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Originally posted by Mazer
Basically it's Narcissism with a "come and look in the mirror with me" attitude, which is the only reason we get away with it. I think it's kinda cool actually. You can see it on this very forum, where Aussies and Europeans focus on American politics almost exclusively. I would hope that a global meeting place like this would have more to offer an American like me seeking otherness, but it is strangely absent. I think in the end the trans-Atlantic conflict that Schneider highlights isn't one of fundamentals, but one of jealousy. In the future there will be a few new superpowers, China, the Arab world, and the continent of Europe, all seeking to clens themselves of American influence, wanting to have the same global influence on culture. The future war between these superpowers will not be fought by soldiers but by pop idols, fashion designers, movie producers, food chains, and advertising agencies.
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agreed this country is very narcissistic, but i shudder to think of the values we are exporting (think Superbowl Halftime show) and i can certainly envision a day when other countries are of sufficient economic strength to maintain and perpute their own values via their own mass media. i think this century will be the Asian century, as the last century was the American century...easy to envision China, India and other Pacific Rim countries coming into their own. not so sure about Europe, because i think the leftist political and economic agendas that govern them also hamper their economies. i cannot foresee the Arab world as a superpower at all - think there are far too many entrenched cultural, religious, and economic barriers to opportunity for their citizens, women in particular.
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In its use of the language of power the Bush administration has created the opposite impression, and not just in Iraq. The United States apparently cannot be wrong about anything, nor does it have to apologize to anybody. In many parts of the world people have come to believe, fairly or not, that Americans regard the life of their countrymen as infinitely more valuable than the lives of any other of the earth's inhabitants.
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this is an interesting point - European leaders need to think long and hard if they think they can ride American coat tails successfully. Look at today's elections in Spain: the ruling Popular party, probably Bush's staunchest European ally after Blair, got tossed out in a stunning upset...in most reports I've seen, voters cite Spain's involvement in Iraq, followed by their own 9/11 the other day, as the primary reason.
i think the Iraq is gonna be looked back upon as a turning point in American foreign policy influence...the high water mark, so to speak, where the wave finally broke and rolled back. we will still be be the biggest dog on the block for a long time to come, but American values are neither immortal nor infallible.