Posted by 79 at 3:03pm Mar 10 '13you've leapt towards the neo-con nationalistic position pretty strongly since i last checked.
What do you personally feel about America's role in world affairs as the lone superpower?
first, you tossed them a loaded question. you may have just been looking for a critique of our policies, but the problem is many of us don't consider the US a "superpower" any more. the fact is, we're not nearly as relevant now as we were a couple decades ago. while we're still one of the strongest nations in many ways (especially by your metrics), we're no longer in a class by ourselves. neo-cons, nationalist politicians, and guys with "These Colors Don't Run!" bumper stickers who believe america is the best of the best (even though they have no experience with anywhere else) are deluding themselves.
asking what people - especially in europe - feel about the US being a superpower is kinda like asking what people think about iran being a successful theocracy (i'm intending that simile seriously). you wanted opinions, and the main opinion was that your question was based on a false assumption.
i don't think it's anti-american to say we're not as powerful and unique as you seem to think we are. i don't think it's anti-american to state negative opinions about the US when outright asked for opinions. i'm an american, about as "american" as one can be by birth and family, and i agree with a lot of the "anti-american" sentiment ITT. maybe not as drastically, and i might differ over details, but honestly i fall closer to the europeans' views than i do to yours.
What do you personally feel about America's role in world affairs as the lone superpower?
first, you tossed them a loaded question. you may have just been looking for a critique of our policies, but the problem is many of us don't consider the US a "superpower" any more. the fact is, we're not nearly as relevant now as we were a couple decades ago. while we're still one of the strongest nations in many ways (especially by your metrics), we're no longer in a class by ourselves. neo-cons, nationalist politicians, and guys with "These Colors Don't Run!" bumper stickers who believe america is the best of the best (even though they have no experience with anywhere else) are deluding themselves.
asking what people - especially in europe - feel about the US being a superpower is kinda like asking what people think about iran being a successful theocracy (i'm intending that simile seriously). you wanted opinions, and the main opinion was that your question was based on a false assumption.
i don't think it's anti-american to say we're not as powerful and unique as you seem to think we are. i don't think it's anti-american to state negative opinions about the US when outright asked for opinions. i'm an american, about as "american" as one can be by birth and family, and i agree with a lot of the "anti-american" sentiment ITT. maybe not as drastically, and i might differ over details, but honestly i fall closer to the europeans' views than i do to yours.
it surprised me, too - 79