Losing Ground Globally
Recently the Argentine President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, remarked to the press that the United States was out to kill her. This past summer, Iraq began a decent into anarchy as ISIS gained more control in the region. West Africa continues to experience an epidemic of tremendous proportions as Ebola rages on, and is spreading to the United States and Europe. Thousands are protesting in the streets of Hong Kong, begging for more democratic processes as the Chinese government continues pursuing communist policies. Where is America amidst all these international issues?
America is in the backseat.
One need not have an interventionist philosophy to understand that world events impact the home front.
As the drug cartels continue to gain power, influence leaders and wreak havoc on Central American nations, it is more important than ever to have strong relationships with South American leaders. Widening the gulf will only increase the cartels movements which are already affecting Americans along the southern border.
While the United States has stepped up its actions against ISIS in the last couple months, the airstrikes and limited “boots on the ground” approach has not stopped the extremist group. Since the US began airstrikes ISIS has beheaded additional western captives, made more strategic advances toward the Kurdish region, enacted more suicides bombers, and are inching closer to a Turkish holy site. Sunday, the Anbar Provincial Council (a province just east of Baghdad), pleaded with the US and Iraqi leaders for more US ground support fearing their province will surely fall to ISIS without it. Meanwhile, countries like the UK, Germany, and even Turkey (to an extent) are working to step up international action against an increasingly violent scenario.
As news broke of a second Ebola case inside the US, flights from the West African region where the outbreak is the worst are still landing at US airports. While it may seem an overreaction to divert flights, since this disease has an almost one month incubation period, and the US seems less and 100 percent prepared to deal with the virus, it might be time for drastic action. Reports suggest that aid organizations and even WHO workers in Africa sounded the alarm months ago, however response was slow to come. Now the virus has spread and no one has definitive answers.
While Asian news seems to be background stories of late, the situation in Hong Kong should not be ignored. China is a growing economy and economic leader. From consumerism to corporate home bases for hundreds of MNCs (multinational corporations), China is inching its way to world leader status. In addition, this past spring China informed the press it was increasing its military budget by 12 percent (meanwhile, the US has been dealing with military cuts). Although China has made strides in the past decade in terms of more market based economic principles, it is still a communist nation that restricts its citizen’s freedoms and has severed human rights violations. As its strength grows, regional neighbors fear the power and unpredictability of the nation; as evidenced this past summer by tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Regardless of one’s own agenda leadership is about achieving results in the situation you are handed. Serving in a position of power sometimes requires one to relinquish his/her wishes and seek the best common solution. Serving means you put others needs above your own. When US leaders take their oath of office they pledge to put the good of their nation above their own. That oath means occasionally there will be tough decisions to be made. But they signed up for the job, and it is far past time for them to be held accountable.
America cannot afford to sit in the backseat of the global community any longer. The US has a long standing history of leading the charge; for ourselves, our prosperity and the progress of the world we need to return to the front seat. Leaders who fail to see the global picture of American interests need to be reminded of their job responsibilities and their civic duty. Step up or step away from your seat.
Image courtesy of Crazedmom.com
