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Pittsburgh Professor Brenner, Pittsburgh U. doesn't hesitate to reveal the seeming dissociation from reality displayed by Americans.

"U.S. engagements in the world over the past 20 years reveal a grim record of failed ventures. Most have been caused by unrealistic goals, blinkered views of the field of action, overweening pride, an ignorance of foreign places and their history, and an unseemly readiness to take complacent comfort in fantasy worlds that exist only in its own imagination. In short, American foreign policy has been misguided – badly and consistently misguided."

"The inevitable frustrations and failures owe equally to sheer incompetence. An endless string of errors – diplomatic, military and political – is as difficult for the nation to reconcile with its ‘can-do’ self-image as is the admission of the glaring discrepancy between the belief in the country’s providential mission and its increasingly evident ordinariness."

and that's before you specifically look at US action in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia and support of Saudi Arabia & Israel.

"Strenuous displays of patriotism have a contrived cast to them. They suggest strained efforts to overcome doubt more than they do genuine pride and conviction. National self-confidence is not demonstrated by gigantic flags seen everywhere from used car lots to hot sheet motels, the ubiquitous lapel pin, the loud and gaudy demonstrations of chauvinism at sporting matches, the bombast of shock jockeys, or the belittling and condescending treatment of other peoples."

"Rather, those are sure signs of weakness, doubt and insecurity. The compulsive militarization of foreign relations fits the pattern; the same psychology is at work. A society that sees reality through the screen of violent video games is juvenile and immature."

"A fragile psyche, weak in self-esteem and prowess, is sensitive to signs of its decline or ordinariness. Hence, the obsession with curbing China. Hence, the country will continue to exert itself energetically on the global stage rather than become progressively more selective in its engagements and choice of methods for fulfilling them."

"Continuity is a lot easier than reorientation. It doesn’t demand fresh thinking and different skills. Quite frankly, today, the caliber of high and mid-level personnel would have to be upgraded. Less amateurism and careerism, more experience and sophisticated knowledge."

"Equally, a U.S. president would have to seek out people with a different mindset. That is to say, a more nuanced view of the world, more acute awareness of other countries’ political culture and leadership, and a talent for dealing with other states on a basis other than the assumption of American superiority and prerogative."

"Attempts to dictate the internal affairs of foreign countries would become the rare exception rather than the norm. Moreover, it is necessary to loosen the hold on the nation’s mind of dogmatic ideas as deeply rooted in the American experience as they are out of synch with today’s world."
"All of this is a tall order. It appears to be beyond America."
Professor Michael Brenner

[consortiumnews.com]

Ping @FearlessFly, @alienbeing, @BarJoe and all other American "true" patriots.

FrayedBear 9 Jan 5
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5 comments

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2

. . . "true" patriots
. . . sort of like being a 'true Scotsman' 🙂

I think I can defend the US if/when I think it is appropriate.
I also think there is no shortage of things worth being critical about the US. 😛

1

I agree with the professor and most of you here. The unfortunate thing is that I do not see a way out of this. Truthfulness perhaps. I've had problems with ideas of getting American business back from overseas and all the nonsense that goes with it. Nobody stole those jobs and we cannot mandate to get them back. Certain citizens do not know this but politicians should be ashamed.

4

For the past several years, I can't help but roll my eyes at all the rah rah rah go 'merica bullshit that goes on. I've come to loath the 4th of July, I refuse to pledge allegiance to the flag.... this country has so many issues but those in power see none of them.

@darren316 apart from the one about living in the greatest democracy on earth. ROFL LMAO

5

Bingo.

Looking at the US now, the student of history in me tries to take the aerial view about the unravelling of America -- the changes in capitalism over the past 40 years, the decline of US manufacturing, rise of China, economic dislocation in parts of the US, the rise of underclasses fuelling hatred and exposing the social, racial and economic fissures and much more -- all now exploited by the fascists in the country who, frankly, have never believed in democracy but have gone along with that corrupt binary party system providing they won most of the time, and all this while Americans largely are besotted by their own 'invincibility' despite a record of constant failure in international ventures since WW2. The author is sceptical that the US can change its mindset and adapt to the 21st Century. I agree.

8

There’s much to agree with in the professor’s observations here. And consider this, it’s only the foreign policy part. Our disassociation from reality is just as profound on the domestic side of the house, perhaps more so.

It's just like the United Nations, The more members it has, the more arguments we can stir up. The more futile and impotent it becomes
We call it diplomacy,
In that cause, we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians.
(From the)... inside we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased; it's just like old times.

Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA (Oxon)

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