A Changing World

The World is Changing, and with it America's role is changing. Although we still have the most powerful military in the world, our place in the world is different from what it was even a decade ago. Look at the world today. Iran is becoming an important and perhaps dominant regional power -- whether or not it has or gains nuclear weapons. Economically things are changing.

Watching the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics offers a view into a nation that is emerging as a major player in the world. This event has shown what China can do -- and that we can do little to intervene in what they do. In many ways the only thing that separates them from superpowerdom is a strong navy and that may come.

The conflict that has erupted in Georgia is another sign of the changes in the world. President Bush has spoken to Putin and Mevedev, has issued his complaints, but he's really in no position to object. The Russians can say in return, what's the difference from what we're doing and what you did in Iraq -- this is a pre-emptive strike. Thus, it will be left to Europe to help resolve this.

I just started reading Fareed Zakaria's The Post-American World. In the introduction he makes the point that the changing world is not the result of a declining America, but rather a world that is catching up. We who live in America must begin to look at the world with new eyes. We can't become isolationists -- there is no where to hide. So, we must adapt. How we do in the coming decades as a country depends on how well we do this.

Indeed, the world is changing!