We moan about the Americans running the show but no one else wants to be the world's policeman

The Guardian ^ | Tuesday March 5, 2002 | Ian Buruma

[vannrox]

The unlimited bashing of America continues unabated...

[theophilusscribe]

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[Argus]

This is less America-bashing by Buruma, who's an intelligent observer, than simply rueful acknowledgment of reality.

[kickme]

The US is the Home of the Free, and the Land of the Brave. There is a core of us that know right from wrong, and who fear God. That's why.

[mdittmar]

I always liked this Canadians' opionion.

[marktwain]

Heck, WE don't want to be the world's policeman either. But like a reluctant sodbuster who is good with a gun, we have become the sheriff because no one else had the guts or responsibility to do it. The rest of the world should just be glad that it wasn't a Stalin, Hitler, or Mao who is at the reins.

I don't like the U.S. being the worlds policeman, but the alternatives, unfortunately, are worse.

[Billthedrill]

It isn't the Americans he's bashing here. This was printed in the Guardian? Wonders never cease...

It is the military that is getting the attention at the moment for obvious reasons, but American domination isn't so much military domination as it economic and (sacre bleu!) cultural. You can always address the military side by spending a comparable amount on it - that was the Soviet approach, and it failed largely because the military spending evidenced itself more in terms of potential employment than actual use. So too here - the Afghan deployment is spectacular but tiny compared to the overall defense budget. It simply isn't all about military spending.

What is is about is the economic ability on the part of individuals and small groups to turn a small enterpreneurial effort into a financial empire, and the social mobility which constitutes part of the incentive for doing so. That is what Europe has to match if it hopes to match U.S. world power, and it may take some readjustment of social and governmental structure to do it.

[elbucko]

Agreement to all you posted.

I think it is, as the Founders might say: "PROVIDENCE!"

(and the world is very lucky it's us, rather than a totalitarian state.)

[rightofrush]

We moan about the Americans running the show but no one else wants to be the world's policeman.

I nominate the Swiss.

[End Times Sentinel]

Indeed, the U.S. is the policeman of the world, and why shouldn’t we be? Is this the type of job that should be left to:
· The Japanese with their colorful history of responsible use of military power and respect for human rights?
· Perhaps to the Bucket-heads and their past misinterpretations of borders and treaties?
· The Chutney Ferrets, who’ve had to have been kicked out of every country they’ve ever paid a visit to?
· The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys, who brought us the Maginot Line, left the U.S. holding the bag in 3 wars in the past 100 years and lost a war with GreenPeace?
· The Ruskies, our cold war nemesis who somehow is credited with possessing an intercontinental Nuclear Missile, yet can’t even manufacture a car?

No, the U.S. will continue to be the policeman of the world while the rest of the (so called) developed world devotes their budgets toward experiments with socialsm.

Owl _ Eagle
“Guns before butter.”

[petuniasevan]

LOL! I was thinking along the same lines but you said it just right!

[knews_hound]

I disagree, I think that he ruefully admits that in fact, the Euros have dropped the ball and in reality, find themselves marginalized.

I have a news flash for them. The balance of power has changed. They risk becoming nothing more than American protectorates if they continue along the path they currently follow.

Euro Disney may in fact be their future rather than an imported theme park. Destination spots for the ruling country to vacation in.

[elbucko]

"· Perhaps to the Bucket-heads..
· The Chutney Ferrets,
· The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys
· The Ruskies,... yet can’t even manufacture a car?

Wish I'd said that. Man, that is beautiful prose. (no sarcasm)

[daviddennis]

I wouldn't go that far. The Germans still make better cars than we do, and the Italians make cooler designer products (like Ferraris and Artimide lamps).

But I must say I was surprised by the fellow who thought this was an anti-American article. It was actually a pro-American article; I'd summarize it by saying that they resent us but realize they wouldn't do any better as world leader if they had to assume the burden.

D

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[borghead]

I am going to be honest on this one, though it sort of sucks(on a personal level) that China cannot be the policeman of the world, I'm almost sure that they would gravely abuse their power if they did. So at the end of the day, its probably for the best that the U.S, the most militarily competant, technologically innovative, and generally the most principled of all great powers, should take the leading role.

[wimpycat]

No, it's still an anti-American article if you really read it. Notice how all these pencilnecks get together to cry into their beer and decide that the Japanese and the Germans, but not themselves, have been designated as the natural choices to alleviate the evil, evil American domination?

These Eurolefties are awfully fond of deciding what everybody else should do, but God forbid they get their hands dirty. It's the British and the French who are actually in the best position to build up their military and ease our military burdens, former imperial powers with connections all over the world, who were a lot nicer to the natives than the Japanese and the Germans--they just lack the will to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve that goal. So what do they do? They pick the Germans and the Japanese--it's always somebody else who needs to do something about some problem--never them.

[ffrancone]

What is is about is the economic ability on the part of individuals and small groups to turn a small enterpreneurial effort into a financial empire, and the social mobility which constitutes part of the incentive for doing so. That is what Europe has to match if it hopes to match U.S. world power, and it may take some readjustment of social and governmental structure to do it.

Great point. And this is the heart of the problem for Europeans and others. They will have to make serious cultural changes to match the US economically. They do not want to make those changes. So the only alternative is to get the US to "disarm" economically. That is, convince us to change so that we get eurosclerosis too. Hope it isn't contagious :)

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

WE EITHER DO IT NOW OR PERISH AT THE HANDS OF MADMEN its not something we want to do nor do we like it but NOW our upmost survival depends on us policing those who would find us in their crosshairs

LETS ROLL!!!

[TheMole]

There is no 'America-bashing' in this article whatsoever. This guy is telling the Europeans and Japanese to quit whining if they can't walk the walk. He even mentions that American-style entrpreneurial capitalism is something that has to be emulated by Europe if they want to keep up at all. He throws in an interesting little WW2 tidbit to indicate why the Japanese might not be as popular on Okinawa as you might expect. This is somebody who is both very knowledgeable about Europe and Japan and who is pro-American.