A Modest proposal for the Empire
Charles Brown wrote:
>At any rate, the main point I make is correct. The mental attitude
>of the ruling class post Sept. 11. in launching wars from its desk
>, as the poster to whom I was responding mentioned, is full of more
>military defeat than it has been for a long time
That's not the way they feel right now. They've shown the world once again that the U.S. military is a fearsomely destructive force, they've got a whole new array of repressive laws, and >90% approval ratings. Anyone who thinks 9/11 was a defeat for imperialism isn't looking very closely.
Doug
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CB: Is this what the fund managers are thinking in their heart of hearts, or is this just bravado ? Do they or you acknowledge that the U.S. has an unprecedented level of vulnerability after Sept. 11 ?
Yes, they have gotten a quick victory to coverup the feeling of vulnerability created by the Sept. 11 attack. Things move pretty fast, but an unprecedented increase in the vulnerability of the American population was some kind of crisis for the U.S. not easily overcome.
Would seem to me that the day of Sept. 11 was a military defeat for the U.S. You are saying that the U.S. has made a rapid comeback and even reversed things and turned a military hit into a domestic political victory, and of course a quick military victory in Afghanistan. However, do you really think that the civil defense and national defense crisis created by Sept. 11 has been overcome and turned into a victory ? Isn't it a bit premature to predict what the long run effect of Sept. 11on imperialism is ? Can the U.S. be sure that it can win quick victories as in Afghanistan with regularity and consistency ? Or is there another " Viet Nam" out there ?
To approach it another way, would fund managers or (whatever the appropriate financial officers are) put their money where their mouths are, be more or less enthusiastic about investing in "Third World " countries with the U.S. military running all over the world making war ? Are third world investments more or less safe following the U.S.victory in Afghanistan ? Given the roaring success of U.S. imperialist foreign investments over the last ten years, does Sept. 11 and the Afghan victory augur a better next ten years ?
I would think that this is at least an open question, not finally settled.