After news of Barack Obama's electoral victory on Tuesday night, celebrations were seen worldwide and international leaders were falling over themselves to issue statements of approval. Eric Margolis believes that that reaction is fueled by the view that the Bush administration has created a mess that the world hopes Obama can rectify. In the first part of our interview, former GOP supporter Margolis explains why he is "elated" by Obama's victory and dismayed with his former party. Margolis outlines his belief that Obama's biggest challenge will not be in confronting non-state actors like Al Qaeda, but rather in deescalating the heightening tension with Russia which the Bush Administration has created with a series of recent provocations. Secondly, he will have to put forward a consistent position on relations with China, something that Bush has yet to do despite China's meteoric rise in international influence during his tenure. With respect to the economic crisis' impact on US foreign policy, Margolis offers that US power is projected to a greater extent through its dollar, as expressed through the strategic funding of allies within foreign countries, than through its military. As such, the US will have to acclimatize itself to a reduced level of influence in the world if the economy does not recover.
Eric Margolis is a journalist born in New York City and holding degrees from Georgetown the University of Geneva, and New York University. During the Vietnam War he served as a US Army infantryman. Margolis is the author of War at the Top of the World –- The Struggle for Afghanistan and Asia is a syndicated columnist and broadcaster whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, Mainichi Shimbun and US Naval Institute Proceedings. Margolis is an expert of military affairs, a former instructor in strategy and tactics in the US Army, and a member of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan. Eric Margolis' books have been published in the US, Canada, Britain, and India. He often appears and contributes to national and international news items for outlets such as CNN, ABC,CBC and Voice of America to the Wall Street Journal and Maninichi-Tokyo. He broadcasts regularly on foreign affairs for Canadian TV (TV Ontario and CBC), radio, and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN, and PBS.
See Part 2 at: http://current.com/items/89520249/the_war_without_an_objective.htm
See Part 3 at: http://current.com/items/89525320/margolis_on_how_to_resolve_afghan_conflict.htm
See Part 4 at: http://current.com/items/89552586/what_does_the_west_owe_afghanistan.htm
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- Vierotchka
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- video added November 12, 2008
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Obama is left in a middle conflict, between the US and Russia, let us see if he can pull off the best example of what he would do to foreign countries in a situation such as...
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- metalcookiesxy70
- 8 months ago
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I am so glad I don't have Obama's shoes on.
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I agree Pokesmot...I would not want to be in his shoes at all, any president's shoes.
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In spite of historic successes, "dollar diplomacy" fails to counteract economic instability and the tide of the development of independent radical actors and rogue nations ...
As to the speaker ... "rogue republican" = Rockefellerian republican ... this faction of the party was more often called "moderate Republicans" or Nixonians, in contrast to the conservatives who rallied to Ronald Reagan.
It is an enduring American principle that this duty obligates the government to anticipate and counter threats, using all elements of national power, before the threats can do grave damage ...There are no universal principles which all states can use to guide their actions. Instead, a state must be ever aware of the actions of the states around it and must use a pragmatic approach to resolve the problems that arise.
BTW, The Real News journalist committee includes Lewis H. Lapham, Gore Vidal, Amy Goodman, Naomi Klein, and Howard Zinn. They have left to extreme left leanings ... I do agree that there is a need for independent news, but this may not be the best avenue for it ...
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Obama has a solid understanding of International Relations and foreign policy, and I truly feel his foreign policy is right on target for the current challenges. Even before Obama was running for Pres I thought he would be a good head of the UN Security Council, but im happy to have him as my president!
I'm not worried about his Foreign Policy decisions, looking forward to them actually.Now, the corruption in US gov't, financial system and national never ending debt, that's quite a challenge!
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I would gladly take Obama's shoes though I'm sure he would do a better job than I.
I'd like to know the truth behind all the curtains that have ever been drawn.
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- meretricis
- 8 months ago
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I have no doubt that Obama is up to the challenge. But, is the task to big for one man?
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- samthesixth
- 8 months ago
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I have to disagree with Margolis! Russian is not a top priority! Russia is a job for NATO! If Russian wants more, that's their problem! If NATO decides to do nothing, then nothing will be done! They're jockeying and they're going to irregardless of the state of things.
What is a top priority is the Middle East! That is way beyond obvious! Dealing with Iran is small in comparison to the Military presence there! Nevertheless, it needs to be decisive and bent on getting our troops out of there with a rationale and a plan that will cut spending! But at least part of that will be in the hands of the Secretary of State, which is why Clinton needs to fill that role! That's two Clintons for the price of one, sort of! Is the writing on the wall yet?
The next priority is the economy! Also a Treasury cabinet position unfilled! But their role needs to be bigger than FDR! We could use FDR right now! This is way beyond Obama! But not beyond his ability to lead and to pick the right people! I just hope he can that spot filled with the right person! He has to do it ASAP! They have to hit the ground running!
On our best day, we are not going to stop Russia from doing what it wants to do! As for China, they're in our back pocket! Frankly, it's China's move now! And They've got serious problems too! It's business as usual, guys! And I've got two words for you, Boeing and Internet! You figure it out!
