Time for America to look within
作 者: | Yuan Zheng | 关键词: | |
书 名: | Time for America to look within | 成果形式: | 其他 |
合著者: | PDF版本文: | ||
出版社: | China Daily | 出版时间: | 2010-09-08 |
Time for America to look within By Yuan Zheng (China Daily) Updated: 2010-09-08 07:28 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2010-09/08/content_11271507.htm On Aug 31, US President Barack Obama announced the formal end to America's seven years of combat mission in Iraq, saying Washington had fulfilled its responsibility and "now it is time to turn the page". This is a sign that the Obama administration has embarked on a mission to clean the political, economic and military mess left behind by its predecessor. The purpose of the US-led invasion of Iraq was to create a path for America to the Middle East, mold a "government" according to the "principles of Western democracy" and influence the development of the Arabic countries. If the US had tried to achieve that purpose, it could have succeeded in promoting its national security interests. The US has now realized, to its disappointment, that "democracy" cannot be exported to a country by invading it. A country's reconstruction depends on its people, not on the manipulations of external forces. On the surface, Obama has withdrawn US troops from Iraq to honor his election campaign promise. But the US has paid a huge price for its involvement in Iraq: more than 4,400 US troops killed, 30,000 wounded and hundreds of billions of dollars spent. The price is much heavier than what it had to pay for the Korean or the Vietnam war. The huge military expenditure has crippled the US economy, creating a huge financial deficit. When George W. Bush entered the White House in 2001, the US still had a financial surplus (even though small). The Bush administration got trapped in deficit and debt as its war on terrorism progressed. The Iraq War has divided the American society, with anti-war sentiments rising further because of the economic recession and high unemployment rate at home. The turmoil in Iraq, the rising number of US casualties and the huge drain of its resources have overtaxed the Americans. Up to 72 percent of Americans reportedly say the Iraq War cannot be "justified". Had all those resources been used to boost the US economy, the country might not have faced a recession, some of them say. Obama has opposed the Iraq War since he was a senator, and that helped him become the first African American president. But after he assumed office he decided to send more soldiers to Afghanistan, almost splitting his Democratic Party. So, at least, for the time being, Obama has to live up to his campaign promise and shift his focus to domestic, especially economic, problems. Since the US mid-term election is round the corner, he has to lay his cards on the table, because the success or failure of the economy would determine, to a great extent, whether he could retain the presidency in the next election. The Iraq War has not only drained US resources, but also sullied its image. Obama has been trying to improve US relations with the Muslim world ever since he became president. He is trying to "turn a new page" because Iraq has become a source of shame for the US. The troop withdrawal is thus in line with the "smart power" policy adopted by the Obama administration. The US combat troops leave behind an awful mess in Iraq, in complete contrast to what Bush had declared seven years ago: the US is out to improve the life and livelihood of Iraqis. What the Iraqis have actually got is a trail of death, destruction and inhuman suffering. According to Iraqi government sources, the unemployment rate in the country has hit 28 percent, and about 23 percent of its population is living below the poverty line. The real situation could be worse. Besides, terrorist attacks, anti-US-military actions, and the conflicts between the Shi'ites and Sunnis and between Iraqi ethnic groups and Kurds have turned Iraq into one big battlefield. The national election held in March saw an incredible number of Iraqis voting, reflecting their eagerness to see peace. The election, however, did not throw up a clear winner and till now the rival parties have not been able to form a new coalition government. But perhaps what the Americans fear the most is Iran stepping in to influence Iraq's policies because Shi'ites are in majority in both the countries. It is too early to tell whether the US has learned a lesson from the Iraq war, but at least many of the policy- and decision-makers in Washington have now realized the importance of changing their foreign strategy. A debate over whether the US is in decline has been going on for quite some time. In 2000, America's GDP accounted for more than 33 percent of the world economy. But by 2009, its share had been reduced to 23 percent. Obama knows fully well America's economic recovery should get the highest priority, for economic decline could lead to the country's overall decline. This means, he has to focus on solving America's domestic problems, especially because its operations in Iraq (it still has troops there) and war in Afghanistan are a huge burden on the US, which he would want to get rid of to contest the next election. Therefore, Obama's main mission now should be economic recovery. He has to pay a lot more attention to domestic politics and economic development at home and reduce his country's engagements abroad. The author is a research scholar in US diplomacy with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.