As we look ahead at the beginning of a new year and a new decade, there is increasing talk again about whether America is in inevitable decline. It’s the sort of talk that has emerged before. In the 1970s and 1980s some believed that Japan would overtake the United States. During the Cold War some on the left embraced the notion that the Soviet Union would leave us in the dust. Now the rival is China, which some say is poised to overtake us. And Foreign Policy argues that the challenge is real:
“The Chinese challenge to the United States is more serious for both economic and demographic reasons. The Soviet Union collapsed because its economic system was highly inefficient, a fatal flaw that was disguised for a long time because the USSR never attempted to compete on world markets. China, by contrast, has proved its economic prowess on the global stage. Its economy has been growing at 9 to 10 percent a year, on average, for roughly three decades. It is now the world’s leading exporter and its biggest manufacturer, and it is sitting on more than $2.5 trillion of foreign reserves. Chinese goods compete all over the world. This is no Soviet-style economic basket case.”
To be sure, China has strengths. But it also has its weaknesses. But ultimately by focusing on China, we are looking at this question of America as #1 all wrong. No one can match the American system for creativity or the American people for their patriotism and entrepreneurial spirit. The real question is this: DO OUR ELITES WANT US TO BE #1? During the 1970s and 1980s our leaders did want us to come out on top. They believed in American Exceptionalism. If America stumbled and fell into decline, most of them believed that it would be bad for our people, our country, and our world. But I don’t think that a sizable portion of our elites believe that anymore.
It starts with the President, the Leader of the Free World, the Commander in Chief. If being #1 doesn’t matter to him, the fortunes of the country will decline. The desire to win the competition is a key component of success. President Obama has been outspoken in his belief that he really doesn’t believe in American Exceptionalism. In many respects, it appears that Obama isn’t even interested in this competition to be #1. During his speech in Cairo, Egypt in 2009 he said:
“Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared.”
Then there was his famous pronouncement that American Exceptionalism is pretty much like British Exceptionalism or Greek Exceptionalism. Yeah, right.
We should fear about America’s future leadership role in the world. But not because China is a better sprinter or because America is inevitably getting slower. We should fear because our leaders are not determined to win the race. Indeed, they seem to prefer a tie, or even, an American loss.
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