Desicritics Comments on Book Review: The Post-American World - Fareed Zakaria

Comment by blokesablogin

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 20:58:28 EDT

Bill Moyers has come up with his own America "wake-up" book too called Moyers on democracy. Let us face it- america has been an oligarcy for too long in the guise of the "greatest" democracy while India has become an anarchy under the guise of the "largest" democracy. May God bless one and Truth triumph in the other!!

Comment by Stephen COlbert

Mon, 26 May 2008 22:31:30 EDT

What a funny episode of the colberts report it was with that guy

Comment by Ruvy

Fri, 23 May 2008 09:58:12 EDT

smallsquirrel, I will work on the gentlemanly assumption that our readers are not spendthrifts by nature - so therefore they will not be tripped up by their own over-consumption; but they are being tripped up by the over-consumption of their government. I purposely set aside the spending habits of readers here as not a cause of sinking into debt. Everything you have referred to in your comment deals with the fact that where you live, "good money" just isn't enough. When I lived in the States, I never reconsidered moving back to New York with my wife or even before I met her. The price of living was just too damned high. Given all this, I budgeted every penny in a relatively low cost of living zone, St. Paul, MN. And only because I spent hours budgeting "what ifs" into my plans, and watching every penny spent, were we able to live relatively worry free there. "Budgeting" for me, meant we didn't buy cable; we didn't have cell phone; we bought a car without an air conditioner to save on gas; we had no air conditioner in the summer. We carried only one debt - the mortgage. We paid no other interest fees. Either one of two things is occurring in the United States. Either you are indeed living beyond your means and do not realize how - or the economy of where you live is in such bad shape that falling into debt is an automatic given, even if one lives frugally. It's been seven years since I've lived there but the news indicates to me that the banks and oil companies are soaking up every single spare dime and many of you, especially those trying to start over, are finding yourselves impoverished. You cannot sit there and blame some culture of excess at this point. Yes, I can. You are not at fault - you are simply finding yourself in a lousy situation - but Americans are paying for the war in Iraq and the economic rape of their own country by their own energy companies and bankers. That lousy situation is the consequence of a culture of excess. As bad as things are for us here, I'm glad we live here, and not there. I'd have had a second heart attack by now, if we had stayed.

Comment by smallsquirrel

Thu, 22 May 2008 19:20:54 EDT

I have to take exception to this. you do not have to live beyond your means to find yourself in debt in the current situation here in the US. the inflation here is so bad that simply paying for rent, groceries and gas can put one's paycheck to bed. never mind if you have to take a surprise flight somewhere because someone is sick or dies, or if you get laid off, or any number of things that one cannot necessarily plan for. I am one thrifty woman, and yet after coming back from India I find myself having to budget like crazy... and I make good money! You cannot sit there and blame some culture of excess at this point. it is not the dot com craze where people were looking for excuses to blow money. very few people have a discretionary cent to their names. those that do are lucky. you need to rethink here. you're waaaaaaaaaaay off course

Comment by Ruvy

Thu, 22 May 2008 16:15:36 EDT

"comeuppance" being the operative term here? comeuppance for what? Let's just apply a little common sense here. The United States, both the government, and many of its citizens, have been living way beyond their means. If we forget all issues of morality and simply apply rules of prudence to all this, we see that Americans are up to their eyeballs in debt - whether it be personal, or that of a spendthrift government. I will work on the gentlemanly assumption that our readers are not spendthrifts by nature - so therefore they will not be tripped up by their own over-consumption; but they are being tripped up by the over-consumption of their government. Additionally, they are being tripped up by the greed of the oil and banking establishment that is sucking up every spare dime in the States. Eventually, when you live beyond your means, you wind up paying a lot to the piper for the privilege. And payback is usually a bitch. Finally, since Mexico and Canada are economic dependencies of they States, they will be sucked down the same toilet - in the same flush. I'll be very surprised if the U.S. government can pay me Social Security when I'm old enough to collect it.

Comment by commonsense

Wed, 21 May 2008 17:11:47 EDT

Ruvy: ""those in the States and countries dependent on it, like Mexico and Canada, who think that prosperity is theirs by right, will get a very unpleasant comeuppance in the near future."" "comeuppance" being the operative term here? comeuppance for what?

Comment by commonsense

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:51:31 EDT

The scenario of dramatic rise and fall of particular countries was more tenable in a pre-globalization era. Ok, even though "globalization" is a bit of a hype and it's contours are very uneven, the fact of the matter is that at least at the level of corporations, there are distinctive global entities. Since these corporations are frequently merging, swallowing each other, consolidating, it is hard to see how one can see an entire society such as "America" (or whatever) suddenly declining, in quite the same way as in the pre-globalized world. It is not impossible, but don't hold your breath! Farid Zakaria is a smooth talker, suave, flashes a good smile and is the eternally congenial guy. As for his analytical acumen.....Methinks he deploys "WE" when talking of Americans, a tad too vehemently, almost as if to push the point, that I may look like a desi, my father might have been a famous desi politician, I may be Muslim....but....(and here I stop before I enter dicey (not DC) territory....)

Comment by Guido

Wed, 21 May 2008 11:28:48 EDT

Ms. Anona, I ordered the book. If it's anything like your review, it should be good reading. For those predicating America's demise...I guess we're all here temporally aren't we? Or is it "temporal"? ;) The US has faced much worse. The civil war: "8% of all white males aged 13 to 43 died in the war, including 6% in the North and an extraordinary 18% in the South." Please check my math, but I think that would be equal to 90,595,680 Indian deaths at today's census predictions. But despite the overwhelming odds and devastating affects, the US recovered, rebounded, and eventually prospered. In 1929 her economy completely collapsed, but again she held together and worked her way forward. In WWII she fought on multiple fronts and helped free Europe and Asia from tyranny on a scale yet unseen in modern times. In the late 60's and 70's, it was an unpopular war followed by recession, rising oil prices, and stagnation (sound familiar). Now in 2008 the naysayers are out again...now with a cyber voice. What some in their doomsday predictions...and let's face it, desires to see America come tumbling down, always forget to account for is that one immeasurable factor; the American spirit. Just as Bin Laden, Tojo, Hitler, Hussein, and others miscalculated, so do the "experts", once again predicting her demise. Here is a fact that I cannot prove, but know to be true. Most American's are good hard working people. They will buck-up and do whatever is necessary to keep the Republic healthy. Things change....politically, globally, environmentally, financially, culturally, and in every aspect. But one element remains constant and has kept and will keep America prosperous; the indomitable spirit of her people. Ciao, Guido

Comment by Chandra

Wed, 21 May 2008 07:06:50 EDT

here is an article from the NYT - "Our Superpower Era Wanes" - 1971 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A14FE3D5E127A93C4A9178DD85F458785F9&scp=1&sq=Our+Superpower+Era+Wanes&st=p

Comment by Chandra

Wed, 21 May 2008 06:54:55 EDT

While there is no doubt that many East Asian countries are doing well, America is going nowehere. This demise thing was played out many times before...here is an article (1988) predicting Japan will be a superpower in the 90s http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967823,00.html

Comment by Ruvy

Wed, 21 May 2008 04:01:21 EDT

Ms. Anona, Thank you also, madame. America is most assuredly headed for a nasty fall, and those in the States and countries dependent on it, like Mexico and Canada, who think that prosperity is theirs by right, will get a very unpleasant comeuppance in the near future. Indeed, my neighbors who live on American pensions have seen their incomes take a terrible tumble, with $1000 monthly Social Security checks dropping from NIS (New Israel Shekels) 4,500 to NIS 3,400 in the last two years. That's quite a slash in income, coupled with rising inflation, here and elsewhere in the world. George Engdahl and Kevin Phillips both outline the same disastrous future for the States. These words "Traditional developing nations, in general, no longer feel it is necessary for the West to act as an intermediary in their commerce." are watchwords of sound advice for the too many Israelis who think that the route to prosperity is developing start-ups and selling them to big American firms.

Comment by temporal

Wed, 21 May 2008 03:06:17 EDT

thanks:) zakaria is a better wine critic! though here he is at the head of a wave...proclaiming the slow demise of US is pretty much in vogue even outside of the tora bora caves ps: check out baithak world may 21 and the two links by Kevin Phillips and Michael Hirsh on the same subject