How long can it be before we are "contained"?

[mwb970]

It seems to be coming down to the USA against the entire rest of the world. I assume that at some point our excesses will become an intolerable threat to international stability (if they are not already) and the other nations of the world will be forced to unite against us out of simple self-interest.

Increasingly, the number one job for the nations of the world will be to "contain America" - to protect themselves from an out-of-control monster that threatens the way of life of billions of the world's citizens in one way or another.

I assume that the remedies would include economic sanctions - for example, China could pull out part of its investment in America, decimating our economy and rendering us powerless. A military defense, especially at the fringes, will have to be considered as well.

In the battle of America against the world, who will win?

[Warpy]

1. The world, of course

We've lost too much of our manufacturing infrastructure to do anything but "win" the first salvo of a nuclear holocaust.

[Henny Penny]

7. Depends... the US has been spending so much more than

everyone else on new hardware that that has to count for something. The question is was the money, or at least enough of it, spent wisely on hi-tec stuff that works? Or has there just been a huge amount of money lost to corruption and inefficiency?

Also I think it depends on how good the US is at the hidden war. I mean if the US has the ability to buy, blackmail or threaten a high enough proportion of the world's leaders to make them never chose the war option in the first place.

I wonder what the world would look like if Rummy et al's vision should ever come into being...

I also wonder why they are doing it in the first place? The reasons they give us are clearly bogus, but do they have a good reason behind it all (I know I'm clutching at straws here..) or are they just a dangerous mix of evil madmen and thieves?

[Dhalgren]

2. The US has such a huge nuclear arsenal and seems crazy

enough to use it, that the rest of the world will be hard pressed to "contain" us. But they must do so. Stop us before we kill again, would be my cry. Maybe a massive, preemptive nuclear strike? But it would need to be hugely massive or we would retaliate too effectively. Maybe the rest of the world could just bite the bullet and take the hit, if it meant that the out-of-control monster was finally dealt with...

[The2ndWheel]

3. First, get rid of globalization

Then what you're saying could happen.

There isn't a country in Europe that would, or even could, do anything. They spend their tax money on social programs because the US military keeps the world going. When that changes(not likely), then your scenario could work.

China won't do anything either. We're invested as much in them as they are in us.

Nobody will stop any kind of excess, because everyone wants it. The only thing that will happen is a global class system, where Americans will have to do with less than they're used to.

It's not about nation-states anymore. Board rooms are made up of men, women, black, white, American, Chinese, Indian, British, etc, etc, etc. It's about profit vs. people. Even though there are plenty of people, we have kids to feed.

So there is no nation, or group of nations, that will do anything.

[sweetheart]

8. Assertion: "the US military keeps the world going."

Bollocks.

The US military is overstretched and unprepared for the new political paradigms in our world.

[havocmom]

4. We are already contained. China owns our ass

Even toll roads are being bought up by foreign interests.

And we come to a halt when nations decide to turn off the oil.

[CoffeeCat]

5. I am saddened that more people...

...do not understand how many US citizens HATE BushCo and what they have done.

I'm so afraid that the world will unite against us--and that we will all be punished by the world.

When a country declares war on another (whether it's economic or militarily) the citizens become chattel. We've seen it happen through history--and in recent wars (Iraq).

When governments are horrendous enough for the world to declare war--it's always the people of those countries who suffer the most and die in the highest numbers.

I wonder what will happen to us. I wish the world knew how we felt, because I don't think that they do.

[The2ndWheel]

6. Who is going to do any of that?

No state is going to be invading the US militarily(because nobody really has one except us), or even drop a single bomb. Kim Jong Il isn't even enough of a dumbass to do that.

The globe is becoming ever more connected economically. By what mechanism would we have sanctions put on us? The UN? We're above the UN. Some nation going to stop the flow of oil? Not a chance. We use 25% of the world's energy.

People around the world may be pissed, but the governments aren't. At least not to the point where they would do anything, if they could, which most can't.

[Henny Penny]

12. The problem is your govt. seems to own most of the other

govt.s and its only mavericks like Chavez or Castro and the supposed nuts like Kim Il Jong or Ahmadinejad, who don't fall into this category. At the moment the main hope I have is that there are people within the US power structure that think the current course is madness and has to be changed. Every so often we hear rumours that the generals aren't happy, or that Fitzgerald is going to do something, but it is hard to know if there is any real substance to this resistance.

And there is hope coming from South America and maybe Mexico...

[Deja Q]

9. Isolationism and protectionism? What's your point of view?

I keep hearing how both of these concepts are wrong and bad for America.

:shrug:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. We Have Enough Weaponry To Destroy Everyone And Everything.

Do not think for a second that we could be contained by anybody.

We could, however, find ourselves in a position of global thermonuclear war, in which no one wins. Cause if the situation ever got far enough for countries to unite against us, declare sanctions and attempt to control, we would hold back no fury. Then neither would they. Then the fundies would have their rapture.

In any case, ain't gonna happen any time soon.

[AntiFascist]

11. Not to mention the effects of global warming...

the rest of the world could claim it is acting in self-defense for that reason alone.