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U.S. Reliability Questioned Overseas

Mike

Well-known member
Analysis: US reliability questioned overseas
Posted: Oct 04, 2013 11:09 PM CDT Updated: Oct 05, 2013 12:05 PM CDT

By STEVEN R. HURST
Associated Press

An unmistakable sense of unease has been growing in capitals around the world as the U.S. government from afar looks increasingly befuddled - shirking from a military confrontation in Syria, stymied at home by a gridlocked Congress and in danger of defaulting on sovereign debt, which could plunge the world's financial system into chaos.

While each of the factors may be unrelated to the direct exercise of U.S. foreign policy, taken together they give some allies the sense that Washington is not as firm as it used to be in its resolve and its financial capacity, providing an opening for China or Russia to fill the void, an Asian foreign minister told a group of journalists in New York this week.

Concerns will only deepen now that President Barack Obama canceled travel this weekend to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Bali and the East Asia Summit in Brunei. He pulled out of the gatherings to stay home to deal with the government shutdown and looming fears that Congress will block an increase in U.S. borrowing power, a move that could lead to a U.S. default.

The U.S. is still a pillar of defense for places in Asia like Taiwan and South Korea, providing a vital security umbrella against China. It also still has strong allies in the Middle East, including Israel and the Gulf Arab states arrayed against al-Qaida and Iran.

But in interviews with academics, government leaders and diplomats, faith that the U.S. will always be there is fraying more than a little.

"The paralysis of the American government, where a rump in Congress is holding the whole place to ransom, doesn't really jibe with the notion of the United States as a global leader," said Michael McKinley, an expert on global relations at the Australian National University.

The political turbulence in Washington and potential economic bombshells still to come over the U.S. government shutdown and a possible debt default this month have sent shivers through Europe. The head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, worried about the continent's rebound from the 2008 economic downturn.

"We view this recovery as weak, as fragile, as uneven," Draghi said at a news conference.

Germany's influential newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung bemoaned the U.S. political chaos.

"At the moment, Washington is fighting over the budget and nobody knows if the country will still be solvent in three weeks. What is clear, though, is that America is already politically bankrupt," it said.

Obama finds himself at the nexus of a government in chaos at home and a wave of foreign policy challenges.

He has been battered by the upheaval in the Middle East from the Arab Spring revolts after managing to extricate the U.S. from its long, brutal and largely failed attempt to establish democracy in Iraq. He is also drawing down U.S. forces from a more than decade-long war in Afghanistan with no real victory in sight. He leads a country whose people have no interest in taking any more military action abroad.

As Europe worries about economics, Asian allies watch in some confusion about what the U.S. is up to with its promise to rebalance military forces and diplomacy in the face of an increasingly robust China.

Global concerns about U.S. policy came to a head with Obama's handling of the civil war in Syria and the alleged use of chemical weapons by the regime of President Bashar Assad. But, in fact, the worries go far deeper.

"I think there are a lot of broader concerns about the United States. They aren't triggered simply by Syria. The reaction the United States had from the start to events in Egypt created a great deal of concern among the Gulf and the Arab states," said Anthony Cordesman, a military affairs specialist at the Center for International Studies.

Kings and princes throughout the Persian Gulf were deeply unsettled when Washington turned its back on Egypt's long-time dictator and U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak during the 2011 uprising in the largest Arab country.

Now, Arab allies in the Gulf voice dismay over the rapid policy redirection from Obama over Syria, where rebel factions have critical money and weapons channels from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states. It has stirred a rare public dispute with Washington, whose differences with Gulf allies are often worked out behind closed doors. Last month, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal warned that the renewed emphasis on diplomacy with Assad would allow the Syrian president to "impose more killing."

After saying Assad must be removed from power and then threatening military strikes over the regime's alleged chemical weapons attack, the U.S. is now working with Russia and the U.N. to collect and destroy Damascus' chemical weapons stockpile. That assures Assad will remain in power for now and perhaps the long term.

Danny Yatom, a former director of Israel's Mossad intelligence service, said the U.S. handling of the Syrian crisis and its decision not to attack after declaring red lines on chemical weapons has hurt Washington's credibility.

"I think in the eyes of the Syrians and the Iranians, and the rivals of the United States, it was a signal of weakness, and credibility was deteriorated," he said.

The Syrian rebels, who were promised U.S. arms, say they feel deserted by the Americans, adding that they have lost faith and respect for Obama.

The White House contends that its threat of a military strike against Assad was what caused the regime to change course and agree to plan reached by Moscow and Washington to hand its chemical weapons over to international inspectors for destruction. That's a far better outcome than resorting to military action, Obama administration officials insist.

Gulf rulers also have grown suddenly uneasy over the U.S. outreach to their regional rival Iran.

Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said Gulf states "must be in the picture" on any attempts by the U.S. and Iran to open sustained dialogue or reach settlement over Tehran's nuclear program. He was quoted Tuesday by the London-based Al Hayat newspaper as saying Secretary of State John Kerry has promised to consult with his Gulf "friends" on any significant policy shifts over Iran - a message that suggested Gulf states are worried about being left on the sidelines in potentially history-shaping developments in their region.

In response to the new U.S. opening to Iran to deal with its suspected nuclear weapons program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that his country remained ready to act alone to prevent Tehran from building a bomb. He indicated a willingness to allow some time for further diplomacy but not much. And he excoriated new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

Kerry defended the engagement effort, saying the U.S. would not be played for "suckers" by Iran. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful energy production, while the U.S. and other countries suspect it is aimed at achieving atomic weapons capability.

McKinley, the Australian expert, said Syria and the U.S. budget crisis have shaken Australians' faith in their alliance with Washington.

"It means that those who rely on the alliance as the cornerstone of all Australian foreign policy and particularly security policy are less certain - it's created an element of uncertainty in their calculations," he said.

Running against the tide of concern, leaders in the Philippines are banking on its most important ally to protect it from China's assertive claims in the South China Sea. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Manila still views the U.S. as a dependable ally despite the many challenges it is facing.

"We should understand that all nations face some kind of problems, but in terms of our relationship with the United States, she continues to be there when we need her," Gazmin said.

"There's no change in our feelings," he said. "Our strategic relationship with the U.S. continues to be healthy. They remain a reliable ally."

But as Cordesman said, "The rhetoric of diplomacy is just wonderful but it almost never describes the reality."

That reality worldwide, he said, "is a real concern about where is the U.S. going. There is a question of trust. And I think there is an increasing feeling that the United States is pulling back, and its internal politics are more isolationist so that they can't necessarily trust what U.S. officials say, even if the officials mean it."
 

Kato

Well-known member
Don't you mean the morons in D.C.? All of them? The place is a gong show.

It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Except that nobody on the train can see it coming, because they're too busy pointing fingers at each other to look out the window.

All this childish nonsense is absolutely insane. You guys need to give the whole bunch of them the boot and start over.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Kato said:
Don't you mean the morons in D.C.? All of them? The place is a gong show.

It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Except that nobody on the train can see it coming, because they're too busy pointing fingers at each other to look out the window.

All this childish nonsense is absolutely insane. You guys need to give the whole bunch of them the boot and start over.

We tried to give 'em the boot in 2012, but apparently there are more 'takers' than 'makers.' Let 'em see how Obamacare turns out, that might open their eyes.

If it isn't too late by then. :cry:
 

Kato

Well-known member
There seems to be no shortage of money for war. :?

I've been watching this thing unfold for a while now, and just can't sit here and not comment on it. From the outside, it just boggles the mind. I don't have any favourites in your political world. Couldn't care less who is President or who has a majority in either house. You could elect whoever you like, and it wouldn't change my opinion. That opinion is that I believe the word for this whole debacle is dysfunction. It's been many years since the U.S. elected representatives seemed able to work together on anything. They have always argued with each other, but now it's gone to a whole new level.

When did it suddenly become a sign of weakness to change your mind on anything? The day that changing your mind on something becomes a weakness is the day that everything grinds to a halt and permanent griddlock kicks in.

When did greed, personal gain, and lack of compassion for others become traits to be admired and encouraged? When was "love thy neighbour" abandoned in favour of "every man for himself"?

When did it suddenly become a character flaw to listen to someone else's opinion and consider that they may have some points you can agree with.

Good healthy political debate is needed in a democracy, but when it gets so out of hand that nothing can ever be done, and the government ceases to function, that is the end of democracy.

From what I've heard on the news, this whole health care plan has been passed into law. This made some sore losers who took it to the Supreme Court to try and overturn it. They lost. What part of "it was passed into law", do they not understand? Obviously they are still sore losers, because now they would rather shut down the country than abide by the law.

If you are a legislator, and you don't like a law, then don't act like a spoiled brat who would rather throw a tantrum than abide by said law. The proper way to deal with an unpopular law in a democracy is to become an elected majority and change it. Throwing tantrums is no way to get any respect.

end of rant
have a nice day
 

Mike

Well-known member
This is no debacle. This is how our gov't was designed to work.

The Representatives from the more Conservative areas are disagreeing with those from the more Liberal areas.

What's so hard to see about that?
 

Larrry

Well-known member
You cant get caught up in the "they all do it" sham That is a road doomed with failure. The problem isn't really in DC, its the gimmme voters that have no idea what the Constitution is about.

"they all do it defense" is such an easy out for explaining the problems. When the majority are from the gimme group you are going to get the same thing. The you have the liberal media who thinks the constitution is outdated and try to crucify anyone who wants this country to be the way it was intended. Thats why you get R's that are RINOS
 

Steve

Well-known member
Kato said:
When did it suddenly become a sign of weakness to change your mind on anything? The day that changing your mind on something becomes a weakness is the day that everything grinds to a halt and permanent griddlock kicks in.

I agree,.. changing ones mind usually is a sign of good leadership..

so far in this fight... Obama has said he will not negotiate or comprimise.. and hasn't


the conservatives wanted to defund Obamacare,.. put it to a vote.. it failed.. so they compromised

so they sent a second bill and compromised by dropping the request to defund Obamacare instead asking for a repeal of the medical device tax...

this repeal of the medical device tax has been recently supported by many democrats as well.. man voting for it. but now.. not a one.. so it failed..

At this point the government was now set to shutdown..

so the Republicans compromised again.. asking that a portion of the law be enforced as written.. this portion is now being "waived" by the Obama and is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans..

It just calls for congress to be subject ot Obamacare like the rest of US,

And at one point "every" democrat and even Obama voted for this to be law..

yet now.. it is extortion.. really?

the other minor sticking point another compromise on the part of the republicans was to just delay the individual mandate for a year.. allowing time to fix the law and gauge the real impact before forcing Americans to buy it or get fined..

so far that mandate was delayed by the democrats for four years.. and really what is a year,..

at this point the conservatives have compromised further by sending portions of the bill forward which would fund a majority of the government..

and ironically 83% of the government is still working.. and still getting paid.. and with the return of 400,000 defense workers that number
so factually 90% of the US government is up and running..

no one would notice the shutdown if the president and the media was not making such a huge deal out of making it as painful as possible..
 

Steve

Well-known member
Kato said:
From what I've heard on the news, this whole health care plan has been passed into law. This made some sore losers who took it to the Supreme Court to try and overturn it. They lost. What part of "it was passed into law", do they not understand? Obviously they are still sore losers, because now they would rather shut down the country than abide by the law.

consider this... the one thing the conservatives want is for a portion of the healthcare law to be enforced..

one of the two sticking points now is a provision to override the presidents disregard of the healthcare law that was passed into law..

by law congress, the administration, and their staffers are to be subject to Obamacare.. just like the rest of US..

but the President is ignoring that part of the enacted law...

every democrat voted for the provision.. the president signed the provision and it was enacted into law..

but now he is ignore it and the liberals want to ignore it..

conservatives and an overwhelming portion of the Americans subject to the law want that provision enforced, not ignored..



so actually it is the sore winners who would rather shut down the government then abide by the law..
.
.
.
 

lonewolvie

Well-known member
These "experts" and the highly educated are playing "Chernobyl" with our economy and do not realize how close to "zero hour" we are. The economic "fallout" will effect the world.
 

Mike

Well-known member
lonewolvie said:
These "experts" and the highly educated are playing "Chernobyl" with our economy and do not realize how close to "zero hour" we are. The economic "fallout" will effect the world.

They said the same thing about the "Sequester". Didn't happen.

We take in more than enough money to pay interest debt service.

House has sent a Bill to the Senate to pay interest first before anything else gets paid.

Seems to be a wonderful way to stop the "Bloated" government.

This could be a blessing in disguise. :wink:
 

lonewolvie

Well-known member
The real problem is that this debt will become unpayable and then what? There have been no attempts at paying it down, the politicians just keep raising the "credit limit". This is what I meant by "zero hour". They need to start making an effort to pay down this debt and just paying the interest is not going to make things better. This is going to come to an end sometime, they cannot just keep spending like there is no tomarrow.
 

Mike

Well-known member
lonewolvie said:
The real problem is that this debt will become unpayable and then what? There have been no attempts at paying it down, the politicians just keep raising the "credit limit". This is what I meant by "zero hour". They need to start making an effort to pay down this debt and just paying the interest is not going to make things better. This is going to come to an end sometime, they cannot just keep spending like there is no tomarrow.

Exactly. And the Tea Party wants to start paying it down NOW instead of later.
 

Steve

Well-known member
They need to start making an effort to pay down this debt

they have a plan,.. it is called inflation..

by issuing massive amounts of $ , they devalue the $ and it is worth less..

so the trillion of today will be tomorrows' billion..

sadly it is just a draconian tax on the prudent producer, and saver.

eventually the $ will lose worldwide credibility and the process will put US in a depression and soon after a World War

If we win.. they start over,... if we lose.. it is all but over for US
 

lonewolvie

Well-known member
Yes, inflation will be one of the triggers to an economic meltdown along with interest rates. Interest alone will make the federal debt unserviceable in the near future. What good is inflation when it causes discouragement among the people and spirals out of control?
 
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