The real and present danger to the world
By: By LI YANG
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The real and present danger to the world
This photo taken on Jan 19, 2023 shows the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, the United States. [Photo/Xinhua]
In an op-ed "The Real Threat to American Prosperity", published by the UK newspaper Financial Times on Saturday, Nobel-winning economist Daron Acemoglu analyzed the influence of the United States' trade wars and tech industry hubris on the country, and how loss of faith in US institutions could spiral further.
With the Donald Trump administration's domestic and foreign policies aggravating the risks and uncertainties faced by the world in an unpredictable way, the US included, the professor of economics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology called on the US people to think of the possible consequences of such a situation, and reflect on how they should respond to it.
Reviewing the US' development since early last century, Acemoglu observed that a key pillar of what is regarded as the American Century has been the country's ability to shape the world order in a way that benefits its own economy, including its financial and technology sectors.
He argues that the series of "America first" policies the incumbent US administration has adopted over the three weeks since its inauguration — including weaponizing tariffs, withdrawing from international pacts and organizations and coveting other countries' territories — indicate the US is trying to benefit its own economy by undermining the world order it established. Instead of making America great again, that will only aggravate the cracks in the pillars that held the US aloft.
While the world is asking why that could be allowed to happen, the MIT economist correctly pointed out that the root cause lies in the growing dysfunction of US institutions, which he attributes to the partisan dogfight between the Democrats and the Republicans over the past years, which, as he said, has "shattered people's trust in these institutions".
The institutional dysfunction has resulted in the US political system losing its self-correction ability and the concentration of power in the hands of the uber-rich.
The rapid rise in the number of billionaires in the US means they not only flaunt their wealth but also exert increasing influence over politics and people's lives. The US economy has generally grown rapidly since 1980, but about half of Americans have not benefited accordingly, causing them to feel betrayed.
So people choose not to compromise, a crucial factor that makes American democracy work, aggravating the polarization of the US society. Partially thanks to the strong influence of tycoon-controlled new media and the tech giants, voters have become more willing to support people with little political experience precisely because they are deeply dissatisfied with the status quo and believe that the current system needs to be radically changed. But this has only turned the situation from bad to worse.
Before the US addresses its own structural and institutional problems, which is becoming increasingly difficult to do as the disordering of the US institutions has fallen into a self-reinforcing vicious cycle, the world will continually suffer from its failings.
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Instead of America being a benefit to the world, and even for its own people, Americans have succeeded in creating an opposite result. If they have not felt it yet, just wait....the worst is yet to come.
My first introduction to the Internet was dial up on a 286 computer. First on Prodigy, then AOl. And I distinctly remember the bulletin board posts back then. For the most part people were cordial, and friendly.
Of course the internet has changed, mirroring the changes in the world.
How many times have I posted that I wish I could be beamed back to the early 1950s, before the internet might have been a dream. Where are you, Scotty? Where are you DeLorean? Where are you H.G.Wells' time machine?
I've always pretty much kept up with world news. And over many decades, there have been countries that really didn't "play nice"-- but Canada was never one of them!
They have always been a good friend to the U.S.
Trump is doing a great job of turning good friends into enemies.
He was elected to run the country. Do what's best for the US. If that pisses some off, so be it.
What's best for the US? Let's see where that goes.
Enemies? Should we be expecting an attack from Canada?
We're seeing a lot of improvement already. Deportations, finding billions in fraud and shutting down of un-needed government agencies leading to cuts in the deficit / budget.
And it's only been 2 weeks.
They're going to charge the border throwing maple syrup at us and apologizing at the same time.
You shouldn't laugh. Last time that happened your White House got burned.
Yes, Jeremy, tearing families apart and putting people out of work saves so much money. It's amazing though, isn't it, that the consumer price index just rose instead of fell - it's a harbinger of what's coming, and because of Trump, not only for America, but for the whole world.
Canada will send the Moose brigade. They're not as polite.
What did Sleepy Joe tell a coal miner he was putting out of work? Oh that's right -
Well, Biden may have been mouthing off, but Trump is actually walking the walk that he talked.
That wasn't the Canadians , it was the brit's ..
@ jbb
The Trump supporters commenting here can joke, display their bravado and be as sarcastic as they please, but as I said, let's see where their dear leader takes them. I'd rather rely on what the article I posted had to say.
using the term "dear leader" is a two way street.
There shouldn't be any confusion about who I meant since I was referring to the leader of "The Trump supporters".
However, there might be some comparisons made
MAGAites worship Trump as their Dear Leader. Buzz has never made any indication that he worships Xi as his Dear Leader.
I've never heard of anyone doing this, but it does bring back memories of Dear leader Barack Hussein Obama
The Obama Youth - Young children singing praise to Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama Mmm, Mmm, Mmm
This is exactly what a cult is. Indoctrinating young children into your fold.
Too funny.
Oh, so rich, trying to compare the admiration for an intelligent capable President, that some bigots simply hate because of his skin color, who became an inspiration for millions of young black Americans showing them they too can be anything in this great nation with the sycophantic dog-like loyalty to a convicted felon, accused rapist, liar, cheater and porn star fucker. We watched Trump's sycophants waving flags of their Dear Leader as they attacked dozens and dozens of capital police officers beating them with flag poles and breaking into our capital in an attempt stop the transfer of power from their Dear leader to his opponent who won the election. That's far closer to the making of a violent cult than some children singing about Obama. The attempted comparison is really too funny so thanks for the chuckle.
Thank you, DP. Xi is not my leader, and being a Canadian citizen Trudeau is my leader and if anyone has followed my comments about him they would know I sure as hell don't worship him.