Bully Boys
Hey Folks,
The Amazing Ktistof recently wrote another misguided column in which he "explained" our foreign policy behavior. As he often does, he exposed his faulty understanding of the basics.
He floundered about questioning the wisdom of the official "reasons" we attacked Iraq, wondering why we don't learn from the mistakes of the past, and - most tellingly - asks "why do we act so often against our own long-term interests?"
His two answers are that we are bullies because we can be and because we Americans don't understand the world. A la Thomas Friedman, he offers several solutions that make wonderful sense to him but have NO chance of being pursued.
It's not that "we" don't understand foreign policy. It's that we are run by "businessmen" who won't listen to those who do understand it (Clinton, whatever else he was, WAS competent in understanding foreign policy).
They envisioned running the rest of the world "like a business," just like they run us. That means like arrogant bullies who OWN everyone and everything ("You're fired") just because THEY have been annointed - somehow - to own it.
These clods have grown up always getting their way - if not at first, after proper pressure was applied. In this larger case, they bark self-serving orders and the pressure is applied militarily. They don't give a damn about the best interest of America, its people, or anyone else in the world - they only care about themselves and - to some extent - their necessary cronies.
Superpowers do blunder throughout the world pushing folks around "because they can," but that's not the REASON they do it. They COULD move around the world in benevolent ways, but DON'T. Bush & Co. have MBA's, and business isn't in business for benevolence; personal profit is the basis of capitalism (which is what Bush is pushing in Iraq - not "democracy").
This always works at the small business, public school, city-state-national government, and corporate levels - just like it works for the mafia. Stark power keeps the "right" people on top and reaping the rewards, regardless of any considerations, such as what the average person would consider "American interests" or "American values."
This time, though, the bully boys have bitten off more than they can chew. To that extent there is some truth to Kristof's comment that "we act so often against our own long-term interests" since that the Bully Boys, while reaping large war and oil profits, have somewhat hurt their selfish political interests.
BUT !!!! There is no "OUR" involved in "American interests." Never has been, and that fact should be clearer now than at any time in the last sixty years.
- Uke Man
The Amazing Ktistof recently wrote another misguided column in which he "explained" our foreign policy behavior. As he often does, he exposed his faulty understanding of the basics.
He floundered about questioning the wisdom of the official "reasons" we attacked Iraq, wondering why we don't learn from the mistakes of the past, and - most tellingly - asks "why do we act so often against our own long-term interests?"
His two answers are that we are bullies because we can be and because we Americans don't understand the world. A la Thomas Friedman, he offers several solutions that make wonderful sense to him but have NO chance of being pursued.
It's not that "we" don't understand foreign policy. It's that we are run by "businessmen" who won't listen to those who do understand it (Clinton, whatever else he was, WAS competent in understanding foreign policy).
They envisioned running the rest of the world "like a business," just like they run us. That means like arrogant bullies who OWN everyone and everything ("You're fired") just because THEY have been annointed - somehow - to own it.
These clods have grown up always getting their way - if not at first, after proper pressure was applied. In this larger case, they bark self-serving orders and the pressure is applied militarily. They don't give a damn about the best interest of America, its people, or anyone else in the world - they only care about themselves and - to some extent - their necessary cronies.
Superpowers do blunder throughout the world pushing folks around "because they can," but that's not the REASON they do it. They COULD move around the world in benevolent ways, but DON'T. Bush & Co. have MBA's, and business isn't in business for benevolence; personal profit is the basis of capitalism (which is what Bush is pushing in Iraq - not "democracy").
This always works at the small business, public school, city-state-national government, and corporate levels - just like it works for the mafia. Stark power keeps the "right" people on top and reaping the rewards, regardless of any considerations, such as what the average person would consider "American interests" or "American values."
This time, though, the bully boys have bitten off more than they can chew. To that extent there is some truth to Kristof's comment that "we act so often against our own long-term interests" since that the Bully Boys, while reaping large war and oil profits, have somewhat hurt their selfish political interests.
BUT !!!! There is no "OUR" involved in "American interests." Never has been, and that fact should be clearer now than at any time in the last sixty years.
- Uke Man
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