Wounded Giant

By tmccarthy0 on Fri, 08/30/2013 - 10:41am |

Rosa Brooks at Foreign Policy, and it is a must read.

To Americans accustomed to a stream of triumphalist, exceptionalist rhetoric, Obama's failure to act forcefully in the face of other states' bad behavior doesn't look like the wisdom of a president who understands the increasing limits of American power -- it just looks like hypocrisy, lack of interest, or baffling passivity.

If Obama could bring himself to speak more honestly about the limits of American power, he might well pay a short-term political price -- but in the long term, he might also find Americans much more willing to cut him some slack.

URL:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/08/29/wounded_giant_united_states_syria?page=0,0

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'Triumphalist, exceptionalist rhetoric' was taken to a hyperpolitical art form by the Republican administration of 'Bring 'Em On' War President George W. Bush. The rhetoric died off shortly after his re-election, the winning of which was the sole point of everything he did the first 4 years.

Respect for America died along with a million and counting casualties as it became clear, even to rabid Bush supporters in the US, that his invasion of Iraq was a huge multifaceted disaster. All based on lies and 'triumphalist, exceptionalist rhetoric'.

'The giant' may never recover. Ironic as the GOP neo-cons thought GWB was affirming the beginning of the second American century, while they were actually assuring it's premature demise.

In huge contrast, the world admired America during the 90's when Clinton was prez.

by NCD on Fri, 08/30/2013 - 12:45pm

Good piece. But the idea that Americans would ever cut some slack to a president who talked candidly about the decline of U.S. power is ludicrous. Cameron's defeat in Parliament should persuade western leaders that the international public is fed up with "liberal" interventionism. Getting them -- especially Congress -- to take a stand is another story.

by acanuck on Fri, 08/30/2013 - 3:16pm

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