Thursday, April 3, 2014

Return of a Superpower?

"The West is blinking in disbelief – Vladimir Putin just invaded Ukraine. German diplomats, French Eurocrats and American pundits are all stunned. Why has Russia chosen to gamble its trillion-dollar ties with the West?

Western leaders are stunned because they haven’t realized Russia’s owners no longer respect Europeans the way they once did after the Cold War. Russia thinks the West is no longer a crusading alliance. Russia thinks the West is now all about the money.

Putin’s henchmen know this personally. Russia’s rulers have been buying up Europe for years. They have mansions and luxury flats from London’s West End to France’s Cote d’Azure. Their children are safe at British boarding and Swiss finishing schools. And their money is squirreled away in Austrian banks and British tax havens.

Putin’s inner circle no longer fear the European establishment. They once imagined them all in MI6. Now they know better. They have seen firsthand how obsequious Western aristocrats and corporate tycoons suddenly turn when their billions come into play. They now view them as hypocrites—the same European elites who help them hide their fortunes.

Once Russia’s powerful listened when European embassies issued statements denouncing the baroque corruption of Russian state companies. But no more. Because they know full well it is European bankers, businessmen and lawyers who do the dirty work for them placing the proceeds of corruption in hideouts from the Dutch Antilles to the British Virgin Islands.

We are not talking big money. But very big money. None other than Putin’s Central Bank has estimated that two thirds of the $56 billion exiting Russia in 2012 might be traceable to illegal activities. Crimes like kickbacks, drug money or tax fraud. This is the money that posh English bankers are rolling out the red carpet for in London.

Behind European corruption, Russia sees American weakness. The Kremlin does not believe European countries – with the exception of Germany – are truly independent of the United States. They see them as client states that Washington could force now, as it once did in the Cold War, not to do such business with the Kremlin.

When Russia sees Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal outbidding each other to be Russia’s best business partner inside the EU (in return for no mention of human rights), they see America’s control over Europe slowly dissolving.

Back in Moscow, Russia hears American weakness out of Embassy Moscow. Once upon a time the Kremlin feared a foreign adventure might trigger Cold War economic sanctions where it hurts: export bans on key parts for its oil industry, even being cut out of its access to the Western banking sector. No more.
Russia sees an America distracted: Putin’s Ukrainian gambit was a shock to the U.S. foreign policy establishment. They prefer talking about China, or participating in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Russia sees an America vulnerable: in Afghanistan, in Syria and on Iran—a United States that desperately needs Russian support to continue shipping its supplies, host any peace conference or enforce its sanctions.
Moscow is not nervous. Russia’s elites have exposed themselves in a gigantic manner – everything they hold dear is now locked up in European properties and bank accounts. Theoretically, this makes them vulnerable. The EU could, with a sudden rush of money-laundering investigations and visa bans, cut them off from their wealth. But, time and time again, they have watched European governments balk at passing anything remotely similar to the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which bars a handful of criminal-officials from entering the United States.

All this has made Putin confident, very confident – confident that European elites are more concerned about making money than standing up to him. The evidence is there. After Russia’s strike force reached the outskirts of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, in 2008, there were statements and bluster, but not a squeak about Russia’s billions. After Russia’s opposition were thrown into show trials, there were concerned letters from the European Union, but again silence about Russia’s billions.

The Kremlin thinks it knows Europe’s dirty secret now. The Kremlin thinks it has the European establishment down to a tee. The grim men who run Putin’s Russia see them like latter-day Soviet politicians. Back in the 1980s, the USSR talked about international Marxism but no longer believed it. Brussels today, Russia believes, talks about human rights but no longer believes in it. Europe is really run by an elite with the morality of the hedge fund: Make money at all costs and move it offshore."


Blog Question:
Has United States lost it's once "feared" and "respected" status in the world today?  Is Russia, as the article suggest, about to make a major move and re-establish itself, economically, politically and militarily as a major super power?

66 comments:

  1. America is definitely not nearly as respected as it used to be. With a failing economy and a president whose actions ultimately make the country look much weaker internationally, it's almost no wonder we aren't as respected as we once were. This greatly harms the perception of our country as a whole. In the topic of being feared, the United States is also not as feared as it should be. In an effort to appear politically correct, the United States has only made itself look "soft". Our opinions are not taken as seriously by other nations as they once were. Due to the ineffective foreign policy of President Obama, this situation, in a way, reminds me of the Iranian Hostage Crisis that had occurred while Jimmy Carter was president. Because of his weak foreign policy, he was unable to get these hostages back home. Before Ronald Regan even became president, he threatened Iran in an attempt to free the hostages, which was an act that worked very well in his favor. Right before Regan became the President of the United States, Iran freed the hostages after 440+ days. This showed intimidation and fear from Iran, things that can only be obtained through tough foreign policy. Although the United States is a pretty caring and compassionate nation, these characteristics should NEVER be confused with weakness.
    Now, as far as Russia goes, their wanting to become a world superpower is definitely a huge, daring move. If there are no real penalties that can be used against them, then what's going to stop Russia from achieving it's goal? Plus, Obama's warnings and sanctions to Russia and the Putin regime were absolutely laughable. No one in Russia respected that, and many American citizens recognize this as a weak move, as well.

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    1. Paige, I completely agree with you. To be honest, America does hold a lot of influence and power, however other nations recognize our (truly the president's) unwillingness to use it and this is perceived as being weak. If this continues, the power we hold won't matter as the nations we coexist with won't respect us.

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    2. Sai I do agree with you, we may be losing some power and influence over the world but that is not to say that we aren't being respected anymore (maybe not feared, but still respected)

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    3. "Although the United States is a pretty caring and compassionate nation, these characteristics should NEVER be confused with weakness." I think that since the US is so caught up with other foreign issues, we are considered to be a weak nation. We really should focus a bit more on oursleves and then all of the other issues that we're involved with. I can see where we are coming from with helping out other countries, but it is backfiring for us and turning into a weakness.

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    4. Kushali: The US is one of the most giving countries in the world when it comes for foreign aid. No one steps up when the United States needs help. We need to take it upon ourselves to treat our own people better, especially our veterans who've risked their lives to make the world a safer place.

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    5. Sai, i agree with you argument the US is not as powerful as it used to be. Our economy has gotten a lot weaker and our president has not been strengthening our economy has he should have been. However this does not mean the US has stopped being respected as a powerful nation. We have large influence across the world, and we are still respected by numerous countries.

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    6. The reason russia is getting no penalties is because america is not accepted in thei regime. note: the sochi Olympics, china's leader was greeting putin and obama was not. Obama and america is not accepted in Sochi and that is why we are not "feared" but instead they think we are a joke. Either we get involved, or we keep our mouths shut instead of trying to point fingers and say "that's wrong russia!" because they wont listen.

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    7. Paige, I agree with your entire argument. The United States has definitely lost its respect through so many different aspects as well as its power of being feared. I like how you stated, “In an effort to appear politically correct, the United States has only made itself look "soft"”. This portrays that the United States has become a weak nation by trying to prove its power, which has receded. I have to agree with Kushali, however, on when you mentioned about the generosity of the United States being confused for weakness. We constantly find ourselves involved with worldwide situations, which are very unnecessary, and may be the cause of our weakness and the decline of our economy and nation as a whole. I also agree that Russia definitely has the potential to become a superpower.

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  2. This article really made me think about the world we live in today. Is Russia really going to be the next powerhouse country, and what is going to happen to America? My opinion is that America might have lost its feared status, but not its respect. America is known for its modernized society and its "watch dog" role in the world. With countries like Russia who are obviously bigger and known for its massive size/leader (Vladimir Putin) it is easy to say we arent the scariest country out there. Over the years many countries around the world dont seem to be afraid of us. However, I do not believe that America has lost its respected status in the world. We are known for helping out in other countries and no matter how much Americans hate it, these countries that we help out or at least try to are grateful. Even if a majority of a country doesnt want help, there is always that minority that are thankful for it. This of course is a morality issue but to save one life would be better than to let that life be lost. Gettting back on topic, all of these things make America respected in the world. We built this country out of Freedom and if that cant be respected then I dont know what can. Now on to Russia, which is another major country in the world. It seems like Russia will make a move to improve itself and re-establish what it used to be but the real question is How? We as a nation have already fought a Cold War with Russia where we prevailed by putting Russia in massive debt. Still like Paige had mentioned " Obama's warnings and sanctions to Russia and the Putin regime were absolutely laughable." My opinion is that Russia will make a move and a daring one at that. If they have the resources than there is nothing stopping them from becoming a powerhouse. We dont live in a world where we conquer other lands because we are beyond that time, but history does have the potential to repeat itself and it looks like that is happening with Russia.

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    1. Elijah, I don't agree on your point that the United States is still respected. Over the years, this country's economy has ultimately been plummeting and our foreign policy just isn't effective. It's almost as if the United States looks like they are unable to handle certain situations like these. Who would respect a country like that? Now, you also said that "We are known for helping out in other countries and no matter how much Americans hate it, these countries that we help out or at least try to are grateful". Some people around the world confuse our generosity with weakness, and maybe that's part of the reason why the United States just isn't as respected as it once was.

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    2. I beg to differ Paige, all though you make good points I just think that we are still respected around the world. My definition of respect is when a country looks up to another and acknowledges it as a powerhouse in the world. Obviously, we are a powerhouse country, and maybe others think so as well. I have faith in America and eventually with time we might be able to solve these problems we are facing.

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    3. I like how you said that we are a country built out of freedom and that deserves MUCH respect. However, in all honesty, do you really believe that we are as respected and feared as we were about a decade ago? Back then, we were independent and had out priorities straight. Now, I'm not so sure we have those qualities that a powerful nation like Russia has.
      With your opinion regarding Russia, I agree fully. Russia definitely has the resources to go ahead and become a powerhouse. It does not look like anything is stopping them, not even Obama's warnings.

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    4. Hey Kushali, honestly you are 100 percent right, we are not as strong as we were a decade ago, but based on that we cant say that we aren't respected around the world. In my blog I even said we aren't feared any more but respect is something still present. In theory we could ask everybody in the world what there opinion is about America but in all honesty will we ever do that. That is possibly one of the only ways to answer this question but it is something we wont do and neither will other countries. Until it is proven that a majority of the world thinks we are trash and don't deserve respect, I will keep my opinion of the USA

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    5. Elijah i do some what agree with your argument. I believe that the US is still a powerful nation with a lot of influence, although it is true that it has lost power, the US is still a powerhouse. My main reason for this that the world's economy is based on our currency, so in other words if we go down we bring the global economy down with us, and i believe having that much power should be respected.

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    6. Great job on supporting your viewpoint but I'm going to have to disagree that the United States is still respected. If you don't consider the decline of the Obama's request to Russia to be a downfall in our respect, what would you consider it? Helping countries is making our country less powerful because we are focusing on other countries viewing us helpful while we are unaware of it backfiring at us. However, I do agree that Russia is on the move to become a powerhouse especially considering their drive and determination.

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  5. The United States has lost its international respect and is certainly not feared by other countries anymore. First off, America's warnings did not affect Putin's decision in invading Ukraine AT ALL. He basically just disregarded the fact that we even had a say in this. Now, if the US is still a feared and respected nation, why would Putin even think of invading Ukraine? Wouldn't he reconsider Obama's warnings? The US is one of the few countries that has authority to nuclear weapons. I admit, this is a big deal in terms of weaponry and we have used these weapons before. However, that was the past, when America definitely was flourishing and not influenced by other nations. We cannot dwell on the past and focus on how respected and feared we were because times have now changed. The US is losing its respect and many countries, like Russia probably don't even think that we would ever use our nuclear weapons again. Obama's foreign policy has contributed to the lack of respect for our country. In my opinion, America being involved in so many foreign issues is backfiring. Some say that this helps build allies and foreign relations, but this obviously is not the case anymore. We are relying way too much on other countries and our economy does not help in this situation either.

    Russia is without a doubt making its way to a major super-power. They are doing whatever it takes to increase their international status. They overlooked Obama's warnings and made their way into Ukraine. Putin, unlike Obama, is focusing on his own country rather than being involved in many foreign issues. He is invading Ukraine to increase his country's power, prestige and foreign status. Putin is all about seriousness and allowing his country to thrive in any way possible. Now this is a country that should be feared and respected because we never really know what Putin will have up his sleeve.

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    1. Kushali, I completely agree with you on this. The United States is most certainly neither as respected nor feared as it was years ago. Obama's warnings to Russia and the Putin regime were simply pathetic, and that in turn makes us look even weaker, ultimately ruining our "feared" and "respected" status. Plus, I like how you mentioned that we can't keep dwelling on the past and that we need to focus on how times have changed. Now as far as Russia goes, they'll basically do whatever they can to achieve their goal of becoming a major super-power, because they clearly aren't the least bit intimidated by Obama's warnings and sanctions.

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    2. There is not really much else I can say about this, other than Putin does not respect americans, and unless americans take no nonsense like with world war 2, world war 3 may be just around the corner, because russia's goal is to create the soviet union and eventually dominate the world. Is it america's responsibility,? If we are still the world police, than yes I feel it is.

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    3. Kushali, we had similar views so naturally I agree with you. President Obama, although I respect him as President, took the wrong decision of getting involved with President Putin. Putin really doesn’t seem to be affected by Obama’s supposed “warnings and threats”, which shows his determination to become a superpower. He knows that it is his priority to look after his nation, and make it the best it could be, in his opinion, by expanding it. In that aspect, the United States doesn’t look after itself as much as it should, rather, getting involved with other countries’ problems. This is one of the biggest factors why the United States has lost most of its respect and ability to be feared.

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  6. Although the United States was once an immensely appreciated and feared nation, I must say that it is no longer the superpower it once was. Our government and economy are simply not as functional and we are starting to be looked down upon. We have lost respect as a country in several ways, from our everyday lifestyle to the abhorrent habits of the majority of Americans, as well as rankings in areas such as education, employment, etc. We find ourselves poking our noses in situations around the world all the time, which seem to aggravate many countries. President Obama’s attempts on preventing Russia from invading Ukraine are an example of the United States always seeming to want to get involved and solve the problem. I believe that Russia, rather Vladimir Putin, seems to be clear on what he wants, and there is no stopping him, even with the protests of the Ukrainian government. As for being feared, there was a time after we were the first to release a nuclear bomb that we were greatly dreaded for our risky use of powerful weapons across the globe. We are one of the few countries in the possession of nuclear weapons, which may make us seem like a nation to be afraid of; however, I believe that our nation is not feared as much anymore, but probably more by those countries who do not own any weapons and are not as advanced. While we do have such intimidating gadgets, the “big” countries also have them, and each of us has the potential to use them in one way or the other. So all in all, we have lost our ability to be feared by many countries right after other nations began adopting our advancement in weapons of mass destruction.
    I feel as though Russia definitely has the potential to become the next major superpower if their chief move of obtaining Ukraine is successful. While Ukrainian citizens are fighting back with all they’ve got, Russia easily overpowers them all. With Ukraine in their hands, Russia’s authority will grow massively and they will have the power to do so many more things. They are already politically strong, and with Ukraine, they can become economically sturdy in many ways as well. They can also expand upon their military after invading Ukraine, which would significantly help them in any upcoming wars with the United States or parts of Europe if there were any to take place. It has also been said that Putin has his eye on the country of Estonia as well, which would access him to additional power, and would add on to Russia’s potential to become and be feared as a huge superpower around the world.

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    1. Once again, I agree that the United States has lost its "feared" and "respected" status. You mentioned that "Russia, rather Vladimir Putin, seems to be clear on what he wants, and there is no stopping him". Clearly his firmness and tough foreign policy is what makes Russia a more intimidating country. Obama's warnings and sanctions are obviously not enough to stop Russia and the Putin regime, and how does that make us look? It should take more than our possession of nuclear weapons to make the United States a feared country.

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    2. I remember discussing the Putin and Estonia issue in Writer's Workshop and you're absolutely right. That was a great fact you used to back up your argument because that also shows how Putin has his priorities straightened out for his country. He is looking for international strength for his country and an overall superpower. We are taking many steps back with issues like this and Putin has great efforts to make Russia a progressive country. I agree with your overall viewpoint.

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    3. Kushali, how can you say that Putin has his priorities straight. He's a crazy man, I mean he "wrestles tigers" for crying out loud, okay he does what he wants when he wants it, woopdeedoo. The reason he does this is because no one has the guts to stand up against him, so he can do whatever he wants, so it seems like his priorities are straight, but they really aren't so straight.

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  7. The U.S. is still respected and feared today. We are the international police. If there is a problem in the world it is our duty to fix it, no if that is not a respected thing i don't know what is. Now to bigger countries like Russia and China, we are not much of a threat, but to countries like Ireland or Japan, they would never in their right minds attempt to "start something" with us. I understand that terrorist organizations in middle eastern countries stand up to us like in the case of the World Trade Center. But you know what, we built the freedom tower and basically said to Al- Qaida "Hey, you can't phase us". The U.S. id still a major super power in the world that is highly respected and feared somewhat, despite other countries' up-and-comings.
    Honestly no, I don't think Russia is making a move to become a super power at last. Putin is simply just being Putin, I mean the guy wrestles tigers and rides horses shirtless, the guy's crazy. So what does it mean that he has taken back Crimea, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! That little Crimean Peninsula really has no importance to us or the rest of the world (besides Ukraine), so i really don't see the big deal in that. Also, it was mentioned in the article that Russian officials have "secret money" in European countries, what does that mean, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! That only means they are using illegal money which will someday come back to bite them in the bum, which will cause the Russian government to into a chaotic state. So, no Russia is not making a move to become a super power once again based on what the article has told us.

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    1. Ian, how are we the international police? The police take care of crimes and actually fix it. America is not the police, police get the job done, while our country interferes with a selective few problems. If America was the police they would have helped during the Bosnian Genocide and many other things that remain silent today, proving they are biased for certain situations. America likes to look for the benefit they will get out of it. Also, how can you say Russia hiding money in Europe is nothing? Many nations, even U.S. citizens, have money hidden in Switzerland. Switzerland has many private accounts that no one can get a hold of, or even know about. So how do you know they might not have money there? How do you know our country might not have money there? I agree this super power won't happen, but Russia is obviously trying.

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    2. I-an… Do you really think the US is respected like it used to be? Why are we worth respecting anymore? Aren't we falling behind in everything? The US is giving up in many categories and making things easier and easier while other countries are stepping up and forcing more challenges on to us. Although we have built the freedom tower we are struggling in almost every aspect of our economy, education and technology. The US is obviously no where near the place it used to be.. Why are we giving up hope? Why are we making the SATs easier when everyone is making things harder? We really need to change the way we are heading and change our reputation to where it was in the 20th century. We are letting countries take advantage of us and that is just not right. We should be the best and compare ourselves to the best. Obviously, we have to change the way things are happening and make a stronger and better America.

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    3. So Hava, are u aware that we are called upon to solve problems in the world, yeah we may not get the job done 100% of the time, but we still try. Police don't always get the job done so I don't know where you got that from. Maybe I was wrong about Russia not trying, but they aren't doing a good job if they ate doing at all. Its just Putin trying to be a bully, gain more "power"

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    4. Sorry I said "u" and not you

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    5. Well Abu I do think that since I wrote in my blog. We may be falling behind, but people still look to us to solve problems whether we come through or not, I think that's pretty respectable. And I don't know where SATs come into play in this so...

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  8. America is neither respected or feared anymore as a nation. Not only do other countries not respect us, but many in this country don't even respect where they live. The government has a job to make this nation feel safe and secure, when really the middle class is dying, the poverty rate is rising, and the amount of freedom diminishes everyday. The U.S. is failing economically and politically in many ways. Also, when it comes to interacting with the world our country is biased and is selective on who they help. Looking at what currently is happening, it's obvious that Putin does not fear America due to the amount of foreign policy failures the Obama Administration has had. Other nations are looking at our country as weak because of our leader. Putin has ignored America's warnings, showing what they really think of us. Also, the fact that our county has needed to use disgusting weapons in the past, to be feared, is upsetting.

    Russia is trying to make itself a major super power. I think that Russia is trying to rebuild the Soviet Union. As hard as Ukrainians will try and fight, it is nothing compared to the amount of power Russia has over them today. Putin is steps away from gaining rule of the Black Sea, why else would he start near that area. If he does gain control, he will have the rule over imports and exports, and will gain more power. Although this is his plan, another USSR will be tough to create.

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    1. The United States is with out a doubt diminishing in its respectful ranking and there are countless actions that have taken place in support to this. I feel our country should be shameful for the recent failures that have occurred. I believe that Obama's attempt in stopping Russia from invading Ukraine was a downgrade to our country. We should not be involved in foreign issues around us and rather focus on our country itself like Russia is doing currently. Russia is definitely making itself a major super power because with more land comes more power and with their determination and avoidance to obstacles, it is bound to happen.

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    2. The US is going down instead of up in some ways. But in light of that, we still are probably one of the most powerful countries, regardless. We shouldn't have gotten involved with Russia/Ukraine's altercation. That had nothing to do with us. America should pay more attention to its own issues instead of foreign issues that aren't our business.

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    3. I don't mean to "kumbaya", but I totally agree with you. America is plunging towards...I don't even know what... I just know theyre not heading in the right direction. The abuse of congressmen's power is absolutely ridiculous. One example is their ability to use tax paid money for luxury items and such. I cant think of one thing that America is actually doing well in. Not education, not economically, not with foreign relations... I feel the men who are supposed to be serving this country MUST wake up and serve their country, NOW!!!!! I also agree that its outrageous that we have resorted to using disgusting weapons in the past to be feared.

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  9. The United States has definitely lost its once “respected” status it held in the world yet I believe we have not fully gotten rid of our “feared” position. The United States is no longer respected as it has been in the past due to the dependency we have put on other countries. You could also say that the United States has been “used”. It has been involved in helping plenty of foreign issues with other countries and these actions seem to have “bit us in the back”. A chief example of decrease in our respected status is president Obama’s warnings to Russia, not to invade Ukraine and Putin ignoring Obama’s attempts to put a stop and continued on his plans. This additionally shows our constant involvement in issues we aren’t even a part of. On the other hand, I believe we have not fully rid of our “feared” status. As mentioned in the article, the United States still encompasses nuclear weapons which very few countries have. The United States is known to have one of the strongest militaries as well. With nuclear weapons and one of the strongest militaries, the United States can still be known as powerful due to supplies we obtain. This also gives the United States the ability to threaten other countries for protection since we have such reliable provisions. Although we may still attain a fearful status, I can see it somewhat descending as well.
    I truly believe Russia has the ability to make a major move and re-establish itself as a major super power. After all, the attempt from Obama to Putin sparked no effect whatsoever to the invasion of Ukraine. This shows their capability through obstacles and determined drive to their goals. Russia, unlike the United States, focuses on empowering their own country and will not get thrown off by foreign issues of other countries. If they obtain Ukraine, they will gain more power with more land. This will only lead to events benefitting their country with power in every move.

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    1. I think I understand your point. If Russia doesn't care about foreign affairs than yes they would only want to benefit themselves. If this sit rue they should be kicked out of the U.N. and force will have to be used.

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    2. Shivani, I agreed with most of your points. The United States has definitely lost its respect, but although it may seem as though the United States has not lost its feared position, it has. While strong military and advanced weapon technologies provide a reason for the belief of the United States being feared, there are other factors involved. Russia also has weapons of mass destruction, as well as seven other countries. They might not have as many, but they certainly possess them, and we all have the potential to make use of them whenever, which makes any one of us just as dreaded and dangerous. Russia could easily expand upon its military if it invades Ukraine and also has numerous strong ally forces that could beat the Unites States in any war. I do agree with you that Putin is very determined to gain power and that he cares about his country and is doing whatever it takes to rise to the top.

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    3. I agree that the U.S. has lost its once feared and respected position. I just don't understand why everyone says we are feared still because of the weapons we have used. No one should be proud to be feared for the weapons they have used. No one should fear what they see, they should fear what they can't see. The weapons could be taken away, the intelligence of a nation is what should be feared, but right now it seems like our leader doesn't have much. Our nation is weakening everyday.

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    4. I apologize for being so straight but you know the impression America leave to some part of the world is as a hypocrite. Maybe that is why Russia and China don't really like America. America is interfering too much in the world affair. People likes to say "ah, it is none of America's business". But they are wrong, all those problems can affect America's future. in order to take the control of the world, America has to come up with new ways to maintain its power. every political actions have a deeper motivation, and however, as the time America is trying to establish its prestige, it is losing it in the same time.

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  10. America has been known as the global protector for many decades. We are loved, hated, and envied by many. However, we have always been considered a "top" country. Our economy allowed us to feed our citizens (unlike other countries), and our unemployment was low. WAS low. We are in a recession now! America needs to step up it's A-GAME! When Bush was president, Putin was playing Golf with him! Obama doesn't play golf with Putin. Now I'm not saying im democrat or republican, all im saying is that obama is not an intimidating president. When Putin took over Crimea he had two options; stay quiet or get involved. He chose to say "We won't accept Cremia is Russia" No Obama... that was a bad decision. Putin dusted that statement right off of his shoulders like it was nothing. America is having internal problems; England is having internal problems; China is facing a possible civil-war, and russia is in the middle trying to conquer the eastern world. WW3? Is it possible? Of course. 1914, July World war 1 started. Will world war 3 also start in July 2014? Time will tell... but I feel America is not as powerful as it used to be, because America is not even powerful internally at the moment.

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    1. Tom i see where you are coming from but let me remind you that the use still has a lot of power in terms of global influence. We influence many nations and their government is intertwined with ours. This is no small feat not to mention that the US dollar practically dictates the world economy. I do however see where you are coming from and i do have to agree that we have lost a lot of power and have not been doing a good job in making our way back to the top. I wonder how this matter will be resolved.

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    2. Tom you make some good points, but you say "However, we have always been considered a "top" country. Our economy allowed us to feed our citizens (unlike other countries), and our unemployment was low." I would have to disagree with this statement. We shouldnt be comparing ourselves with the weaker countries we should compare ourselves with the best. Also don't you think our reputation is very different from what it used to be? I definitely agree with you that we need to step up. We are falling back in education, technology and many other factors. We need to change our direction and head in the right way. We need to change our image back to the land of opportunities and we shouldn't allow countries like China and Japan get ahead of us. This is our country and we need to be at the top. We are worthing nothing under. We cant let other countries take advantage of us!! Our reputation is certainly not where it used to be and it needs to be put back.

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    3. Frankly speaking I really don't think America is the protector of the world. Every political actions have a deeper and darker motivation. And about WW3, wow from my view, it is possible but not likely. The world is too tired to have a big fight after all those disasters happened during WW2. Especially America, since America is now a big debt country who owes 17 trillion dollars (and it is still increasing)....

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    4. Tom, I definitely see where you are coming from with these conclusions. The United States is decreasing in many aspects and is most definitely losing respect. If being ignored and sort of considered "childish" by the gesture made by Obama to Putin isn't losing respect, I don't know what is. I feel aren't putting enough thought into actions we take and this is directing us to the dumps. Not only is the United States decreasing in its respect but many other aspects as well. For example, as we mentioned in previous blog topics, our education is decreasing as well and our technological or scientific advances are being proposed without thinking it through. America definitely needs to "step up its A-Game".

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    5. I agree that a possible World War III may arise. I think more conflict would have to occur between a group of countries though. There is not enough build-up of problems to create World War III just yet! I also agree that what Obama said was certainly a bad decision. That only allows Putin to get his confidence fed even more. Obama needs to show more confidence, like Putin, in his words and actions. Every move you make as a country is critical, kind of like chess.

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    6. Tom, it is very possible for another world war. I mean, America doesn't have as strong as a foundation as it did in July of 1914. There are many countries that wouldn't mind going to war with us. As Rob stated before me (which by the way was a good example), every move as a country is important and will matter.

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  11. The US has been a very powerful nation since the day we declared our independence from Great Britain. The US has build a very formidable reputation across the world and I still believe the US is stilled view as a international powerhouse. Although it is true that the US has lost a lot of power since the Great Depression and the recent economic recession. The US still has a large military force and has a lot of influenced on nations across the globe. Another reason why i believe the US should still be respected is that the world economy is based on the US dollar bill. In other terms if our economy suffers a blow economies around the world will also suffer a blow. One such example would be the Great Depression our economy was struck hard and in a domino effect other countries also suffered a devastating loss (economically wise). This is why the US is still respected around the world, the fact that we still wield such power even if we are not at our prime is something to be respectful of.

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    1. Don't you think our reputation is now weaker in peoples eyes because of the actions we are having? The weak government, the falling of our education and failure in many other activities certainly plays a role in our education. Don't you think it gives us a negative connotation? We are no longer the land where dreams come true, the land of opportunity is no longer our name. We are not like we were in the 20th century and don't you think other countries don't respect us? Additionally, you talk about the US dollar bill, but we aren't the strongest currency holders and it is certainly not what we are best known for. Think this over, do you think our reputation is really what it used to be?

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  12. America is definitely not respected like it used to be in the 20th century and earlier. We are becoming lazy and falling behind in all categories letting other countries ahead of us. For example, our education has fallen back very far from years ago and now we are being trampled by countries like China and Finland. We are no longer thought of as the land of opportunities. Other countries are trying to get ahead of us and we are easily allowing them to do it. This is not America, although we still may be patriotic, we are just giving up. Another aspect/category we are falling behind in deals with technology. Although we have very advanced military technologies, China is just blowing the competition away. They are leading in the so-called technology race and amaze us with all types of new inventions. We are simply losing hope and that has to change. In order to gain international respect again we are going to have to work for it. It is kind of like our JSA chapter… We were once that of as a joke, but now we are one of the most well respected chapters of them all. It may be a weak analogy, but the United States needs to start working and change the direction they are heading. Also, as Paige states "With a failing economy and a president whose actions ultimately make the country look much weaker internationally, it's almost no wonder we aren't as respected as we once were." We are hating on our own people and especially the leaders. We are giving our enemies a chance to get ahead of us while we are trying to deal with our presidential and congressional problems. We need to maintain our reputation before we can do all of this. Additionally, I definitely believe Russia is trying to reestablish itself into what they were, a superpower. Russia may try to establish into a stronger and stronger country, but I don't believe countries like us or UK will allow that to occur. We had a lot of thought going into whether we would send support to Crimea and if they move in further we will definitely stop them. They can't and won't be able to threaten us like they used to be able to. Russia made a very risky move, but in the end I believe it just creates more targets on their shoulder.

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    1. well i really don't think that it is the laziness which bring down the reputation of America. America is interfering too much in the world affair. America's naiveness and all those characteristics possessed along with the trend of the nation's thought is the cause of the nation's possible decay.

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    2. Abu, I must respectively disagree with a few of your points, we cant always agree as I-an says! I am not going to go too in depth, but here it goes. First of all, I feel that although America may be slacking in education, technology, and other areas, we are definitely still a land of opportunity. We are just as free today as we were before we started falling behind in education. Also, I don't feel a main goal of other countries is to get ahead of specifically the U.S. in these categories, simply just beating us and you could say putting more effort. I'm not so sure as if to whether or not we are "giving up" or not, but we just need some more motivation, but that's all on your opinion. I didn't really know what you meant by the technology race, but I DO understand we need to pick up the pace in the STEM field. I don't think we are losing all hope, but we need to "work hard" to quote my great teacher, Mr. Elassa. I feel we should have a balance, work on both our congressional problems and education, etc. and step up our game. In a way, you did contradict yourself when you said countries like the U.S. and UK will not allow Russia to establish into a stronger country because you said we were getting weaker.

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    3. I do understand that our unemployment rates have gone up, so I can see where you're coming from.

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    4. Abu, I definitely agree we have lost our feared and respected status like before and you could have not put it in any simpler terms. As you mentioned we are no longer the land of opportunities due to our failing government and our education system and technological advancements are not up to par with other countries. I also believe Russia will not be able to become a global superpower because many countries will stop them and they would be just creating enemies.

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  13. America is a superpower in the world. Its influence to the world can be considered as unprecedented and will never be approached again. However, this "world hegemony", unlike the empires in the past, which were established by taking direct control of other countries, America is "controlling" the world indirectly by using its unique core values and society systems after the Cold War. Due to America's political system, multicultural society and those characteristics possessed along with the trend of the nation's thought, America will probably become the first ever super country which cannot utilize its strength and power to other countries. Why America always interfere in the affair of Eurasian countries? Somehow from my point of view, all those "poke nose to others' business" actions are just preventing the rise of other nations to challenge America in the future. If any country is fear of American power, then the fear still remains today. But however, America is being naive and overconfident from some points. In my opinion, countries like Russia and modern days China NEVER has FEAR for America, it is unworthy and stupid to break up over with America completely but this doesn't mean that America was well accepted by the world.

    Then speaking of Vladimir Putin, the invasion of Russia to Ukraine is kind of a show to the European countries, and most importantly,to America! Ukraine is an important chess piece. The motivations and all those conflicts between are not formed recently as all of us know. But I don't really know clearly about the situation so I can't make any more comments on this. Now, the only thing we can do is to wait and see what happens to this "confrontation". And however, he issues between the super powers of the world will never end....

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  14. I want to begin by speaking on the actions of Russia, especially those carried out by the current president Vladimir Putin. From the evidence at hand, I strongly believe that Russia has the confidence, willpower, economic strength, logical reasoning, and strategy to sprout into a global super power. Vladimir Putin has reasons for many "wrong" acts he has done, including the "invasion" on Ukraine, reason being it was an attempt to further fortify the military defenses of his country. Many people are against Vladimir Putin due to some "immoral" acts including gay laws- one example is that a gay couple cannot adopt a Russian child/person. The fact is, several European nations and the U.S. are frightened by Putin, showing how truly powerful he can be. He has worked his way up the chain from a liberal politician in 1991 after the fall of the soviet union and now he stands as president. Putin is confident and standing tall. He has been influenced into thinking European regions have their thoughts centered around money rather than taking a stand against Vladimir himself. Russia has BILLIONS of dollars stored away, and Vladimir Putin plays a key role in that fact. But to talk about the more concerning issue- America has lost its feared and respected status. I feel we are actually looked down upon, as a joke. Barack Obama needs to take more action dealing with foreign relations, our control over Europe is deteriorating and it is leaning Russia's way now. When Obama called off his visit to Russia, that indicated fear. Our economy has gone down the tubes, to the point where we entered a government shutdown just recently in 2013. Not to mention the lack of concentration and work ethic of our congressman... this country needs work and we need it now. We can't let this country and it's reputation slip away.

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    1. You brought up a good point about how powerful Putin is, and that to me shows how much more powerful Russia seems to be than the U.S. right now. Also, I agree that America has lost its respect and feared position. We are a joke as you have said. Ask a European, one who lives there, what they think of Americans? I go to Europe frequently and have heard many say Americans are fat, lazy, and stupid. Besides having other countries joke about us, we even joke about ourselves. I am pretty sure all of us have heard a joke about 'Murica, or whatever. Its funny how our country wants to be serious and feared, when all we do is laugh at ourselves.

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  15. Before I speak my mind on this highly controversial manner, I'd like to make one thing certain. That is, that both fear and respect are two distinct feelings. Although they both seemingly convey a similar reaction, the usage of both (ultimately) decides a nation's fate. It is in my opinion, that subsequent to America's becoming more timid (more so not following through on demands) nations no longer think of this nation as one of which that you should not trifle with on imperative matters. The perfect example would be the use of chemical weapons in Syria, an act that President Obama promised would be met with action even though it did not meet any. In simple terms, while other nations realize that our country holds with it much power and influence, they recognize our unwillingness to use it as a weakness.

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    1. You are totally right about fear and respect being two completely different things. Our nation used to be feared and respected, but I believe you can't have one without the other and our success as a country has started to fail. We have many ongoing internal problems, which makes other countries laugh at us. We need to reevaluate ourselves as a country before we can be feared and respected by others.

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  16. Present day America is definitely not feared and respected like it was in the past. We have many internal problems that make our country look bad and our economy on top of that has many problems. Even the American Dream is questionable. We are not the same country that everyone wanted to immigrate to like in the past because of our failing government and the people that run our government. Also, America is always acting like the international police for problems that should be dealt by the country it is affecting, but sometimes as a nation we pay more attention to other countries than our own. This is where Russia comes into play with America. Even though Russia was fully warned by President Obama, it seems like Russia did not care about diplomatic relations when they invaded Crimea. Russia is trying become a superpower, but I believe that will not occur. Many countries combined in the UN have the willpower to stop Russia. If Putin really starts to establish Russia as a superpower it will just create more enemies.

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    1. Ox, I agree that Russia will probably never become a superpower, but it is still possible. They seem fully prepared for anything that will be thrown their way.
      Also, while we do get into unnecessay problems involving other countries, I think it is expected of us. Most countries assume that America will come to their rescue.

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    2. I have to say that I disagree with your opinion. I feel that Russia does have a probable chance of becoming a true superpower and that doing so would not create more enemies. In fact, the opposite may occur because after all, who doesn't want to be allies with a superpower? I will concede however, that Russia did cross several diplomatic boundaries by invading Crimea.

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  17. I agree that America has lost its once feared and respected position. However, not completely. I think America still serves as the international police. It seems that most countries come to us when they are in need. America is very modern, with their way of life, and with military weapons and such. I suppose we could be a 'role model' to other countries.
    Yes, Russia is catching up to us. They are swiftly becoming skilled. In order for us to keep up, we continue doing what we do, yet at the same time, continue improving.

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    2. Kaitlyn, personally I don't believe that the US is as much of a police force as it was previously, yet we still can serve as a "model" country to others. An interesting concept considering I previously thought they were intertwined. At the same time, we must remain vigilant of Russia's advances, because if they can do something as bold as this, then they are not afraid to do what is in their best interest.

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    3. I completely agree that the US acts like an international police all the time. However if we are not respected than we are not good role models. Sai, we are definitely not a model country to others and don't you think we pay more attention to other countries than sometimes our own? The US is still an international police force and until we get our priorities straight our country will face many obstacles.

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