http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion...,0,717806.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions Hitching a free ride with the U.S. By Michael Mandelbaum MICHAEL MANDELBAUM is the author of "The Case for Goliath: How America Acts as the World's Government in the 21st Century," from which this article is adapted. January 29, 2006 THE WIDELY differing reactions to Iran's drive for nuclear weapons among the countries of the world present a paradox: Those in greatest jeopardy from such weapons seem willing to do the least to stop it. This apparently illogical situation illustrates the most important and least appreciated feature of 21st century international relations: the remarkable role of the United States. It is the U.S. that has taken the lead in trying to block Iran's nuclear ambitions, calling attention to Tehran's violations of its nuclear agreements, insisting on referring these violations to the United Nations for sanctions and hinting that a U.S. military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is a genuine possibility. Even if Iran does acquire nuclear weapons, however, it will not have the capacity to launch a direct attack on the U.S. On the other hand, the governments of Iran's Arab neighbors, which the Iranian regime has termed illegitimate and has tried in the past to subvert, have remained virtually silent about Tehran's nuclear program. The Western Europeans (whose territory Iran could strike), while expressing disappointment that their diplomatic efforts to rein in the Iranian nuclear program have failed, proclaim their opposition to the use of force for this purpose. And Russia, which is also within striking distance of Iran and is fighting a Muslim insurgency in Chechnya — to which the Iranian regime, a notorious sponsor of terrorism, could some day supply nuclear materials — is balking at seeking a U.N. reprimand of Tehran. The reason for this odd pattern of behavior is that the United States has come to assume wide responsibility for ensuring international security and global prosperity. In particular, it is the U.S. that has taken the lead in pursuing two goals that benefit all other countries and that the Iranian nuclear program threatens: limiting the spread of nuclear weapons and ensuring a steady supply of oil from the Middle East. THESE ARE NOT the only tasks the United States carries out that benefit others. The U.S. military presence in Europe and Asia forestalls nuclear and conventional arms races between and among the countries there, and it creates the political confidence necessary for trade and investment to flourish. The American dollar is the world's most widely used currency. The United States supplies the largest and most open market for exports, access to which is vital for the well-being of other countries. In fact, the U.S. provides to other countries some, although not all, of the services that governments typically furnish to their own citizens. The U.S. has come to function as the world's government. To be sure, the U.S. did not deliberately seek this role; it gradually grew out of American policies during the Cold War. Nor has the rest of the world ever officially approved this global American role. And the United States has never set out with the intention of furnishing benefits to others. The international initiatives it undertakes are designed to serve American interests. This they do — Iranian nuclear weapons would make the world a more dangerous place for the U.S., as well — but they also serve the interests of other countries. Yet other countries do not acknowledge the benefits they receive from the United States because that could raise the question of why they don't pay more of the costs of supplying these benefits. No government would lightly abandon such a "free ride." So it is in the case of Iran's nuclear program. Other governments know that the efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons may fail, and that in that case they will be less secure. Yet even this prospect is unlikely to induce them to pay higher costs and run greater risks to achieve this goal, and for a familiar reason. The Arabs, the Europeans and the Russians have a country they believe they can count on to contain a nuclear Iran should that be necessary: the United States.
I see what you are saying. I honestly do not know what kind of info they receive but I wonder about the information that we receive as well.
Why leave it at that? Doesn't Fox News cover them, too? I'm pretty sure you're not happy with them. Is CNN still the Clinton News Network or did it go back to Cable News Network? How many satellite dishes did you see in those Mongolian hills?
Why the fixation over Mongolia? Do we quake in our boots at the mention of the country, or does Wall Street panic because of words from Ulan Bator? I think not. Sam is correct... the world, in the main, deeply disagrees with the foreign policies of the Bush Administration. I've traveled widely, myself. They don't "hate America," they simply think we've lost our wits and elected an aggressive, blustering fool. We had the world's opinion in our hands, post 9/11, and with his invasion and occupation of Iraq, George W. Bush tossed it away. You may say you don't care what the world thinks, I would hope you do, but don't think that Bush hasn't wrecked our relations around the globe, because he has. In my opinion, based on my personal experience. Keep D&D Civil.
Same with me and the Cowboy's. I'm like the Vietnamese; in it for the long haul, generations if I have to, but Jerry Jones will have to die some day.
Fox news isn't widely available outside the US as far as I have seen, maybe in a few nice hotels but that's it. You wll occassonally see the "Sky News" brand - whcih is what Murdoch calls Fox News Australia, Britain, etc, and sometimes the Star News brand, another murdoch entity. BBC world is also widely available. The CNN that you see abroad isCNN International, not the same one that comes to your house. you'd be surprised at the places that have satellite dishes - most settlements of any size have at least one.
A: Does the world hate america? B: Some do, some don't, I've met some people in other countries who do. A: Who cares about them? we're bigger, stronger, smarter and better? why should we care? _________________________________ Alternate reality X A: Does the world like America? B:Yes, a lot of people like us for various reasons, although there will always be some that don't. A: Well if most people like us, we must be doing everything right! I'm glad people like us!
There literally isn't a time I see him on TV that I don't cringe or burst into laughter. Do you call that hate? Call it what you want. Americans deserve not to be spoken to like idiots. Most of us have vocabularies beyond 12 words. btw, Mongolians have TV. Ethiopians have TV. Chileans have TV. Poland has TV. etc etc etc. You can ignore Mongolia if you want but if you ignore everybody, eventually that'll catch up. The world is watching and W looks like an ass every time he opens his mouth. Beyond being a liar and a cheat, he is just flat embarrassing to watch.
I HATE the actions of our current American govt. The reason why I HATE those actions, is because I LOVE America.
Sure hope these countries don't let their hatred of America show, since you know, we'll bomb them into submission otherwise.
Mad props to Karl Rove. If Rove wasn't on his team, George W. Bush wouldn't be able to win a PTA election.
I have a 76 year old father who grew up a Yankee fan and actually attended a game in person in 1936 or 1937 in which he saw Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio both in the starting lineup. Ever since George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, he has been an avowed Yankee hater, and ever since the strike in 1994, he has been an avowed baseball hater!
Yep, by Swiftboating the Democrats. The term "swift boating" is going down in history as a black eye on America politics. Win at any cost. Be proud of your president.
Just thank your main man, Rove. You know, the one facing multiple legal and ethics charges. In the next election and certainly in the next presidential election, for fun, you just keep tabs of how many times somebody uses the VERB "swiftboat." And everytime they do, you can feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing it was your president that coined the term.
karl rove reminds me of that big german beyotch that killed clint's fighter in million dollar baby. maybe it's his cousin.
I have no doubt that lots of people in other countries hate our policies and dislike GWB. But it's interesting that when other people hate us, it's totally justified. When Americans hate other people we are racist and arrogant.
