Re: how abt US the hegemon

On Mon, 5 Mar 2001, Michelle To wrote:

> I enjoyed this recent discussion abt rising China..Does anyone want to share 
> viewpoints about the effectiveness of US as the hegemon?  Is George Bush 
> keen on keeping the US hegemon?

Michelle:

1)
The unilateralist wing of the U.S. power elite (represented in exaggerated
form by Jesse Helms) is an obstacle to the full realization of U.S. 
hegemonic power.  For instance, there were statements by leading CFR
representatives (including Joseph Nye, Harvard political scientist, 
who held a key Pentagon planning post under Clinton) early in the
Clinton administration promoting the formation of a U.N. Rapid Reaction
Force to engage in global peacemaking.  From the standpoint of
U.S.-based multinational capital (the leading class fraction), this
would clearly have increased the power of the U.S.  But the possibility 
was "shot down" following the Somalia debacle, and Clinton signed an
executive agreement stipulating that the U.S. would not commit forces
under foreign leadership.  On the economic front, the U.S. failure to
compromise on various tariffs has been an obstacle to the full realization
of such institutions as the WTO, and make more likely the formation of
regional trade blocs in Europe and Asia.

2)
My view on question number two is, if he wasn't he wouldn't last long in
the job -- it's part of the job description!  (Forgive me for indulging in
conspiracy theory, but I believe terrible things happen to individuals who
dare transgress the ruling class on such things, and George W. Bush is not
such an individual.  He'll "make his pappy proud," at least on substance
-- effective implementation is another story.)

RH