China's Emergence as a Superpower (till 2014)

[JMA]

JMA and his agenda not withstanding (smart and good guy but he's still really upset with us for not adequately supporting Rhodesia back in the 70s when he was a hard charging Lieutenant...) the US will, like every other nation, do what it perceives as in its interest in accordance with the adminstration of the day's whims -- we American do whims and we do not do continuitiy...

Actually first a troopie (for one year) then 2nd Lieutenant through to Captain. Hard charging? Yea... is there any other way to approach troop commanding in a war?

I have stated that I have never met an American I did not like (obviously my sample is small). I have found Americans to be good, generous and big-hearted people. In a group though they can get a little... tribal

A great nation with (possibly) the worst political system in the world. This through the calamitous effect its foreign policy has had on the world post the 1940's.

Many Americans accept that their system is fatally flawed but few will take responsibility for the damage they have caused in the past 60 odd years.

How things have changed from the days of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln where the low point has now been reached where the defining moment in a presidency is making a 50:50 call to send in a small team after a HVT.

Can you believe it that this "bold decision" has made this president... the question must be asked what was he before he made this "brave"decision?

It was not America who handed the country to Mugabe it was Carter. And you need to know that it was all about the possible recognition of Bishop Muzorewa's Zimbabwe Rhodesian government. The Brits would recognise it if Carter would. But Carter owed the Congressional Black Caucus for their support in getting him elected so he refused to recognise Muzorewa and demanded new elections (as what was wanted by the CBC).

Of course neither Carter nor the CBC of the day will accept the result of their decision nor will they take responsibility for the deaths and destruction in Zimbabwe since 1980. Politicians with no conscience. You see with an inconsequential stroke of the pen Carter consigned a country to the trash heap. Happened many times in the last 60 years under different US Presidents.

No one I know (and certainly not me) holds the US responsible for Carter and CBC actions in this regard. The US electorate realised their mistake and bombed Carter in the next election.

Being the president of the US demands a high level of skills and abilities that few if any incumbents have displayed certainly during my lifetime.

The only thing worse than incompetent civilian politicians are soldiers taking over and trying to run a country.

As I have said here before small countries with the usual incompetent politicians have less scope for creating international mayhem than the US does. Here lies the problem. With the US, Russia and China starring in a Charlie Chaplin/Laurel & Hardy/Keystone Cops show the prognosis is not good.