even more, domestic travel became a major pain in the ass, over 4,000 US soldiers dead, tens of thousands of soldiers injured and not cared for after they return, countless Afgans and Iraqis dead/dying, and a major reduction in the US's "national power and capacity". the last one is scary. by "power and capacity" i mean so many things varying from military power, economical liveliness, people's mood in general, rotting infrastructure (road, bridge, you name it), major reductions in budget for education and creative arts, everything. China is gaining so much power. so does Russia. good or bad isn't the issue. things don't have to be good nor bad. they just are.
i know, i am talking about pretty boring tangible stuff, not supernatural or ideals that are normally well-received among us "alternative people/freaks" :-) nor what and how i personally want things to be.
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Thu, April 10, 2008 - 6:10 PMid say thats a pretty damn big reason to kick this current government of yours out rather pronto. All the negative things that you list post 9-11. I dont think it had to be that way at all. I think they have made such a giant mess and they hold so much power.
I think it really did not have to go that way. Europe is appaled at how events in iraq. Toney Blair went from our most popular prime minster in history to our least popular for this.
You can change it pretty quick. You have the power. Make your vote count id say. Vote for peace.
after all, isnt peace pretty close to love ?
and couldnt things change pretty soon ? One thing good about a fast changing modern society, is you can get rid of the rubbish quickly.
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Sat, May 10, 2008 - 7:31 PMbig t: sorry to bother you on this
tears...
and most do not even know, much less a clue
>>>over 4,000 US soldiers dead, ***tens of thousands of soldiers injured and not cared for after they return***<<<
4-10-08 326PM -
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Re: Foreign policy needs complete re-think
Mon, May 12, 2008 - 5:36 AMyeh roger it is sick the way our leaders do mass violence and blooshed so casualy. Of course there not the ones geting shot or blown to pisces.
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