Posted on 12/30/2013 11:31:55 AM PST by Olog-hai
To many around the world, it made little sense: The world’s most powerful government, so mired in dysfunction that it couldn’t operate. The world’s defender of individual freedoms, accused of spying on its citizens and friends. The world’s military giant planning, then balking at, an armed response to the suspected use of deadly chemical weapons.
Former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright once dubbed the United States “the indispensable nation.” But as the world watched America shamble through its string of crises in 2013, the notion of the U.S. as an unflappable leader began to seem ever more quaint.
Instead, to hear some around the world tell it, the United States came off looking uncertain, unmoored and even untrustworthy. Unsettling, to say the least, for a global audience of people who understand that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
How warily would a wary world watch if a wary world would watch warily?
“For Paul Bailey, an Australian writer and musician, the world will always need an America - perhaps not in its current, chaotic form but a powerful, inspiring leader that is far from dispensable. “I don’t see much hope for the U.S. today,” he says, “but I see much less hope for the world without it.”
That pretty much sums up the whole thing.
It was hard to take the photo seriously because of the mom-jeans, but you’re right about its import.
“Australia, which has universal health care” and no sense of liberty, and has what could be called monolithic culture, voiced just how much they don’t know about America.
“Instead, to hear some around the world tell it, the United States came off looking uncertain, unmoored and even untrustworthy.”
Expect more of the same for the next 3 years plus Hillary.
Thanks Olog-hai.
But as the world watched America shamble through its string of crises in 2013, the notion of the U.S. as an unflappable leader began to seem ever more quaint.
The nation of America is still that leader. What went wrong what looked ugly was America did not have a leader as President. We had a hate filled lying sack of crap instead.
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