A Silver Lining to America’s Waning Influence

[mdmc]

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[mdmc]

1. A Silver Lining to America’s Waning Influence

Source: nyt

Mr. Obama’s critics have decried the decline in American clout and said his approach exacerbated it, by forfeiting claims on American exceptionalism.

But, Mr. Rothkopf argues, “we are in this situation of feeling overexposed and overburdened precisely because we had such an appetite before for unilateralism and triumphalism.”

For instance, he said, the staggering costs of the war in Iraq — which the United States largely bore alone — contributed to the very same national debt and budget deficit that now prevent the United States from stepping in financially to help Europe.

Of course, in an election year, the last thing that Mr. Obama wants to be seen as doing is putting forward the idea that the United States is no longer influential, or that there is no longer any such thing as American exceptionalism.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/us/americas-waning-influence-has-a-silver-lining.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=igw

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[JHB]

2. Note: we had a glitch that affected this article's move to E&O

Something similar to the double-posting that people occasionally experience, which created a double-move. We've combined them, so the "move" in the OP just brings you back to this thread.

Thought we should explain the weirdness. :hi: