Sarkozy must not follow America
Why America's short tenure as the world's lone super power has come to an end.
Following the article of M. J. Delaney last September, Wake up Sheeple! Be the media readers might be interested in the following article: The Economic Disaster that is Military Keynesianism - Why the US has Really Gone Broke by Chalmers Ashby Johnson, Professor Emeritus at the University of California.
This article, which appeared in Le Monde Diplomatique on February 11 (mondediplo.com/2008/02/05military) confirms why America's short tenure as the world's lone super power has come to an end.
He argues the US is no longer the world's leading lending country. In fact it is now the world's biggest debtor country, only maintaining world influence on the basis of military prowess.
The analysis concludes that some damage wrought by America's recent action "can never be rectified."
Mr Johnson’s recommendations include reversing Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for the wealthy, liquidating over 800 military bases around the world, cutting defence projects that bear no relationship to national security and ceasing to use the defense budget as a Keynesian jobs programme.
“If we don't, we face probable national insolvency and a long depression," he says.
Hopefully Sarkozy will not make the same mistakes, as Britain did, in allying itself to the current American model. Some statistics from Mr Johnson's analysis are salutary.
The US Department of Defense's planned expenses for 2008, $623 billion, is larger than all other nations in the world combined.
Mr Johnson says the vast defence expenditure has helped employment but caused America to lose its broader manufacturing base and deprived its citizens of healthcare for all, social welfare, and even education. America also ignores its global duty to reduce pollution.
It is a compelling read at a time when American politics talks of change and Sarkozy will be changing France and potentially Europe when they country takes presidency of the EU in July.
Optimistically, despite knowing the mass media are manipulated to promote sheeple and a peasants revolt by independent thinkers seems unlikely, we remain hopeful.
HP, BH
Le Maine
