JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: I THINK IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO NEGOTIATE, AT LEAST WITH SMALLER STATES - IT ONLY TELLS OTHERS WHAT TO DO - THE POWERFUL OBSERVATION OF LORD ACTON ABOUT POWER AND CORRUPTION IS ON FULL DISPLAY IN AMERICA'S RELATIONS - AMERICA LIKE A FLY FIXED IN AMBER

John Chuckman



COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY DANIEL LARISON IN CHECKPOINT ASIA



“Biggest Obstacle to North Korea Nuke Deal Is That the US Is Not Agreement-Capable

“The US has thrown previous agreements with Libya, Iran and North Korea in the garbage before the ink was dry”



I very much agree with the author’s sentiments.

I know of absolutely no instance where the United states "negotiated" with a smaller state over something important, unless you count negotiating with Israel, which is, more or less, a branch or colony of the United States.

People who regard themselves as "the indispensable nation" have little regard for others, and especially when the others are small.

It's the unavoidable prejudice of a bully, and the record of the United States since WWII is a three-quarters of a century display of acting out the role of bully. And in recent years, it is only increasingly so with even less concern for what anyone thinks.

Not a war that America has fought since WWII - starting virtually all of them, in complete contravention of international law - has been about its own defense or even over any authentic principle.

All of them were about telling others what to do.

People with that kind of record do not understand what it is to negotiate.

I very much believe that at this stage in its history, the United States truly reflects the powerful observation of Lord Acton: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men...."

There's no avoiding corruption when you regard yourself as uniquely blessed by God and believe yourself "indispensable" and when you have more resources at your disposal than you know what to do with.

And that summarizes the situation into which the United States is stuck, much like a fly fixed in amber.

I refer to “the United States” but that is always shorthand for America’s privileged power establishment, the people who guide and decide, people who never even consult the hundreds of millions of ordinary Americans on such topics as war and foreign affairs in a political structure which has almost no resemblance to democracy.

For that last statement, see:

https://chuckmanwordsincomments.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/john-chuckman-comment-how-american-politics-really-work-why-there-are-terrible-candidates-and-constant-wars-and-peoples-problems-are-ignored-why-heroes-like-julian-assange-are-persecuted-and-r/