A World Without America

I read a very good article that was published by Peter Brookes at The New York Post back in 2006 that addressed all the critics out there of America and her so called 'agenda' etc., etc., etc. The article is entitled 'A World Without America". Enjoy.

A World Without America
By Peter Brookes
For all the worldwide whining and bellyaching about the United States, today - America's 230th birthday - provides an opportune time for them to consider for just a moment what the world might be like without good ol' Uncle Sam.
The picture isn't pretty. Absent U.S. leadership, diplomatic influence, military might, economic power and unprecedented generosity, life aboard planet earth would likely be pretty grim, indeed. Set aside the differences America made last century - just imagine a world where this country had vanished on Jan. 1, 2001.

On security, the United States is the global balance of power. While it's not our preference, we are the world's "cop on the beat," providing critical stability in some of the planet's toughest neighborhoods.
Without the U.S. "Globo-cop," rivals India and Pakistan might well find cause to unleash the dogs of war in South Asia - undoubtedly leading to history's first nuclear (weapons) exchange. Talk about Fourth of July fireworks . . .
In Afghanistan, al Qaeda would still be an honored guest, scheming over a global caliphate stretching from Spain to Indonesia. It wouldn't be sending fighters to Iraq; instead, Osama's gang would be fighting them tooth and nail from Saudi Arabia to "Eurabia."
In Asia, China would be the "Middle Kingdom," gobbling up democratic Taiwan and compelling pacifist Japan (reluctantly) to join the nuclear weapons club. The Koreas might fight another horrific war, resulting in millions of deaths.
A resurgent Russia, meanwhile, would be breathing down the neck of its "near abroad" neighbors. Forget the democratic revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia, Comrade! In Europe, they'd be taking orders from Paris or Berlin - if those rivals weren't at each other's throats again.
In Africa, Liberia would still be under Charles Taylor's sway, and Sudan would have no peace agreement.
And what other nation could or would provide freedom of the seas for commerce, including the shipment of oil and gas - all free of charge?
Weapons of mass destruction would be everywhere. North Korea would be brandishing a solid nuclear arsenal. Libya would not have given up its weapons, and Pakistan's prodigious proliferator, A.Q. Khan, would still be going door to door, hawking his nuclear wares.
Also missing would be other gifts from "Uncle Sugar" - starting with 22 percent of the U.N. budget. That includes half the operations of the World Food Program, which feeds over 100 million in 81 countries.
Gone would be 17 percent of UNICEF's costs to feed, vaccinate, educate and protect children in 157 countries - and 31 percent of the budget of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, which assists more than 19 million refugees across the globe.
In 2005, Washington dispensed $28 billion in foreign aid, more than double the amount of the next highest donor (Japan), contributing nearly 26 percent of all official development assistance from the large industrialized countries.
Moreover, President Bush's five-year $15 billion commitment under the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest commitment by a single nation toward an international health initiative - ever - working in over 100 (mostly African) countries.
The United States is the world's economic engine. We not only have the largest economy, we spend 40 percent of the world's budget on R&D, driving mind-boggling innovation in areas like information technology, defense and medicine.
We're the world's ATM, too, providing 17 percent of the International Monetary Fund's resources for nations in fiscal crisis, and funding 13 percent of World Bank programs that dole out billions in development assistance to needy countries.
And what does Uncle Sam get in return? Mostly grief, especially from all the ungrateful freeloaders who benefit tremendously from the global "public goods" we so selflessly provide with our time, effort, blood and treasure. How easily - and conveniently - they forget . . . unless they need help, of course.
But let us never forget, especially today, that despite the name-calling, the jeers, the petty jealousies, we're the envy of the world - and rightfully so.
The fact is that no matter what anyone says: No country has given so much to so many so often - while asking for so little in return - for so little gratitude than this great country of ours. So Happy birthday, America! Stand tall and proud - you've earned it.
Peter Brookes is a columnist for The New York Post , a Heritage Foundation senior fellow and author of "A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism, WMD and Rogue States."

Is America in decline, or about ready to move to the next level?

Every contrarian bone I have in my body tells me that America is about ready to enter a new era of worldwide expansion on a grand scale, considerably necessitated by self-interest and quite possibly as a pre-requisite to behind the scenes political and diplomatic demand from those nations who fear current rising great powers who do not aspire to their cultural goals and ideals.

However, as noted in many publications, newscasts, university lectures, etc., America seems to be riding the path to insignificance that has plagued many other regional and world powers in the past, including the Greeks, Romans, Chinese (who are supposedly ready to take over), Byzantinians, and the English/British, to name a few.

Notwithstanding the negative 'press' concerning Americas certain decline, my thinking is inspired by many sources, including investment strategy used by many of the most successful money moguls on the planet. An example of this ideology can be illustrated by paraphrasing the investment doctrine of the great Warren Buffet, the worlds premier buyer and seller of everything, as he elaborates on the above mentioned contrarian ideology by stating, 'You pay a very high price in the stock market for a cheery consensus', and this would tell me that the opposite must also be true in that the current global morosity concerning America is evidence that it is ready to soar. 

Your thoughts would be very much appreciated, Anson
References:

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/08/contrarian-investing.asp

The Modern Scholar: The Tiber and the Potomac: Rome, America, and Empires of Trust
Thomas F. Madden

http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2010/01/roots_american_dominance

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/28/usforeignpolicy.useconomicgrowth

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/alexspillius/9363517/Obama_signals_the_end_of_American_dominance/