British Think-Tank: U.S. Power Fading

(AP)  A weakened United States could start retreating from the world stage without help from its allies abroad, an international strategic affairs think-tank said Tuesday.

The respected London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said President Barack Obama will increasingly have to turn to others for help dealing with the world's problems - in part because he has no alternative.

"Domestically Obama may have campaigned on the theme 'Yes we can'; internationally he may increasingly have to argue 'No we can't,'" the institute said in its annual review of world affairs.

The report said the United States' struggles against insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan had exposed the limits of the country's military muscle, while the near-collapse of the world financial markets sapped the economic base on which that muscle relied.

The report also claimed that the U.S. had lost traction in its efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program and bring peace to the Middle East.

"Clearly the U.S. share of 'global power,' however measured, is in decline," the report said.

Strategic Survey 2009: The Annual Review of World Affairs

The head of another respected London think-tank, Robin Niblett of Chatham House, said the rise in the relative power of China, India, Russia and the European Union has made it harder for the U.S to exercise its influence.

"America should apply changes in leadership style, but I wouldn't overplay the decline because decline is relative," Niblett said. "One should not doubt that the U.S. remains the most powerful nation in the world, but it's difficult to use the power and to use it to influence others."

In addition to a rise in regional powers, Niblett said the U.S. has long been viewed as being part of the problem rather than the solution on many issues, including climate change, the financial crisis, and the failure of the Middle East peace process.

"It's also carrying the baggage of failed policies and of a failed financial approach," Niblett said, referring to the Bush administration. "There's a lot of catching up to be done."

The IISS report praised President Obama, saying that he recognized there was only so much America could do "to impose its views on others."

After years of often thorny relationships between the U.S. and its allies during Bush's administration, President Obama has talked of the need to work with other nations on such issues as the financial meltdown, climate change and nuclear proliferation.

"These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone," Mr. Obama said in April after attending the G20 summit in London.

"The United States must lead the way," he said. "But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations."

Niblett said many countries "have developed new antibodies to American global leadership. They have built resistance to being told what to do."

The think-tank's report said Mr. Obama could help restore the United States' standing by working with other nations to contain emerging threats to its position as the world's pre-eminent power. Controlling the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea would require help from regional allies, the report said. The same was true of Afghanistan, where the U.S. has had difficulty persuading its NATO partners to follow its lead in boosting the number of troops sent to fight a resurgent Taliban.

"In the next year or two, the greatest demand on U.S. talents and power will be to persuade more to become like-minded and adopt greater burdens," the report said.

Still, Niblett said President Obama was moving in the right direction.

"This administration is far more frank about the U.S. interdependence with rest of the world, and that's a good thing," Niblett said.
By Associated Press writer Raphael G. Satter

[woeisme1]

It's all because of the outdated, outmoded, passe ideology of the Republican mental midgets.

And they sit here and defend the Bush years as being something that was good for this country. LOL

Is it any wonder the entire world is reporting these republican extremists as lunatics??!!!!

[anti-global2]

First of all the Brits have been pissed since FDR showed Churchill to be the second rate leader he was. FDR used the Hitler/Stalin situation to take away any global influence Britian still had. Then FDR wresteled away any contol Britian had in her former colonies, leaving then to be a second class country.
Second, the U.S. economy will recover, and when it does I am all for offering absolutely no financial, food or medical assistance to anyone anywhere other then here in the U.S.
As soon as there is a natural disastor or a civil war the world will be demanding the U.S. do something, like they always do. I say tell them no and sit back and watch as people die. You want to disrespect us f--- all of you, go ahead and destroy each other. We'll wait until you are pathetically weak or dead and mve in and scoop up the resources.
This needs to be America's foriegn policy in 2010.

[SAMTORRES66]

Home World LONDON, Sept. 15, 2009
British Think-Tank: U.S. Power Fading


This was expected, I saw this coming way before this article. However, our infrastucture and education are best to none, it should help us get out of the hole "someday"...

[dangyankee69]

Our infrastructure and education are best to none? What does that mean? Do you mean they are the best, or they are second to none? Either way you are wrong. When compared to other nations our students have consistently scored out of the top ten. Our infrastructure is a mouldering mess created by contractors more interested in padding their bottom line than in producing anything of quality (ie. the Big Dig). And, the current economic situation will keep us from being able to invest the resources necessary to fix either problem.

Meanwhile, the Chinese are investing in infrastructure through centralized planning. The Indians have created an education system based on a generation of great minds educated in the finest American universities and driven by competition for a better quality of life that the majority of the population aspires to but does not enjoy. They are hungry, We are Fat. They are working, we are complaining that we don't have enough vacation days. They are gaining, we are losing. Wealth and power are limited quantity resources. What they gain we lose. That's the whole point of the report. What it doesn't say is that it is much harder to regain a position of predominance. Throughout all of human history I can not think of a single hegemonic culture that has lost that position and then successfully reclaimed it.

[afmcalax]

America's influence is in decline and all you need to do is look to Washington politicians and their corporate sponsors for the reason. Both parties are filled with politicians that bring nothing of value to our governance. There is a small minority of politicians from either party that actually do the work and the corporations have made sure they are in their pockets. The extremes have taken over and this country was founded on being in the middle economically and socially. Allowing the politicians to manipulate their districts has created politicians incapable of intelligent disagreement and the ability to compromise. We need to return to districts where the political extremes are marginalized and the much larger centrist voter holds the power.

America makes very little of value any longer. We move money around and offer support for products other countries make. Our defense contractors and their political allies fund defense projects that do little to keep our country safe; but make these corporations enormously wealthy. Companies do not grow by offering better products or services; but by buying the competition and lowering the standards. Both politicians and corporate execs are more interested in their bottom line than societies. Unless we change the poltical discourse in this country and calm down the extremes we are already done as a power. It is only a metter of time that we wake up to the fact.

[doc_holliday76]

by rightstateofmind:
"Failure of the Bush years? Bush was a rousing success IMHO!"
------------------------------------




DELUSIONAL!......SIMPLY DELUSIONAL!

Why do the rabid rightwads sound more UNHINGED each and every day, and only spew more highly-partisan rhetoric from the sides of their crooked neocon mouths?

PULEEZE, instead of the constant foxnewsus propagandus based on the republican'ts need to remain firmly planted in the past, try to join the majority of Americans in the 21st century with SOLUTIONS and NEW IDEAS for correcting past neoconservitard failed policies and ideology!


British Think-Tank: U.S. Power Fading

America's Influence in World Said to Decline Due to Failures of Bush Years, Rise of China, Russia and European Union

[bubbadubba]

Well good.
I do not want an Imperialist US so if we are losing power in the world and not attacking people who will now bow to us than that is fine with me.
As for the EU, HA HA HA HA HA what a loser idea.

[antoniof123]

bubbadubba your name says it all you don't have a clue due you. The EU's economic power has been growing faster that is why other countries want in because it is growing.

The funny thing is that what the kings and dictors tried to do the Europeans are doing unifying Europe. When that happens well there was a reason why they wanted Europe.

[pubsrtoast]

Our think tanks, Heritage foundation AEI, and CATO institute to be specific, have been deriding British public health care for decades, it is about time they struck back.

[dangyankee69]

RELATIVE! RELATIVE! RELATIVE! that's what it boils down to. The power of the United States was at its pinnacle during the post-war era. Europe, including the USSR, was depleted by the social, demographic, financial, and industrial costs of fighting two world wars during the first half of the century. Asia was still struggling to shed its reactionary, traditionalist approach to life and embrace the agricultural and industrial revolution, while recovering from the Japanese dominance of the first half of the century. Who was on top? The USA! Why? Because everybody else was down. And how did the USA utilize this opportunity? Did we develop technology that would provide us with greater independence from foreign natural resources? Did we increase our effeciency and improve our infrastructure? NOPE! Instead we let the Labor Unions push us around. Increased wages for substandard production and decreased value on education (since anybody can get a good job in manufacturing right?).

Why does it surprise anybody that a nation that allows itself to squander such a great opportunity would eventually be surpassed by others who were hungrier and more willing to do the work necessary to improve their position; improve their RELATIVE position. Don't we see the same thing happen in economics all the time? A company is successful (take Bethlehem Steel for example) and they stop trying to become better. A new company (like Nucor for example) comes along and works harder to produce the same product at lower cost with greater efficiency. Next thing you know the old leader is wondering when the pack got in front of them.

[underdogus09]

The US Government is in a bind. If they lift interest rates to try and support the dollar, it will increase the size of the US budget deficit, plus the likelihood that the economy would go into a tailspin. The level of personal and corporate debt in the USA is now so high, that a sudden increase in interest rates would likely bring about an economic collapse. Either way, America is in deep trouble. What we could experience is a run on the US dollar, until it becomes completely worthless. There have been collapses of currencies throughout history. A recent example has been the collapse of the German Mark in 1923. At that time, the German economy was saddled in massive external debts, plus was being forced to repay war reparations. America is in a similar position today, as the world's largest debtor nation.

[Sloughfoot]

Most Americans would prefer to be off the World's forefront of international politics. The inability of the Brits, the Germans, the French and their allies to co-exist cost the lives of some 85-90 million people during the first half of the 20th century. And the financial cost is unimaginable. Forced to the front of the World's international stage, America in the last 50 years of the 20th Century did a much better job of it then their predeccessors, the Royal ruling parties of Europe.

To the Brits and the Frenchees and all the rest, you want to be at the front of the line, then go for it. I really tire of the Brits sticking us in the arse.

[casionova]

"America in the last 50 years of the 20th Century did a much better job of it then their predeccessors"

Yeah, tell that to south east asia and south america