Russia declares U.S. second rate

By Toby Westerman

Dinesh D'Souza states in his book, America, Imagine A World Without Her, and in the film of the same title, that U.S. is in a decline caused by conscious public policy. D'Souza rightly fears that if this decline continues, "America as we know it will cease to exist," and calls this politically motivated self-destruction "national suicide." America's growing weakness is being closely watched around the world, but especially by the Russian political elite, which has already declared America's "hegemony in the world ended," and for some time has taken steps to supplant the U.S. as the world's leading power.

The Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Yevgeny Lukyanov, declared that "the hegemony of the USA in the world arena had come to an end," according to a recent online report in the state controlled news agency RIA Novosti.

In the same article, Russian president Vladimir Putin declared the Obama's "reset" of U.S.-Russian relations a failure. As if to emphasize his disdain for the collapse of U.S. foreign policy acumen, Putin referred to the so-called "reset" using the same mistranslated term – in quotation marks – which was printed on the "reset button" then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented to the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov.

To take the place of big power discussions, Putin suggested a "global congress" of "all key players."

Lukyanov also asserted that the UN is useless for answering today's problems, and echoed Putin by calling for other organizations to take leadership roles. Lukyanov specifically mentioning BRICS, the alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

The BRICS alliance, one may note, followed Moscow's line regarding the Russian invasion of Crimea in February. The reference to BRICS is timely, since Putin will be visiting Brazil for a BRICS summit in mid-July. The BRICS "center of power" may get a new member during Putin's visit, Argentina.

"More and more world chaos" will erupt without the intervention of the "new centers of power," according to Lukyavov.

If BRICS is an example of things to come, the new agreements among the "new centers of power" can be counted on to turn a blind eye to continuing Russian expansion into Europe as well as China's growing control of the internationally vital shipping lanes of the South China Sea. Without America, Western Europe will gradually become subservient to Moscow's wishes, just as Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region will fall under China's domination.

And so we have D'Souza's "World Without America."

America needs to stay strong for its own survival, but what do the people of other nations think of America?

One recent international poll seems to bear grim news for the U.S. According to the poll, America is the nation considered to be the greatest threat to world peace. The poll was cited by the speaker of Russia's lower house, Sergei Naryshkin, who took the poll as proof that U.S. foreign policy" is "the main cause of international instability." Comfortable in his condemnation of the United States, Naryshkin added, "the figures speak for themselves."

But do they?

The poll in question is the annual WIN/Gallop International survey. Of the approximately 70,000 respondents from 65 nations, 24% cited the U.S. as the greatest threat to peace, far ahead of the number two and three nations, Pakistan and China, which were in the single digits.

A closer look at the poll, however, indicates that its not all that bad for the United States.

One poll result, not cited by Naryshkin, finds that the United States is the country most respondents would like to live in. Whatever our faults, America is still the place to which most people would like to go, as our porous borders prove hourly.

There is also the reality of intimidation during poll responses. Many of the respondents who considered the U.S. a threat to peace came from Russia and the Peoples Republic of China, nations with state controlled media which constantly portray the United States as the main evil in the world. Even if an individual had a positive view of the U.S., the oppressive environments of Russia and China would make the expression of pro-American sentiments dangerous to the respondent's health and well being.

The truth is that the Communist elite in Moscow and Beijing are fully aware that the world prefers America, with all its flaws, to the heavy handed oppression of Russia and China. That is the reason that America must, in their opinion, disappear as a world leader.

It's time for America to come roaring back onto the world stage as the great champion of individual rights and the protector of free nations. When we protect others, we protect ourselves. Our enemies know this and fear it.

We can reject decline and "national suicide." We can protect the human dignity that God has given us, and help others do the same. Trusting in God, we can answer the call of our Traditions and those who have gone before us. Our opportunities are great, and so are our responsibilities. The decision is ours.

© Toby Westerman