by jony_b_cool
(lifted and edited from two comments)
In the space of about the last ten years, the perception of the USA seems to be in a shift from: somewhat honest-broker on Middle-East and African affairs to that of brutal, capricious, dishonest, power-drunk and desperate empire that has abandoned all else in favor of military force.
If the USA were not inhibited by historical legacies with regard to Africa, there is no reason to doubt that we would by now have seen maximum military force imposed. Hence Zenawi’s Ethiopia becomes a useful proxy.
But what happens when Ethiopia finds out Somalia is more trouble than its worth, just like the USA finds out Iraq is more trouble than its worth, just like the Soviets found out Afghanistan is more trouble than its worth, just like Israel found out Lebanon is more trouble than its worth, just like Saddam (btw with USA backing) found out Iran is more trouble than its worth …
The desperate urgency to seize control of resources in Africa and the Middle-East before China moves in reveals a lot about how USA perceives these areas. As child-like, who do not know what is good for them. Kind of like an abusive and controlling parent or spouse who lacks healthy self-reflection.
This is not a knock against Western intellect: But the West has been too slow to come to terms with the fact that its historical dominance of the means and channels for propagating intellect is no longer the powerful tool it once was.
In the past, the framing of intellect was always in the West’s favor and to its major advantage. This was the norm so much so that it became instututional, sacred and unquestioned.
But this is no longer the case and the West needs to catch up with the reality that others now see things differently and are arriving at the understanding that many of these intellects can be more slanted than sacred.