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Trumpeting the Superpower Status Quo
http://inthesetimes.com/article/12844/trumpeting_the_superpower_status_quoIf you blinked at 11 a.m. on January 5, you may have missed the unveiling of a new, post-Iraq, post-Afghanistan strategic posture for the United States. Speaking from the Pentagon and surrounded by the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the civilian armed service secretaries and the uniformed service chiefs of staff, President Obama introduced the Defense Strategic Review.
It was a political event, aimed at Congress and voters, posing as a nonpolitical defense and foreign policy event; and it was a budgetary moment, aimed at stanching criticism of inevitable defense budget cuts, posing as a strategic moment. Despite the orchestrated imagery of dutiful military leaders standing by their commander in chief, it exemplified civilian subjugation to the military. It was an unimaginative bow to status-quoism posing as transformative redirection.
As preamble, the president gave obeisance to the usual platitudes of untruth: The United States of America is the greatest force for freedom and security that the world has ever known. Weve built the best-trained, best-led, best equipped military in history. Weve ended our war in Iraq. Weve decimated al-Qaedas leadership [and] put that terrorist network on the path to defeat. Weve made important progress in Afghanistan. Weve restored Americas global leadership.
Three substantive themes dominated this unveiling, all guarantees of mind-numbing stasis in the years ahead.
The first is geographic focus: a turn to the Asia-Pacific region (read: China, with a dash of North Korea) and a continuing concern with the Middle East (read: terrorism, with two dashes of Iran). China becomes the new Soviet Union, a modernizing competitor that provides the self-justifying mirror-image pretext for a new Cold War and an escalating arms race of indeterminate duration. U.S. interest in the Middle East ensures the continuation of the Clash of Civilizations between the West and Islam, a fear-induced crisis mentality and the associated hijacking of American values and civil society (through concentrated executive power, steroidal secrecy and the erosion of civil liberties).
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Trumpeting the Superpower Status Quo (Original Post)
xchrom
Mar 2012
OP
Once they post it, I am going to add the video from Charlie Rose last night -
NRaleighLiberal
Mar 2012
#1
I sure will - below is a link to a partial transcript I made during the show last night.
NRaleighLiberal
Mar 2012
#3
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)1. Once they post it, I am going to add the video from Charlie Rose last night -
fascinating (and chilling/depressing) panel discussion on Afghanistan. Well worth watching.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)2. besides video media group -- would you mind posting it as a reply here? nt
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)3. I sure will - below is a link to a partial transcript I made during the show last night.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002417998
It doesn't capture the back and forth, and gathers comments by panel member. I think you can get the gist.
It doesn't capture the back and forth, and gathers comments by panel member. I think you can get the gist.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)4. awesome! -- thanks. nt
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)5. be sure to watch the video from the Charlie Rose show - link below
xchrom
(108,903 posts)6. thank you so much! nt
NRaleighLiberal
(60,015 posts)7. be ready to be really pissed off....
xchrom
(108,903 posts)8. LOL -- more than i am already? nt