The end of America?
Like a frightened rabbit, frozen in a car’s headlights, the American people this week also froze, and chose not to move away from the danger of George Bush. And that danger is very real for America. George Bush could well be the President who destroys America as a major world power.
Having inherited a budget surplus in excess of $100 billion from his predecessor, George Bush’s budget is now in deficit to the tune of $400 billion. This means that he has spent over $500 billion in the past 4 years. If he continues at that rate, in another 4 years time, America’s budget deficit could be approaching $1000 billion. This is clearly ruinous for any country, even for a country with an economy the size of America’s.
But poor finance alone is not what will destroy America as a major power. It is said that he who does not know history is condemned to repeat it. America is already in the process of repeating history, although the comparison is not one they would like.
In the 1930’s, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. The reparations and restrictions on Germany in the post WWI legacy were proving very difficult economically. Hitler and his administration developed a paranoid belief that someone, in this case they decided it was the Jews, was intent on destroying Germany.
The result of this paranoia was a persecution of Jews (which was politically acceptable because of the widely held media-propagated demonisation and belief that Jews posed a threat to the country) and the invasion and occupation of numerous other countries that Hitler and his government believed were supporting or sheltering Jews, or that they believed, rightly or wrongly, were a threat to the security of Germany.
Compare this situation to America today. Bush and his administration believe that terrorists (who just happen to be Muslims) are intent on destroying America. Their response has been to attack countries that they believe support or shelter terrorists, there is a widespread media inspired demonisation of Muslims, and with a generally held belief that Islam and terrorism are interchangeable, and are a threat to America, there is a politically acceptable persecution of Muslims.
Indeed, Hitler’s administration coined a new word “blitzkrieg” meaning “lightning war” for their tactic of using air support to remove any resistance before the ground troops went in to any area. America’s attacks on both Afghanistan and on Iraq used the same tactic, although without the name.
In the general trend of this paranoia, it is not difficult to see that they will try to hit at some country, somewhere, that they perceive, rightly or wrongly, to be a threat to them, in exactly the same way as Hitler’s Germany did. Perhaps Iran will be America’s next target, perhaps not.
The world stood by, powerless to do anything against the ravaging onslaught of Hitler’s military machine. Everywhere that they invaded and occupied, there were resistance groups against them. At first, these groups worked alone. Then they began to be quietly supported by other powers that wanted to stop Germany but were afraid to openly fight against them. And then ultimately, Germany took one step too far, and an all out war was launched against them, firstly by Britain, then by Russia, and then by America.
Today, just like 60 years ago, the world stands by, powerless to do anything against a juggernaut. But in Afghanistan and Iraq, there are resistance groups fighting against the American military. Perhaps they are still working alone, or perhaps they are being quietly supported. We don’t know yet, but as long as we are travelling the same path, the same outcome will inevitably happen. At some point, America will take one step too far, and an all out war will be launched against them.
Before WWII started, America was a minor, but growing economy, and the major economies of the world were all European. By the end of the war, the European economies were destroyed and America emerged as the dominant economy of the world, having invested in it’s own growth while Europe was tearing itself to pieces.
Today, while America is destroying it’s economy by going off on a paranoid witch hunt, China is investing in itself. Ultimately, the American economy will be destroyed, and China will emerge as the dominant economy of the world.
So just like the rabbit that froze, the American people have also chosen to stay where they are. With George Bush in the driving seat, they are likely to end up being flattened, just like the rabbit that froze.
