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We need a bigger stick
by Spengler[PJMedia] [The essay first appeared in Asia Times on Dec. 17, 2016. I argue that America needs to re-establish unchallenged technological superiority as a precondition for convincing Russia and China to behave responsibly. We should speak softly and carry a big stick. The problem is the stick. America's edge has eroded alarmingly during the past twenty years. The temptation is to shout shrilly and wave a small stick. That will get us nowhere]. Russia, China and America never will be friends; at best they will be peaceful competitors rather than warlike adversaries. To maintain the former rather than the latter circumstance is the proper goal of American policy. It would be dangerous for America to pursue the Wilsonian (and neo-conservative) vision of internal transformation of Russia and China, with the goal of turning them into American-style democracies. The second-most dangerous thing America could do would be to abandon the world stage. World stability depends on a strong America, that is, an America that is economically vibrant and technologically superior. It is whimsical to speak of a Russian-Chinese-American "alliance" in the sense of the European "Holy Alliance" after the Napoleonic Wars. America, Russia and China never will be allies. China and Russia can be "equal partners" with America, provided that America is more equal than China and Russia. By this I mean that China and Russia are powers that have legitimate interests that deserve consideration, so long as America retains a decisive edge in military technology ‐ something that cannot now be taken for granted. Relatively speaking, America’s big stick has shrunk noticeably, and there is a temptation to speak loudly by way of compensation. Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-01-10 |
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