In Still the Colossus Robert Kagan asserted that despite opinion polls showing broad hostility towards it, America is still viewed as the “indispensible nation” by political leaders. In other words, the empire project will chug ahead so long as the will of the majority is circumvented by duplicitous business managers making backroom deals in countries the United States can still ruin financially and dominate militarily.
Kagan’s unabashed confidence that “the intelligent and effective exercise of America’s benevolent global hegemony” is “indispensible” is based in no small part upon the meagre lip service paid to it by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel who claimed to have a mandate to lead despite her Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union failing to take a majority of seats from Schroeder’s Social Democrat Party. She’s a tightrope walker who eked out a razor thin victory by promising to do something about Germany’s 10% unemployment. It’s well-nigh impossible to imagine Washington will provide her a net on that score and the conservatives will soon be busied delivering offensive blows due their inability to deliver substantive change. Merkel’s political imprint will be embarassingly insignificant in comparison to the polarising impact of Margaret Thatcher‘s, “special relationship” or not, as she will fail just like Tony Blair has to attract a Thatcher-sized following of acolytes. The first marks against her may be issued following a mini-ministerial meeting set for 25-29 January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the world’s trade ministers will attempt to resuscitate the Doha trade liberalisation round that failed to leap agricultural barriers erected by the EU and the U.S. recently in Hong Kong. I predict her popularity will reach its peak in 2007 when Germany hosts the G-8 summit as her face is plastered on thousands of protesters’ placards.
Kagan is buoyed by her agreement with D.C. that the EU’s arms embargo against China should not be lifted, her support for Germany’s small troop presence in Afghanistan, and her affirmation that Germany will continue to train Iraqi troops. He then boasts of the indefatigable potency of NATO but fails to mention Merkel’s campaign promise to continue that training outside of NATO’s umbrella. He offers no analyses of her opposition to Turkey’s acceptance into the EU which must rattle the cages of those in Washington who support it albeit for the wrong reasons. But I think this is the helium in Kagan’s balloon:
MERKEL (through translator): And we’ve seen it with Syria, that it does leave an impression, it does leave an impact if as large number of nations in this world as possible makes it abundantly clear we are not accepting a stance that says, in effect, the right of existence of Israel is questioned. You’re trying to lie to us, you’re trying to cheat; this is something that we don’t accept.
Lies from Germany’s financial and military overlord she accepts if they are lies perpetrated against the Unpeople:
The principal victims of British policies are Unpeople – those whose lives are deemed worthless, expendable in the pursuit of power and commercial gain. They are the modern equivalent of the ‘savages’ of colonial days, who could be mown down by British guns in virtual secrecy, or else in circumstances where the perpetrators were hailed as the upholders of civilisation.
The concept of Unpeople is central to each of the past and current British policies considered in this book. Through its own intervention, and its support of key allies such as the United States and various repressive regimes, Britain has been, and continues to be, a systematic and serious abuser of human rights. I have calculated that Britain bears significant responsibility for around 10 million deaths since 1945 (see table), including Nigerians, Indonesians, Arabians, Ugandans, Chileans, Vietnamese and many others. Often, the policies responsible are unknown to the public and remain unresearched by journalists and academics…
…British ministers’ lying to the public is systematic and normal. Many people were shocked at the extent to which Tony Blair lied over Iraq; some might still be unable to believe that he did. But in every case I have ever researched on past British foreign policy, the files show that ministers and officials have systematically misled the public. The culture of lying to and misleading the electorate is deeply embedded in British policy-making.
Here are more incontrovertible truths for Mr. Kagan and Chancellor Merkel. The international laws they defy, enabling Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians to continue unabated, are detailed in a very short read. Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, Updated 2nd Edition by Phyllis Bennis. The problem is they are entirely aware of these truths and insist upon creating facts on the ground in a mad, fatalistic rush to bury them. Kagan is right that the United States possesses the financial and military means to act as it chooses, but in doing so, is in a death spiral towards moral and spiritual destruction.
Update: Indispensible, benevolent global hegemony in action:
Paul Bremer warns Dutch to back Afghan mission
“Time and time again decisions must be taken by the US government, by Congress, that influence Dutch economic interests. It is not difficult to imagine decisions could be taken that would not be in the interests of the Netherlands”, Bremer said. (via)
Update:
Why an expansion of Nato’s role has divided the Dutch
By Stephen Castle in Brussels
Published: 17 January 2006
One Dutch objection has now been largely overcome after assurances were given that any prisoners taken by its Nato force would not face the death penalty or be sent to Guantanamo Bay. A more far-reaching worry is that Isaf’s mission will become confused as it extends into more dangerous territory. The Pentagon has long wanted to create a joint command for the two missions. The latest plans fall short of that but they would make Isaf’s deputy commander a US officer from Enduring Freedom.
In the Netherlands, the issue is particularly sensitive because of the failure of Dutch UN peacekeepers to prevent the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.
Lousewies van der Laan, deputy leader of the D66 party which is part of the ruling Dutch coalition, argues: “If you are busy fighting the Taliban and al-Qa’ida, how do you have the space to win hearts and minds by building schools and hospitals?”