[Wolfhound777]

Some of my initial thoughts on neglect of our own back yard:

1. We are asleep at the switch. We have lost the ability to be proactive with our influence and now just react to events after they happen.

2.We can't multi task. We have tunnel vision for the trouble spot du jour. We are focused on the Middle East, not the middle east plus Russia-China or South America and what their interests might be or how they see themselves projecting power. Even if there have been some astute analysts that have been ringing the alarm bell for the last few years, it doesn't matter because their bureaucrat bosses don't want to rock the boat or be seen as politically incorrect. Congress would be all over them for the audacity of reports that might bring negative connotations to their constituents third world toilet home country. Even if that home country is becoming a threat, we just have to pull the wool over everyones eyes and pretend that all is well.

3. Our intelligence agencies are completely incompetent and refuse to see the monsters under the bed. They have all been educated at ivy league institutions of liberal think and can't see the problems for what they are. We need to hire more warriors not candy a$$ analysts. There are plenty of analysts already and their ability to fuse intelligence into an accurate big picture is suspect.

4. The State Department has forgotten that they are employed to work for solely (diplomatically of course) for our national interests and not for the interests of the countries that they get posted to. I have seen and heard too many of these loons publicly rail against and chastise the US in favor of the country that they are working in. That's unacceptable and they should be relieved of duty on the spot.

5. The Demoncrats are secretly all for the United States being surrounded by socialists and communists as this is the new Progessive way of government that they want to bring to America. So don't count on Congress to address the problem any time soon.

6. Half the citizens in this country couldn't care less as long as they have their MTV.

7. The communists saw the opening and lull in our interest and took the initiative.

[Xenalyte]

Our global influence is now deemed cultural imperialism, and we are evil for even considering exercising it.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

7. I think there's a part of the Latin American socialist movement, which wants ATTENTION. Perhaps it should be given some.

Benign neglect is clearly not working.

[California Patriot]

Careful. Some FReep vigilante will call you a Bush-basher.

For what it's worth, I think your comment was excellent, all the way through.

[hedgetrimmer]

We can't multi task

The neocons are multitasking like crazy in South and Central America. They just signed a fraudlently named "free trade" deal with Peru, and are working on deals for the rest of the hemisphere. They attended the Summit of the Americas and we have our own "permanent minister" to the OAS.

One reason South America is becoming more leftist because these people working down their are using our money to promote leftist civil society. Many of the so called trade agreements include language codifying socialist "social justice" and socialist "sustainable development".

[mumps]

We have lost the ability to be proactive with our influence....

We "proactived" the bejeebus out of some of these countries in the 1970s and 1980s. Didn't do any good. Of course, back then, the rationale was that the Soviet Union was manipulating them. Now the rationale will be that it's China. So they're leaning left. Lots of countries in the world lean left.

Love that phrase, by the way: proactive with our influence. A definite classic.

[Malesherbes]

Sadly, I agree with everything that Wolfhound777 wrote.

[coconutt2000]

Take a good look at the new alliances the Bush administration is fostering.

India, Pakistan, the former Soviet Bloc nations, etc. Consider that we are moving more ships to the Pacific, and that we'll probably be adding to the number of ships that call Guam home, or at least base out of Guam for long deployments. Then there was the arms sale to Taiwan that finally passed Taiwan's assembly.

Last, but not least, the ballistic missile shield, coupled with our bases in the former Soviet bloc, added to the shift in Navy deployments... I don't think this Administration is ignoring China's threat to world stability. Before long, we're going to be embroiled in another Cold War with China. China will be trying to steal every scrap of technology from us, like they already do, and we'll be trying to intimidate them into staying within their borders. Eventually, either China will collapse or it will transition to another form of government. Or, if the Communists have enough power, they'll start a war to prevent either a collapse or a regime change.

We'll just have to find out, and hope that we keep a President in office who won't turn his/her back on the region in favor of diddling interns in the Oval Office.