"U.S. share of global output continues to decline from year to year. Like General Motors Corp. and Ford, the United States has yielded share of the global market from one-third at the turn of the new century to one-quarter today. Was the rise of the rest the decline of the West?
Have U.S. commitments and responsibilities outstripped resources? The two anonymous billionaire voices were among the many now saying so in public opinion polls. They feel a paradigm shift is inevitable. We are yet to wean ourselves from the old paradigm: the $3 billion we borrow each and every day -- principally from China -- to maintain the world's highest standard of living, based on conspicuous consumption, at a time of growing world shortages. And when we are finally weaned, it will become glaringly obvious that we were living way beyond our means and that major belt-tightening is long overdue." De Borchgrave
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yup. It's the end of days, or something. I read the Stanley McChrystal "information operation" in the Wall Street Journal today. Wow! Jim Jones was on the tube yesterday trying to make it clear that Obama Administration policy in Afghanistan is "settled policy" (a neologism). And today we have this virtual announcement of "push back" in a Murdoch Newscorp organ. Is there a Rubicon in all this somewhere? I understand that construction of permanent looking US facilities goes on apace in Afghanistan. The Burger King is pleased.
Stanley wants to pull back out of the field in order to concentrate his forces on the population? Hmmm. This sounds familiar. So, what will then happen in the "abandoned" countryside? A sort of "Mosby's confederacy" with the Taliban confederation running an alternative government? Maybe they will destroy themselves attacking us? Could be, might be. Na San or a couple of places I knew more intimately come to mind.
We live in interesting times. pl
