Hmm…. remember what I posted earlier today about cascading events in a global economy? We might already be sliding down that slippery slope.
A top Muslim Brotherhood official has warned that any cuts in U.S. aid to Egypt could affect Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel – the latest sign that Egypt’s emerging political forces intend to call Washington’s bluff over the diplomatic dispute triggered by a crackdown on non-governmental organizations.
Now couple that with Greece which I posted on earlier, and add in these little tidbits.
A man thought to be Iranian has had both legs blown off after attempting to throw a bomb at police in the Thai capital, Bangkok, officials say.
Two other explosions were reported in the same busy commercial district of the city, injuring four other people.
Police said one blast took place at the house the injured man rented with other Iranians. One of those men also threw a bomb at a taxi in the capital.
Last month, the US embassy warned of possible attacks in Bangkok
And
Assailants targeted Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia in near-simultaneous strikes Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed on archenemy Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Iran denied responsibility for the attacks.
I am not sure where to take this post from here. I could comment on the decline of US prestige over the last 3 years, or the continued rise of the anti-American interests in the MidEast, or the way that diplomacy seems to be changing with the installation of new governments that have limited experience in this area. I could take all that and link it back to the changes in the DOD budget, and the focus away from capital intensive procurement and the emphasis toward more nimble, lighter “special operations”.
I guess the best point is… the world is changing rapidly. While we are focused (or should be focused) on getting our economic base stabilized there are disruptive forces that are vying for our attention. The stabilization of our economy is something that can (but probably won’t) happen quickly. From stabilization, growth can occur over a multi-year (multi-decade) period. Balancing or checking the disruptive forces during this time period is going to be the more significant challenge that will face this nation on our road back to global leadership.