Not Since the Pharaohs or the Roman Emperors Has a Head of State Travelled In Such Pomp
Not Since the Pharaohs or the Roman Emperors Has a Head of State Travelled In Such Pomp
The headline above was used to describe U.S. President Obama's recent trip to India and Indonesia. His entourage included 200 Secret Service agents, 500 White House aids, 200 business leaders, and the military personnel required to man fighter escort for Air Force One, 18 gigantic C17 transport aircraft, and 34 naval ships, including two aircraft carriers. The required accommodations included 560 rooms and 44 suites at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, along with 300 rooms at other top luxury hotels. The rumored price tag for all of this, although denied by White House officials, was $200 million per day.
A Mix of Signals
Stated to be a mission of trade and diplomacy, the timing, scale, and cost of the event have brought questions and criticism from sources far and wide. Many suspect the timing and scale of the event provided a way to both escape and distract from the disastrous election results that were known to be coming by all.
In response, the White House maintains that the trip was planned far in advance, and that its scale and cost were a matter of security. Then the question becomes, If the trip was going to be so dangerous, why should the President even go? And why should he expose so many additional staff members and business people to such threats?
Indeed, would it not be far safer and cheaper to have foreign leaders assemble in the U.S? Then there is the matter of the considerable Navy participation. How does this provide enhanced security for any of the participants? And if the threat is indeed large enough that military action could be required, it seems a given that American citizens should not be exposing themselves to such threats.
The Bottom Line
Overall, there seems no way to make sense of this spectacle unless one views it in the historical terms suggested in the title of this piece. That is, the methods of the pharaohs and Roman emperors had a purpose: to project an image of strength in both the military and economic realmswhich combined will dictate the survivability of any given nation.
First, such displays are designed to deter military rivals from considering aggression, while also encouraging non-rivals to become allies in both military operations and economic interchange (with rivals often engaging in the latter to some degree).
Second, such displays are designed to maximize leverage in both military and economic negotiations with friend and foe alike. The reason this basic behavioral pattern has been the gold standard within human history, and within the history of advanced species at large to one degree or another, is that natural selection will invariably reward high status to the degree that its benefits are pursued and capitalized upon.
On Paper Tigers
Hence, there is a tendency to project high status even if the performance capacity to back it up is lacking. Indeed, those who lack real ability are often the ones that take the greatest pains to convince others they have iti.e., to fake it.
Now we can make sense of Obama's trip to India and Indonesia, and especially the exuberant display that surrounded it. For as the decreasing economic performance in America specifically and the West generally have been matched by increases in the economic performance of China and India specifically and the East generally, the U.S. is now feeling the pressure to reassert its dominance with overt displays of power.
Yet meanwhile, it was just declared by Forbes Magazine that the president of the United States, Barack Obama, is no longer the world's most powerful man; it is now China's president, Hu Jintao. The discussions surrounding the replacement of the American dollar as the standard of world exchange further reinforces the perception and reality of global status trends. In short, the American "emperor has no clothes," and his increasing weakness is there for all to see.
Regaining Alpha Status
This is not to say that America specifically and the West generally are now fated to joining the fallen empires of the past. But if they do not re-embrace the performance-based Western ideals that led to their riseincluding meritocratic free-market capitalism and constitutional republicanism that protects individual libertythis fall will most assuredly occur.
It is in no way coincidental that the East has been rising as it has adopted free-market reforms while the West has been falling as it has increasingly abandoned free-market principles. The days of speaking softly and carrying a big stick may be over for America, but at this point the outcome remains a matter of choice, not destiny. Yacht Charter Your Dream Trips Medical Travel Insurance Policy Can Make Your Family Vacation Simple Kobalt Tools 500 Odds: NASCAR Predictions - Phoenix International Raceway Discover a Hotell in London that Fits Your Holiday Budget Latest Bollywood Celebrity Gossips Holidays in Sri Lanka Fly London Shoes Are Quite Trendy And Stylish Relaxation Is usually Found by Enjoying Patio Swings You Don't have to have a University Degree to enter Paradise Holidays in India – Famous Destinations Cheap All Inclusive Holidays Are Best Option To Suit Your Budget India: The Ultimate Travel Destination Cruise Italy Holidays 2011 | Top Quality Italy Port Tours | Italy Shore Trips