The USA is a country well- endowed with natural resources and strategically suited geographical location. In the 20th century history too was on its side as a number of factors added to its strengths and, overcoming the setback of the great depression, after the end of the Second World War the USA emerged as the most powerful country in the world with its great military power supported by wider military alliances and above all its currency having worldwide acceptance.
Subsequently the USA added very substantially to its military strengths and even after unilaterally moving away from the gold standard the international acceptance of its currency was retained. Its glory appeared to be complete with the disintegration of the Soviet Union around 1990.
Yet around this time when the USA appeared to be the strongest, a deeper inquiry would have revealed that there is a lot of hollowing in from the inside. Inner strength is based on strong ethical commitments, but involvement in many highly unjust and eminently avoidable wars, invasions, coups, covert actions and subversive activities all over the world, causing entirely avoidable death to millions and great distress to hundreds of millions, had led to a loss of sensitivity to human distress and a loss of ethical direction in its policy making.
As happens in many conqueror societies, the external destructions were accompanied by increasing social distress and stress internally, as seen in high levels of serious mental health problems, depression, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse and disintegration in close social relationships and community life. In particular the young generation appeared to be experiencing more problems in a society undergoing loss of idealism and ethics in its policies. Even the ability to draw close links between internal distress and external aggression appeared to be lost in a society equipped with the most famous universities. Meanwhile leaders most capable of true reform were being removed, in extreme cases with assassinations, the most distressing being the assassinations of Martin Luther King, President John Kennedy and leading presidential candidate Robert Kennedy.
While interests of big corporate entities received top priority in policy making in increasingly corrupt systems, very significant considerations of protecting health and environment, livelihoods and community life, peace and stability, were violated, internally and externally.
Despite the outward appearance of the most prosperous dreamland, there was internal hollowing of the economy with pursuit of endless wars and weapons leading to deficits and debts. There was erosion of livelihood base in rural as well as industrial areas as corporate profits were prioritized over what the common people needed.
There was pressing need to make the necessary linkages and to initiate external as well as internal policy reforms aimed at providing peace-based leadership to the world on the one hand, and improving economic as well as social well-being of people on the other hand, with emphasis on holistic health and improved social relationships.
Unfortunately, this urgent need for reforms was ignored and post-1990, the USA embarked on policies which appeared to be even worse for world peace as well as for the social and economic situation internally. Social distress and stress in some contexts has increased to alarming extent, in particular affecting the tender age group, children and young boys and girls, particularly the latter. Economically, debts and deficits have increased greatly and many more Americans find it difficult to meet their basic needs. While externally American, or American-aided, wars have continued to cause as much if not even more mass distress as before, there appears to be also a vicious cycle of endless (although avoidable) wars leading to economic problems and then trying to make economic gains by pressurizing other countries, which can lead to more conflict. Only the military-industrial complex (and those who hang on to it) benefits from this vicious cycle, certainly not common people.
It is in these complex conditions that an era of unprecedented arbitrariness, more open selfishness and loud threats has been launched in more recent times. If this is meant to lead to strengthening of US leadership role in world affairs, then surely one must wonder at the complete loss of direction in US policy. This phase will aggravate the mistakes the USA has made earlier, take it further away from a path of peace, stability and prosperity. This will lead to further loss of trust for the USA among the various countries and people of world. The very important soft power based on trust, goodwill and credibility is being lost by the USA at a fast pace.
Is the USA seriously interested in having a sustainable leadership role in world? If it is, it must know that this is only possible on a path of sincere commitment to peace, justice and protection of environment. Striving for such an enlightened leadership role is also consistent with resolving the serious internal economic and social problems of the US people. The USA must prove capable in these critical times of correcting past mistakes as without a sincere realization and correction of its deeply flawed path it can never aspire to true leadership based on peace and trust.
Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, A Day in 2071 and Man over Machine.
