U.S. SEEN GLOBALLY AS AN 800 POUND GORILLA July 26, 1999 The International Herald Tribune reported: "It is impossible to pinpoint the moment when the successes of the United States in the 1990s moved from a topic of grudging admiration around the world to a constant source of annoyance at the triumphalism of Washington to a rationale for mistrust and resistance...But surely the capstone was Kosovo. Whether Washington intended this outcome or not, the war demonstrated to allies and potential adversaries alike how much more formidable U.S. military technology has become since the Gulf War. Europeans got a rude awakening when they learned that the gap between U.S. capability and their own had so widened that they now have to rethink their we'll-build-it-on-the-Continent mentality. And nothing sent a greater chill through the Kremlin and the compound of the Chinese leaders than the image of those B-2 bombers lazily lifting into the air over Missouri at midday, flying an 11,000-mile (17,600-kilometer), 32-hour mission to drop laser-guided weapons over Belgrade - and getting back in time for dinner the next evening...as Michael Mandelbaum, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, puts it, ''If you are the 800-pound gorilla, you're concentrating on your bananas, and everyone else is concentrating on you.'' The reactions differ dramatically when the United States talks to friends such as the West Europeans and then to potentially hostile powers. Nonetheless, officials at the State Department, the Treasury and the Pentagon, who agree on precious little, all say fear of the widening lead of the United States has become the subtext of nearly every major conversation they hold around the world..."

I like my bananas in banana pudding how about you?

And then IRAQ is hosting the next Arab League meeting. I wonder if S.A. and Kuwait will be invited?

I've been to the gulf once and don't want to go back because of a poorley defined mission.

Brace yourself America

Democracies most tested time is coming and your people are coveting their neighbors.

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), July 26, 1999

Answers

Yeah Johnny like you I was in the Gulf. I don't feel like we completed our job there, the mission was wrong-not complete. Now with this China-Taiwan thing and Russia rearing her bearish head. Not to mention the temple on the Mount thing with the return of the Ethiopian Jews. Boy what a great time to be alive!!! We may witnes the return of our savior! Praise the Lord!

Then again we may not!

and if not then this is really getting to be an ugly world. Is it any more an ugly world than say 100 yrs ago? Who knows? But my guess is with todays technology we know about alot more things happeniong in this world alot more faster than ever before.

So when people say things are worse now than ever before, I wonder how they know?

You know what I mean?

-- countryboy (I can skin@buck.com), July 26, 1999.

U.S. SEEN GLOBALLY AS AN 800 POUND GORILLA July 26, 1999

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I'm unclear on your post. The supposition that the US "increased" their military dominance is surely incorrect. The US forces participating in the Gulf War set the standard for the '90's, no military intervention has any comparison. The current administration is clearly devoted to "rapid deployment" forces only useful in conflicts with 3rd and 4th rate militaries. God forbid we get in a conflict with more than one antagonist.

I'll have more later.

-- MidWestMike_ (MidWestMike_@hotmail.com), July 26, 1999.

Hey Midwest Mike

I've read alot of your posts and can appreciate where you are coming from. I think you catch alot of heat you don't deserve.

While the last 8 years have brought our military to its knees monetarily, I still think we are the only superpower. With that being said, who would you qualify as our equal or even 2nd rate milatary whose not solidly our ally alrerady?

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), July 26, 1999.

The USA has been disliked in Latin America since we started messing round in Mexico in 1917, aggravated by our Central America policy in the 30's. When I was in Europe in '66 we were rapidly losing all the good will from '45 because of Vietnam. Tell me relations with China are worse now than in 1949! Historical studies of our foreign policy reveals that it has basically been an arm of business...and, of course, still is. This is why we are unpopular around the world...nothing's changed! Why demonize Clinton? I don't like him either, but our leaders are all either puppets of or part of the business oligarchy. Of course now all our enemies have weapons of mass destruction so we are all squirming.

-- Sand Mueller (smueller@azalea.net), July 26, 1999.

America ROCKS!

First in peace, first in war.

If we turn our resources on it, we will devour and destroy the Y2K problem, and we will find a way to make money doing it.

-- Bryce (bryce@seanet.com), July 26, 1999.

Our problems with Mexico started in ~1843, remember the Alamo?. We took a big chunk of their property (Mexico's that is), namely Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California and a good bit of Colorado (this is from memory, I probably missed something). Im not suggesting we return the property that was transferred to us via a sale with belligerent states. Just lets not forget the cercimstances those agreements were made under. Our mighty flag did have a period of exspansionism, no way to dispute it. Still, I dont regret the effort or the results.

-- MidWestMike_ (MidWestMike_@hotmail.com), July 27, 1999.

I agree that there is a very real possibility that U.S. corporations will come out of Y2K in much better shape than their international counterparts, giving them the financial muscle to dominate their industries for decades to come if they play their hand right.

I am also keenly aware of the envy and hostility of other countries and cultures against the U.S., which would intensify under the above scenario.

My best guess is that IF such a dominance were to emerge post-Y2K, we would see a rapid rise in nationalism around the world---with U.S. assets abroad being confiscated by foreign governments, etc. The world would then be plunged into isolationism and global depression, with chronic armed skirmishes among nation-tribes. Everyone would hate the U.S. and try to bring it down. After all, Y2K could rightly be considered the "American Disease".

-- gizmo (gizmo@aol.com), July 27, 1999.