US foreign policy: Drone attacks and assassinations a disaster

This is an interesting interview and report on the continued drone attacks in Pakistan and the murder of Pakistani civilians by the US government. While many of us would agree that US foreign policy is at the root of anti-Americanism and the best recruiting tool for al Qaeda, this foreign policy is driven by the struggle for markets and competition between the nation states; it is not simply a product of stupid individuals although there are different levels from the more rational to the insane among the the strategists of US capitalism.

US capitalism is still the most powerful force on the planet but  it is in deep crisis.  Its economic system is broken as is its body politic.  The present economic crisis and Obama's failures for which he is attacked from the right that offer Reagan as a comparison, is different from the Reagan era that followed a deep recession in that the society is still mired in debt.  Under such conditions lenders are unwilling to lend and borrowers wary of borrowing. US Capitalism is stuck in a rut.

On the international stage, US capitalism has lost ground as it faces increasing competition from China and the BRICS.  It has spent billions building bases all over the world particularly in central Asia in an attempt to surround China, its greatest threat and preserve its world dominance.  The new base to be built in Darwin Australia that will allow for rapid deployment forces is aimed at curbing China's influence.  This all has to be paid for and the war against US workers at home is an attempt to put the working class on rations to do just that.

In the video the interviewee refers to Petraeus' success in Iraq but Iraq is far from a success.  The Kurds in the north are increasingly pushing for more territory and their own separate nation state. This is something the Turks on the northern border will never allow having some 15 million Kurds in Turkey.  The divisions between the three groups that make up Iraq will intensify in the period ahead.  Iraq is not over by any means.

Also, if Israel or the US attacks Iran this will lead to an even worse situation as the whole region will be further destabilized and the price of gas most likely will skyrocket. With regard to events is Syria, there is an interesting article about Syria and the Arab League's intervention in the Asia Times. Worth a read.