A Refreshing Take on American Exceptionalism

lionshead2010 wrote:
Then there are China's very real problems. China has 700 million very poor people. By 2050, it will have 400 million very old people. It will "get old before it gets rich," as conservative writer Mark Steyn likes to say. The country is shot through with corruption, bogus accounting practices that make subprime mortgage bundles look like gold bullion, and a political elite that remains terrified of democracy. A confident government doesn't banish its Nobel Peace Prize winners. [/i]

lionshead2010 wrote: I know it has been all in vogue under the new administration to apologize for any and all things America does and stands for, but I found this gentleman's perspective refreshing. He makes some good points. A fun read.

America's China syndrome is overblown

...Another reigning cliche is that the sun is setting on us as it did on the British Empire. But what does that mean? China isn't remotely powerful, influential or rich enough to play the leading role of America, and we aren't nearly so weak, ignorable or poor to deserve the supporting gig as 1950s Britain.

Besides, although China clearly wants its moment in the sun, it doesn't seem particularly eager or able to lead. "When was the last time Beijing offered its own peace plan for the Arab-Israeli conflict, for instance?" asks Jonathan Eyal, Europe correspondent for the Straits Times in Singapore.

"Other emerging powers are no better," he adds. "What is India's contribution to, say, solving the crisis in Sudan? Or Russia's plan for dealing with the North Korean nuclear problem?"

In other words, American leadership is still the global norm...

Then there are China's very real problems. China has 700 million very poor people. By 2050, it will have 400 million very old people. It will "get old before it gets rich," as conservative writer Mark Steyn likes to say. The country is shot through with corruption, bogus accounting practices that make subprime mortgage bundles look like gold bullion, and a political elite that remains terrified of democracy. A confident government doesn't banish its Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Even with its copycat stealth fighter, China is certainly less of a military threat to the United States than the Soviet Union was. It's more of an economic challenger, but that's a good problem to have, right? Currency wars are better than nuclear ones.

http://townhall.com/columnists/JonahGol ... a_syndrome " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I know my ultra-liberal friend in the room will dismiss the writer immediately because he is clearly a conservative and therefore (in their mind) has no credibility. However I, like Mr. Goldberg, believe that America is still great and still the best. There is certainly no place on earth I'd rather live (and I've seen several on several continents). We aren't perfect by a long shot and there is always room for improvement, but to spend all our time apologizing for things our country may or may have not done is counterproductive and puts us at a disadvantage diplomatically on the world scene. I have yet to see one benefit from the current administration's policy to "diss" America. Not one! I have seen a general degradation of our international standing though so I wonder where President Obama is going with this agenda?