Hamster Buddha
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That is why I say America should redo the treaties.
Most of these agreements were a) when the Cold War was still on and b) when America was (outside of the U.S.S.R.) by FAR the most powerful country in the world AND by miles the largest economy. She could afford such luxuries as policing the free world.
Now, America is massively in debt, the economy is being propped up by smoke and mirrors (QE/artificially low interest rates) and is practically stagnant.
And China is fast gaining on America's economic supremacy.
America helped the world massively during the generation after WW2. Now it's time the world looked after itself and stop looking to Americans to clean up their messes whenever they get into trouble.
As for losing credibility?
IMO, between Gitmo, the NSA spying on almost EVERYONE and the drone strikes (which are technical acts of war in many cases), America is losing a TON of credibility by butting in to everyone else's business.
It's time America looked after itself and let other countries fix their own local/regional messes.
And if they don't like it - I could care less.
I actually don't have issue with pretty much anything you said. We're a far cry from the Cold War Warrior that was the defenders of Freedom across the world. Not only in terms of military and economic might, but as well it terms of credibility due to the issues you mentioned, plus the invasion of Iraq and nearly dozen other reasons.
Where I take objection with your assertion though about the world's police force is that, in most situations, there is a tangible benefit to us being involved in these issues. In the case of the issue involving control over the disputed areas in the east china sea, a large portion of our imports must come through that areas on their way to US Ports. If a conflict were to breakout, you could expect prices of all those products we get from china, to skyrocket. This is to say nothing of the fact of what it would do to worldwide markets that would again, affect us.
The world is a more interconnected place today than it ever has been. We rely on free access of goods across the world's oceans. Anything that could threaten that access (pirating in yemen, uprising in Egypt, or even the dispute in the east and south china seas) inevitably can and would have an effect if something should go awry in any of those situations.. And part of the way of exerting influence in these areas, is by use of allies in those areas that are such due to treaties and agreements that have lasted for over half a century. The best example is NATO, which has backed us up on several occasions, and remains an important partner with us in issues in the middle east.
My point being, like it or not, we have to be some level of the world's police force. Does that mean jumping in on every humanitarian crisis? No. But, those treaties that you would rewrite would severely hamper our capabilities in to deal with all these issues that popup.