US POWER WANES
Despite the belief amongst anti-war demonstrators across the world that American imperialism is on the rise, the current international turmoil shows US power in the world waning. This week evidence of the decline in US authority became unavoidable when the Turkish parliament failed to vote a motion allowing American troops to operate from their soil.
The Turkish vote, which the government had already postponed twice for fear of losing, is doubly humiliating for the US; Turkey, a loyal ally and Nato member since 1952, was the country that the US administration just accused its European allies of betraying by failing to make preparations for Turkey's defence against Iraqi attack. Now here was America's bulwark in the region refusing US troops permission to disembark from their ships, despite a $30 million aid package agreed as the price of support.
The thinking behind the 'War against Terror' was to re-launch US foreign policy in the face of the outrageous insult of 9/11 by making big demands on allies to fall behind an overwhelming demonstration of American power. In the document 'Joint Vision 2020' the US Department of Defence summarised with the phrase 'full spectrum dominance': 'the ability of US forces, operating unilaterally or in combination with multinational and interagency partners, to defeat any adversary and control any situation across the full range of military operations'.
As scary as 'full spectrum dominance' sounds, its bluster is exposed at every turn. Far from being able to 'control any situation' the US is losing its grip. Americans are targeted by cranks like Al Qaeda across the globe, but Osama bin Laden remains at large; US troops are still under fire in Afghanistan; North Korea thumbs its nose at the US, while her South Korean ally breaks ranks; America's 'multinational and interagency partners' have frustrated US ambitions for a prompt invasion of Iraq, creating gridlock, not only in the United Nations Security Council but the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well; there are popular demonstrations against 'US imperialism' on every continent. The popularity of the expression 'US imperialism' is itself an indication, not of America's greater domination, but of the waning legitimacy of US power.
Because the war itself is driven by a need to shore up US power, it is bound to create more problems in the execution. While Bush hopes that success will silence his critics, it seems just as likely that the world's doubts will solidify into criticisms, and every setback or atrocity will become magnified. Far from solving the administration's problems, a will increase them.
BLAIR'S CONVICTION
One sign of the waning of American power is the high cost of supporting the US borne by her allies. Jose Maria Aznar, Silvio Berlusconi and Tony Blair, prime ministers in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom were all known for their popular touch. But adopting the role of champions of America has opened up a breach with their electorates, who remain largely sceptical about the war.
For Blair, opposition to his position on Iraq has crystallised a failure to create an enduring social base despite initially high ratings. In parliament this week the government suffered the largest back-bench revolt for sixty years, as 199 MPs voted that the case for war had not (yet) been made. Instead of the carping from the 'usual suspects' - 'old Labour' MPs like Galloway, Dalyell and Corbyn - the revolt was led by former cabinet members, Chris Smith, Frank Dobson and Mo Mowlem. What unites these MPs and the grumbling back bench is that they have lost out in the division of the spoils of government. Plainly 'New Labour' has no underlying beliefs that will command loyalty, even from former ministers. And while the party in parliament refuses Blair support, outside members have to sit stony-faced through grim lectures by the beleaguered Prime Minister. Out of touch with public opinion, Blair has little to draw upon but his own, rather over-stretched, conscience. In interview with the Guardian this weekend he was left pleading that history will be his judge.
HE GASSED HIS OWN PEOPLE
Ten years ago this week, hostilities broke out between the US Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) bureau and a religious sect, the Branch Davidians, under their leader David Koresh in Waco, Texas. The Branch Davidians compound was surrounded for weeks, with rock music loud-hailed at night, before the FBI fired CS gas, igniting the fuel supply. More than sixty adults and seventeen children were killed.
-- James Heartfield
http://www.heartfield.demon.co.uk/james1.htm