Where did we go from there? (Part I)

As the Cold War drew to a close and the USA emerged triumphant from years of military, financial and ideological sparring, the world reached a turning point. Most people, heads buried in the minutiae of their daily lives, did not see it. Politicians and media did not talk too much about it. But it was time for the United States to make a crucial decision - where do we go from here? With the Cold War over, do we make a genuine effort to spread our values and prosperity across the globe, or do we take advantage of our position as the last remaining Superpower to continue building our own economic wealth at the expense of others?

For the billionaire western captains of industry, of course, the answer was obvious. Indeed, there was no question about it: they saw the collapse of communism as a golden opportunity to expand into new markets. They began speaking excitedly about the "inevitable" benefits of globalisation: Coca-cola factories belching fumes across the Balkans and Chicken McNuggets for every kid in Kyrghistan.

For the military, there was also no question about it: the US needed to take advantage of this historic chance to establish itself as a supreme power which could not be seriously challenged again, for the long-term foresee-able future, on land or sea, air or even space.

For the US politicians, however, there was indeed a question to be answered. Unfortunately, it was the eternal question of modern-day politics: "What's in it for me?" Should I start calling for a new global renaissance and pressing for increases in international aid? Should I press for free anti-AIDS drugs for Africa or universal free healthcare and education across the USA? Or should I keep listening to the powerful lobbyists, holding the party line and repeating the usual mantras? Most chose the latter. In fact, nearly all chose the latter.

A few politicians, of course, were way ahead of the pack. They had been dreaming of this day for many years and had very clear ideas about what would happen next. They had been working in secretive discussion groups, tabling and revising papers which would form the blueprint for US global strategy in the 21st Century.

But what about "we the people" of the United States, who supposedly have the final vote on all these matters? How did they feel about this? After 500 years, did they still believe in the universal application of their much-vaunted "American values" like democracy, equality, truth and justice? Maybe they did, but in the lead-up to 9/11, their heads were firmly buried in their navels and most US citizens knew and cared very little about what was happening in the world beyond their borders. Prior to September 11th, 2001, the percentage of international news stories in the US media had dropped to historical lows.

Enter George W. Bush, stage right.

Bush seized the Presidency after a high-finance campaign that turns out - in retrospect - to have been full of lies. Clinton had been successfully holding the middle ground since he was first elected. Bush also sought to portray himself as a moderate. But once in power, his radical right-wing agenda became all too clear. He pulled the US out of the Kyoto treaty and slammed the door on US involvement in the World Criminal Court. He firmly backed the Israeli Likud's murderous campaign against Palestinians, enraging Arabs around the world, and began pressing for oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness.

Americans didn't really care too much what their President was up to on the international stage. Hell, they lived in the world's greatest country. Their economy was faltering but it still wasn't too bad. MTV was still pumping out new tunes 24 hours a day. The sports pages were as engaging as ever. They trusted their President.

Then September 11th happened.

(to be continued...)