Dark Clouds Gathering Over U.S. Capital
America’s world status is changing, according to the international news media, and she is losing allies right and left. Philippines, long considered an ally of America in Asia, is one of them.
The Manila Bulletin, a major newspaper in the Philippines, reported on January 8, 2017 the recent docking there of two Russian navy vessels. One was a tanker and the other an anti-submarine ship, the Admiral Tributs. The Philippine Defense Secretary paid a visit to the Admiral Tributs.
He wasn’t alone. America’s Fox News wrote in its January 6th article, “Philippines’ Duterte tours Russian warship amid warming ties”,
He wasn’t alone. America’s Fox News wrote in its January 6th article, “Philippines’ Duterte tours Russian warship amid warming ties”,
“Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte toured one of the two Russian warships docked in Manila on Friday in another gesture of warming ties with Moscow as he shifts his country’s foreign policy away from long-time ally, the United States.”
Relations also appear to be quickly thawing between the Philippines and China. In October 2016, Reuters released a story, “Duterte aligns Philippines with China, says U.S. has lost” that was picked up by Yahoo News and others. It said,
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.
The Middle East
Kurdish YPG Fighter
The Iraqi and Syrian wars are said to have hurt America’s standing in the Middle East.
The U.S. News & World Report magazine wrote an article on March 1, 2016, “How the US Lost the Kurds”. The subtitle read,
“The Kurdish YPG, considered the strongest fighting force on the ground, has moved to a backer that can get it what it wants.”
And on January 7, 2017, The Jordan Times ran an AP story with the headline, “US goes from bandleader to bystander in Syria peace efforts”. The article said,
“Leadership has been ceded to Russia and, to a lesser degree, Turkey and Iran.”
Europe
Observers wonder whether her strong post WWII alliances with members of the European community are beginning to crumble as well.
Some Western Europeans believe the Americans and the English caused the Great Recession by pushing subprime loans, bundling them in a way that hid the degree of risk to investors, and by the extended use of security trader tools called derivatives. Also, many in both Western and Eastern Europe no longer trust America to protect and defend them.
United States
“Make America Great Again” was the president-elect’s campaign slogan. That it resonated with millions of U.S. voters implies they too feel the country is not what it used to be.
Her pride in her power may not be completely broken at this point; but it’s fair to say that a series of blows have taken their toll.
Photo Credits: Flag by Boston Harborfest, License: CC BY 2.0; Kurdish Fighter by Hêzên Taybet (Special Forces), License: CC BY 2.0
